Surfing Avalanche

The wave

Guéthary's reef break, and one of the outstanding barrel waves of mainland Europe. Avalanche breaks over a rock reef just off this small, upscale Basque fishing village, producing fast, hollow, powerful lefts when a big SW or NW groundswell wraps in with the right size.

The wave is famously fickle: it needs genuine size to start breaking properly, over 6ft, and remains rideable up to well overhead, but naturally guards its quality by rarely working at all in smaller swells. When it does turn on, it's known as a very serious big-wave spot, only for experienced surfers who understand the reef and the consequences of a mistake.

This is not a wave to underestimate. Watch it from the village terraces first, understand where the locals sit, and only paddle out once you're certain of the conditions and your own readiness. Outside the channel, on the other side, is a very different, gentler proposition worth knowing about.

43.4211, -1.6072 · Big SW-NW swell · Open in Google Maps

When to surf Avalanche

Avalanche is at its best from October to March. Conditions it likes: Big SW-NW swell. This is how the year looks across Côte Basque:

In season: January · February · March · October · November · December

Waves near Avalanche

Straight-line distances. By road it is usually further.

Getting there and staying around Guéthary & Hendaye

Transport, costs and the rest of the waves in the area are in the Guéthary & Hendaye surf guide →

A week here costs from about $390 with flights from Europe, or around $1,032 travelling comfortably. See other surf trips under $500 →