Summer passes but the real waves arrive. Take advantage of what is probably the best surfing season in the North to go on a surf trip with friends and discover surfing in the Basque Country.
At Flysurf, together with our friends from The Feather Van, we offer several surf trip ideas suitable for all levels.
Best surfing destinations in the Basque Country
The Basque Country is one of those places that deserves to be visited with a surfboard under your arm. Although Mundaka, undoubtedly one of the best waves in all of Europe, was the wave that put Euskadi in the surfing spotlight in the late seventies, surfing in the Basque Country has much more to offer. Wild and urban beaches, bays, river mouths, rock ledges and reefs, big waves... The Basque coast has an ideal coastline for the generation of waves of the most diverse kind, with incredible peaks capable of providing magical days.
Surfing in Zurriola
Our journey begins in the eastern part of Euskadi, near the French border. In the heart of San Sebastián, in the Gros neighborhood, is Zurriola beach. A beach with a huge surfing tradition, where various peaks (lefts and rights) are formed for both learning to surf and for more experienced surfers. Being an urban beach, it is usually quite crowded, especially in summer, but it is still a magnificent excuse to pass through San Sebastián and eat some pintxos.
Zarautz Beach – Cradle of surfing
We continue our journey towards Zarautz beach, three kilometers of beach with numerous peaks that maintain considerable consistency throughout the year. It is the spot where Aritz Aranburu, one of the best Spanish surfers to date, grew up. The beach has numerous surf camps and surf schools where you can rent equipment or take lessons.
Deba Beach
Our next stop is Deba beach, a perfect place to make a stop on our trip and practice surfing. The beach is located at the mouth of the Deba river and has left and right peaks that change according to the sandbanks. Here you can enjoy clean and long waves, suitable for surfers of all levels.
The famous Mundaka Wave
The next destination needs no introduction. The famous Mundaka wave generates huge tubes of up to 400 m, which has made it (if not the best) one of the best left-handers in Europe. It is a wave that needs a good swell to work, so the best time to enjoy its waves starts in October and lasts all winter. This wave is only for experts and is usually very crowded; however, it is worth the visit even if only to enjoy the spectacle.
Bakio Beach
We continue our journey to one of the longest beaches in Bizkaia, almost 1 km long, Bakio beach. Here you will find strong left and right waves, and even a tube or two if you're lucky. It's a suitable beach for beginner surfers, but if the sea is big, it's better to look for a less exposed option to the swell. Remember our post on how waves are formed and how to understand them; there are many alternatives for surfing in Euskadi, so you should choose a spot suitable for your level.
La Salvaje Beach – Sopelana
The last destination of our surf trip in the Basque Country is La Salvaje beach. This beach is about 750m long and has peaks of the most diverse kind, from surf for beginners to waves for more experienced surfers. For the latter, on the right side of the beach, you will find a rocky bottom area known as "la triangular". La Salvaje faces Northwest, so it usually picks up practically all the swell that reaches the Basque coast, and it is an alternative on smaller days. In addition, in the municipality of Sopelana, you can find a wide variety of waves. In fact, this coast hosts some of the most famous big wave spots, such as Meñakoz beach or Punta Galea, which hosts the "Punta Galea Challenge", a stop on the big wave world championship.
Given the proximity, it's always a good idea to end the trip by taking a stroll through Bilbao and enjoying its wide variety of pintxos to refuel after a good surf trip.
With this route, you will complete a full tour of the entire Basque coast from end to end. As we always say, part of the charm of surf trips in a van is getting lost in search of new waves to discover. Surfing in the Basque Country is full of options, so go ahead and explore and discover new places.
You just need to get in your van and with your Flysurf board and start exploring!
Enjoy surfing in this natural paradise and live a new adventure!
See you in the water.
Flysurf Team.
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