Surfing Bizkaia

Beach Break · Best Oct-Mar · 2-6 ft · Crowd 4/5

NW swell, SSE wind, all tides

La Arena is the beach at the western end of Bizkaia, between Muskiz and Zierbena, about 20 minutes from Bilbao.

It has lefts and rights off the sandbanks and works best on winter north-west swells, on any tide. It's busy with surfers from the city, and the rips can be strong. The water has a bad reputation because of the industry nearby.

Autumn and winter bring the most consistent swell, and in summer it's usually small enough for lessons, with lifeguards and surf schools on the beach. It's easy to reach from Bilbao by car or metro and bus, so it gets busy at weekends. Sopelana and La Salvaje, across the estuary, are the alternatives when it's flat.

Right Reef · Best Nov-Mar · 8-25 ft · Crowd 2/5

Big NW swell, SSE wind

Punta Galea is the headland at the end of Getxo, below the cliffs, and one of the big-wave spots of the Basque Country.

On a serious swell a right breaks fast over a shallow rock reef, and it can go well above 20 feet. It's for professional big-wave surfers only. On normal days there's nothing to surf, but the cliff path is a good place to watch the sea.

It only breaks a few days each winter, on a very big north-west swell. On normal days, the beaches of Sopelana and La Salvaje nearby are the places to surf.

Beach Break · Best Year-round · 2-8 ft · Crowd 5/5

NW swell, SSE wind, all tides

Barinatxe, better known as La Salvaje, is the wild beach between Getxo and Sopelana, under tall cliffs.

It mixes sand and reef: the beach tends to give lefts and the reefs better rights. It works on all tides and at almost any time of year, which is why it's one of the busiest spots near Bilbao. On good days the crowd can be a hazard in itself.

It's open to most north-west swells, so it's often working when the more sheltered beaches nearby are small. The sand moves a lot, and the best peaks change from month to month.

Getting down to the beach means a walk down from the clifftop car park. In summer there are lifeguards and plenty of swimmers, and in winter the local crew from Getxo and Sopelana is out on every good swell. If the crowd is too much, Sopelana, just north, has more room.

Beach Break · Best Year-round · 1-6 ft · Crowd 4/5

NW swell, SE offshore wind, all tides

Sopelana is a beach break just outside Bilbao, under cliffs of layered flysch rock, and one of the most surfed beaches in the Basque Country. It works on most swells and suits a wide range of levels, unlike Mundaka.

There are several peaks along the beach, surf schools and shops, and a big local surf scene. The metro from Bilbao gets you there.

It works all year, but autumn and winter bring the best swells. The beach is reached on foot down from the clifftop car park, and it's busy at weekends and after work. If it's too crowded, La Salvaje is just south and Plentzia is a few minutes north.

Right Reef · Best Nov-Mar · 6-20 ft · Crowd 3/5

Big NNW swell, SSE wind

Meñakoz is a big-wave right that breaks over a rock reef in a narrow cove between Sopelana and Barrika.

It needs a large north-north-west swell, and in summer it's usually flat. When it's on, it's a serious big-wave spot, only for surfers with experience in heavy water. Expect strong currents and rocks everywhere.

On a big day the cliffs above are full of people watching. If it's too much, Sopelana, a few minutes south, is the place to surf.

Beach Break · Best Nov-Mar · 1-5 ft · Crowd 3/5

Big swell, low tide

Plentzia's beach sits inside a sheltered bay at the mouth of the Butroe river.

That shelter means it rarely breaks. When a big winter storm is hitting the open coast, though, it can have small, manageable lefts and rights, best around low tide. It's not a spot to plan a trip around, more of a backup on huge days. The water inside the bay isn't the cleanest.

Plentzia is a small town with a marina and a few restaurants, and the metro from Bilbao ends here.

Beach Break · Best Sep-Apr · 2-6 ft · Crowd 2/5

Clean groundswell, all tides

Bakio is a wide beach between Bilbao and Mundaka, open to plenty of swell. It has punchy beach-break peaks that hold up across a range of sizes, without the power of the area's best-known waves.

The beach is wide enough to spread out on busy weekends, and it's backed by green hills rather than buildings. Best on a clean groundswell.

It picks up most swells, so it's often the first place to check on this stretch of coast. In summer there are lifeguards, surf schools and plenty of families. The town has bars, restaurants and holiday flats, and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, the famous hermitage on the rock, is a short drive away.

Left Point · Best Sep-Apr · 3-12 ft · Crowd 4/5

Solid W-NW groundswell, low tide, falling

Mundaka is a long, hollow left that breaks on a sandbar at the mouth of the Urdaibai estuary, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and one of the best lefts in the world. It hosted a world tour event for over ten years.

Everything depends on the sandbar, built by sand from the river. When it's in good shape and a solid groundswell arrives, a single wave can give several barrel sections in a row. When the sand isn't right, it can go a whole season without working properly.

It's fast and critical, and the local crew is very skilled and protective. It's for expert surfers only. Watching it from the harbour wall in the village is a good plan B.

Beach Break · Best Year-round · 2-6 ft · Crowd 3/5

NW swell, SSE wind

Laga is a beach east of Mundaka, under the Ogoño headland, with green hills around it and no town behind.

When the sandbanks line up it has long, peeling waves, with rights running off the headland. It's quieter than the beaches near Bilbao, but it does get busy on good weekends. Watch out for rips.

It's best on a north-west swell with a south-south-east wind, and in summer the waves are usually small enough for learners. The beach is part of the Urdaibai biosphere reserve, with a car park and a small bar behind the sand. Mundaka is about ten minutes away.

Reef Break · Best Nov-Mar · 2-6 ft · Crowd 4/5

NW swell, S wind, low tide

Ogella is a small cove in Ispaster, between Ea and Lekeitio, surrounded by fields and rock.

The wave breaks over a reef and needs a decent winter swell, best around low tide. The takeoff zone is small, so a handful of surfers fills it. There are rocks in the lineup, and the wind shelter from the west helps on messy days.

It's a quiet spot, best at low tide on a north-west swell with a southerly wind, and the bottom is rock, so booties help. Lekeitio, a few minutes away, is a pretty fishing town with bars and places to stay.