Surfing Gipuzkoa

Left Reef · Best Nov-Mar · 3-10 ft · Crowd 3/5

NW swell, SSW wind, low tide

Mutriku is a left-hand reef by the old fishing harbour, close to the border with Bizkaia.

It's fairly sheltered and inconsistent, and it needs a winter swell from the north-west to start working, ideally around low tide with a south-south-west wind. It breaks over rock and the currents are strong, so it's one for experienced surfers.

It only works on a solid north-west swell in winter, and the rocky bottom makes low tide dangerous for anyone who doesn't know it. The local crew is strong. Deba and Itzurun, a few minutes east, are easier options on smaller days.

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

NW swell, S wind, high tide

Deba's surf is at Santiago beach, at the mouth of the Deba river.

It doesn't work very often, but on its day there are lefts and rights over sand and some rock, best around high tide. It's rarely crowded, which makes it worth checking when the better-known beaches are packed. Watch for rips and rocks.

The beach is right in town, next to the train station on the coastal line between Bilbao and San Sebastián, so it's easy to reach without a car. In summer it's busy with families and the waves are usually small; autumn and winter are better for surfing.

Beach Break · Best Sep-Apr · 2-8 ft · Crowd 4/5

NNW groundswell, S wind, all tides

Itzurun is Zumaia's beach, under the layered flysch cliffs of the Basque Coast Geopark.

It needs a proper groundswell from the north-north-west, and then it mostly breaks as rights, on any tide. When it's working it can get very crowded, sometimes to the point of being a hazard. Even on flat days the cliffs are worth the visit.

It works best on a north-north-west groundswell with a southerly wind. The cliffs here appeared in Game of Thrones, so in summer the beach and the clifftop path are busy with visitors. Zumaia has places to stay and eat, and Zarautz is about twenty minutes east.

Right Reef · Best Oct-Mar · 3-10 ft · Crowd 4/5

Big NW swell, SSE wind, low tide

Orrua is a reef near Zarautz that only wakes up with a big swell.

The peak breaks both ways, but the right is the wave: the left runs onto a flat rock shelf. Takeoffs are fast and heavy. It's best around low tide with a south to south-east wind. It's a spot for advanced surfers, and when it's on, the local crew is out in force.

It only breaks a few times each winter. On normal days, Zarautz beach, a few minutes away, is the place to surf.

Beach Break · Best Year-round · 2-6 ft · Crowd 4/5

NW swell, S wind, low tide

Gaztetape is the small beach right next to Getaria, a few minutes from Zarautz.

It has lefts and rights that work best around low tide, and there are rocks in the lineup, so take a look before you paddle out. Because the beach is small it fills up quickly when there are waves. A south wind blows offshore here.

It's a good backup when Zarautz is crowded or too big. Getaria, a few minutes' walk away, is a fishing village famous for its grilled fish and txakoli wine, a good place to eat after a session.

Beach Break · Best Year-round · 1-7 ft · Crowd 3/5

NW swell, S wind, both tides

Zarautz is one of the longest beaches on the Basque coast, with peaks spread along most of its length. It handles most swell sizes and directions, which makes it the main beach for learning in the area, and it's popular with both longboarders and shortboarders.

What you get depends a lot on the sandbanks and the tide. It usually works on both high and low tide, but the surf changes a lot as the tide moves, so a peak that's good now can be gone an hour later. It needs a south wind, which blows offshore here. On weekday mornings it's usually quiet. San Sebastián is about 25 minutes away.

Beach Break · Best Sep-Mar · 2-6 ft · Crowd 3/5

NW swell, S wind

Orio's surf breaks at Antilla beach, at the mouth of the Oria river, next to the long jetty that guides the river out to sea.

The river and the jetty shape the sandbanks, so the lefts and rights change after each winter's storms. Autumn is usually the best season. A south wind is offshore, and the jetty gives a bit of shelter from the west. It can get busy, and the river water isn't always clean.

The current from the river can be strong, especially on the outgoing tide. Orio is a small town known for its grilled sea bream, and Zarautz is a few minutes west.

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

Big NW swell, S wind

La Concha is San Sebastián's famous city beach, the curved bay between the old town and Ondarreta.

The bay is well sheltered, so most of the year there are no waves at all. It only starts breaking when a big north-west swell is hitting the coast and the open beaches are too much, and then it can have easy lefts and rights. It gets crowded on those days. After heavy rain the water quality isn't great.

When it does break, check the right in front of the old town and the peaks at Ondarreta. Zurriola, across the river, is the city's usual surf beach.

Beach Break · Best Sep-Apr · 2-7 ft · Crowd 5/5

NW swell, S wind, tide depends on the banks

Zurriola is the surf beach in the middle of San Sebastián, next to the Kursaal and a short walk from the old town's pintxo bars. It's a beach with real energy: it picks up plenty of swell, and on some days it even gets hollow.

The beach works as three zones. The Kursaal end is usually smaller and easier, so that's where people learn. The middle sits in between. Sagüés, at the eastern end, usually has the best waves and the biggest crowd. Like any beach break it depends on the sandbanks, and depending on how they sit it can be better at high or at low tide. Expect it to be crowded.