Guéthary & Hendaye · France
Surfing Cenitz
A reef break in Guéthary & Hendaye, France, for intermediate and advanced surfers.
Cenitz is a small cove just south of Guéthary, below a car park and a beach restaurant. The waves break over a rocky reef, with a right and a left.
It doesn't work very often, but on a west swell with an east-south-east wind and mid tide it can be good and far less crowded than the reefs in Guéthary. The bottom is rock, so booties help.
It's worth checking on winter days with the right wind, when Guéthary is crowded. In summer the beach restaurant above is busy and the waves are usually small. Lafitenia is just south if it isn't working.
When to surf
Cenitz
Cenitz is at its best from October to March. Conditions it likes: W swell, ESE offshore wind, mid tide.
October to March: Prime
Big, powerful swell, mild Basque winter
April to June: Good
Reliable swell, milder crowds
July to August: Quiet
Smaller swell, packed beaches, festival crowds
The year across Côte Basque
Waves near Cenitz
Alcyons
under 1 kmGuéthary & Hendaye · Left Reef · Advanced / Pro
Avalanche
1 kmGuéthary & Hendaye · Left Reef · Pro
Parlementia
1 kmGuéthary & Hendaye · Right Reef · Advanced / Pro
Straight-line distances. By road it is usually further.
Getting there
Where to stay: Guéthary is small and pricey but puts you right on the reef; Hendaye is a bigger beach town near the Spanish border.
Transport, costs, where to stay and the rest of the waves in the area are in the Guéthary & Hendaye guide.
Guéthary & Hendaye surf guideSurf it often and something here is wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.