Learn to surf in Spain

Beginner surf spots in Spain

Quietest first.

Where to learn, area by area

Mundaka & Bizkaia · Basque Country

• Sopelana: 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.

A week here costs from about $331 with flights from Europe, or around $946 travelling comfortably. See other surf trips under $500 →

Zarautz & Gipuzkoa · Basque Country

• Zarautz: Zarautz is one of the longest beaches on the Basque coast, with peaks along its whole length, so even busy days don't feel too crowded. It works on most swell sizes and directions, which makes it the main beach for learning in the area and popular with longboarders and shortboarders.

Gijón & Central Coast · Asturias

• Salinas: Salinas is a long beach near Avilés, about half an hour from Gijón, and one of the most surfed spots in Asturias. Its beach-break peaks hold up well across a range of sizes.
• Playa de Xago: A wide, easygoing beach east of Gijón, offering a gentler alternative to the more powerful, well-known Asturian waves nearby. Playa de Xago breaks over sand in soft, manageable peaks that suit a broader range of levels than Rodiles or Salinas at their best.

A week here costs from about $282 with flights from Europe, or around $770 travelling comfortably. See other surf trips under $500 →

Ferrolterra · Galicia

• Pantín: Pantín is the best-known surf beach in Galicia and home of the Pantín Classic, a contest held here every year since the 1980s. It's a wide, open beach break facing the North Atlantic, with punchy peaks that work across a wide range of sizes.
• Doniños: A calmer beach break near Ferrol, backed by a protected coastal lagoon that gives the whole area a distinct, sheltered character. Doniños breaks over sand in gentler, more approachable peaks than the fully exposed Pantín nearby, making it a good complement when the bigger wave gets too heavy.

A week here costs from about $282 with flights from Europe, or around $764 travelling comfortably. See other surf trips under $500 →

North Coast Reefs · Lanzarote

• Arrieta: Arrieta is a small fishing village on Lanzarote's north-east coast, with a wave over sand and rock right by the town. It's easier than the heavy reefs around La Santa.

A week here costs from about $422 with flights from Europe, or around $840 travelling comfortably. See other surf trips under $500 →

When to go

June to September on the north coast. Lanzarote works all year.

Best time to surf Spain, month by month →

Months when at least one zone is at its best: January · February · March · April · September · October · November · December