Gipuzkoa · Spain
Surfing La Concha
A beach break in Gipuzkoa, Spain, for beginner and intermediate surfers.
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.
When to surf
La Concha
La Concha is at its best from October to March. Conditions it likes: Big NW swell, S wind.
October to March: Prime
Consistent, powerful NW-W swell, cold but firing
April to June: Good
Reliable swell, milder crowds
July to August: Quiet
Smaller swell, packed beaches and high season prices
The year across Basque Country
Waves near La Concha
Zurriola
1 kmGipuzkoa · Beach Break · Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Orio
11 kmGipuzkoa · Beach Break · Intermediate
Zarautz
15 kmGipuzkoa · Beach Break · Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Straight-line distances. By road it is usually further.
Getting there
Where to stay: Zarautz has the long beach, the biggest choice of surf schools and plenty of apartments and campsites. San Sebastián has the city, the food and Zurriola's beach breaks, but rooms are expensive, especially in summer. Orio and Getaria, between the two, are smaller and cheaper.
Transport, costs, where to stay and the rest of the waves in the area are in the Gipuzkoa guide.
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