The Ultimate Guide to Zarautz Surf
Portugal has Peniche. France has Bidart and Moliets. Spain has Zarautz. Welcome to what’s regularly hailed as the most famous surf town in the land of flamenco and tapas. Or, we should say, the Okrabario Dantza and Pintxos, since this is very much the heart of the Basque Country – and the locals make sure you know it, too.
Look, this is a fantastic surf holiday option. It gets the NW, N, and head-on W swells from the Atlantic channels, so works pretty much all the time. The sandbars form up on all tides and the bay slopes real soft, so it hardly matters if you paddle out at full low or full high, though the waves do change in character. Plus, there’s one of the best surf infrastructures in the country in these parts – think great surf camps, a lively nightlife scene, and plenty in the way of cafes and B&Bs.
On top of all that, the a Zarautz surf trip puts you within striking distance of other Spanish gems. Mundaka beckons the pros with its barreling lefts to the west. San Sebastian is less than half an hour’s drive to the east. You can even slip up into the French Basque region in 40 mins to chase more protected breaks.
Downsides? Not many but the local crews have an attitude, onshores can be common in peak winter, and it’s growing in popularity every year.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
>>This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Spain
Zarautz surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Zarautz surf?
Where is Zarautz?
Zarautz sits about a third of the way along the coast of the Spanish Basque Country (also known as Pais Vasco) from the French border. The nearest city is San Sebastian, which also happens to be a pretty cracking place to surf. That’s about 20-30 minutes’ drive to the east. But it’s not the nearest large city. That honor goes to Bilbao, a major port that’s about an hour’s drive to the west. The whole region here is worth knowing about. Zarautz can be your base but you can do strike missions to 20+ epic spots in the area, including legendary Mundaka.
How to get to Zarautz?
Those coming from a long way away should look to fly into one of the regional airports in the Spanish Basque. There are two main options – San Sebastian’s Donostia Airport and Bilbao Airport. The latter has the better links on low-cost airlines throughout Europe. We typically use Skyscanner to search for our flights all over the continent. We just like the interface.
You can also get here by train, which is a nice novelty since many of the surf towns in France require a car. The ride takes about 40 minutes from San Sebastian, which allows for good onward links on Spain’s high-speed network from Madrid and even Barcelona, plus cross-border links from France. Search Omio for train links in Europe – we think they’ve got the best price comparisons overall.
Do I need a car for surfing in Zarautz?
It’s hardly a secret that having a car for your surf trip in Zarautz can work wonders. We’ve done it before and wouldn’t think about coming without wheels, unless we were on a planned surf camp (more on those below).
Yes, Zarautz is a great spot to surf in its own right. But one of the most awesome things is that it puts you in the heart of the most consistent part of the Pais Vasco, with beaches and point breaks and river mouths aplenty in the vicinity. Having your own ride means you can do strike missions to those whenever you like. Plus, it means you can travel inland to the mountains – the Basque Pyrenees are something truly special.
We use RentalCars.com for hires and no one else really. They have good rates around Europe plus late cancellation policies. Search below to find your ride…
Zarautz surf spots
iStock.com / CRISTINAGUTIERREZDELOLMOThe main feature of Zarautz is an uber-long urban beach that stretches from east to west across the whole front of the town. That’s got waves galore – enough to keep you going for a whole week’s stay and then some. We’ll take a look at that here, along with a whole range of other spots in the nearby vicinity….
San Sebastian
San Sebastian is a buzzing beach town to the east of Zarautz. There are surf breaks in the city itself and they can be great, especially Zurriola Beach on the eastern side of the historic center. That’s a big horseshoe of a bay that actually picks up similar swells to Zarautz itself, though crowds are very big and the sandbanks aren’t as consistent, resulting in pounding close outs at high tide a lot of the time. It’s also worth noting that most surf lessons and surf camps in San Seb will head out to Zarautz for their sessions anyhow.
Check our complete guide to San Sebastian surf right here
Zarautz
Zarautz is one of the highest-performance beach breaks in the Pais Vasco and one of the best in Spain overall. It’s got the ability to handle anything up to 13 foot, which makes it a highly versatile spot that can seem tailor-made for multi-level groups. Watch as pros are ripping A-frame bowls out back and beginners are tumbling away in the whitewash. It’s the definition of an inclusive surf spot, even if some of the local crews don’t see it that way.
The western end of the beach has the best protection and is usually a foot or so smaller than the eastern end of the bay. That’s all down to the fact that the dominant swell direction is NW. On fall and spring days when that combines with a nice morning southerly breeze, it can bring pure perfection in the form of peeling lefts that curve into the bay.
As the beach trundles to the east along the front of the town, the sets break into multiple peaks that offer all sorts of rides and plenty of space to spread out. At its best, this section of the bay is a series of mini-Hossegor lips with hollowish exits and steep drop ins. This is usually the area where you catch the local Basque rippers hitting it up.
Zarautz can hold big size but also gets tempered by the various sandbars that form on the beach, allowing for manageable secondary swell that lets beginner groups and surf camps in the water at the same time as rippers. AKA – if you’re thinking of this spot for your first ever surf trip, then you’re onto something pretty darn good!
Gaztetape
Just 10 minutes’ drive from Zarautz up the lovely Pais Vasco coastline, Gaztetape is a fairly inconsistent beach because it’s so narrow. The heavy cliffs on both sides leaves only a glimpse of swell channel open. Thankfully, it’s direct NW, which is the most common direction in these parts, so you can come to chase decent sets when that’s on. The best wave is an A-frame that breaks on a pushing tide smack dab in the middle of the bay.
Playa Zumaia/Playa de Itxurun
Known for the jagged rock formations of the Flysch, Playa Zumaia gets a complete hit of anything in the W-N swell direction, so reigns as one of the more consistent in northern Spain. It’s usually busy when it’s on, but we’ve never had aggro in the water. The western side of the bay acts like a sort of point break on an approaching tide, as the water is funneled into the rocks and bowls nicely to the south a little. The western side is rocky and reefy. We’ve not surfed out there because it looks like a right board breaker but we’re sure there’d be good days when there are longish rights off the cliffs.
Deba
Unlike most of the Pais Vasco beaches, Deba does better on a direct N swell. That’s down to the long breakwater that juts out from the western end of the main beach. Decent size can turn it pretty darn lovely, too, with curvy left handers that stay clean for a long time if there’s also a touch of S wind, which can often come by in summer. The beach is busy but the surf isn’t actually that bad, with Mundaka and Zumaia drawing the crowds when it’s on.
Mundaka
All hail Mundaka, a wave that can rival any in Europe when it finally decides to come to life. A sleeping beauty for most of the year, the right swell angle can fire off marching lines of left handers off the harbor mouth here. When that happens, everyone and their nan wants a piece of the action and it makes for some of the best barrel hunting in Spain. Potentially the ride of your life. Just don’t piss anyone off.
Check our complete guide to surfing in Mundaka right here
Surf camps in Zarautz
You know how we mentioned that Zarautz is a spot that’s basically tailor-made for mixed-ability groups? Well, if that doesn’t say surf camp mecca, then we don’t know what does. For now, there’s only a couple of big-name lodges here, so we say get in before the town hits the mainstream. It’s like Peniche 30 years back only with tasty tapas.
The surf camps we’d recommend in Zarautz are actually run by the same lodge; they just differ in length. Here they are:
- San Sebastian Surf Camp x Stoke Surf House [8-day surf, party and yoga package] – You’ll bed down in a lodge nestled in the Pagoeta Nature Reserve just south of Zarautz and travel to the waves every single day with experienced local guides. The package also includes a guided hike in the foothills, and new friends for life – or, at least, the ridiculous social vibe here means you basically can’t leave without them!
- Good People Surf [8-day surf camp] – We simply love what these guys have created. Based in a local campground, they’ve got a really cool space with a communal area and food trucks and BBQs. That brings the vibe, but there are 5x 1.5-hour surf lessons to help you get into the surf feel. They’re hugely passionate about Zarautz and the Basque Country, and will leave you brimming with love for the place.
We’ve now got a dedicated guide that showcases the best surf camps in Zarautz. We’ll update it every year to showcase any new camps and things. The two above are included ofc, but there are more options.
Where to stay when surfing in Zarautz?
Zarautz Surf House/HostelWorldIf you don’t want to have a full-on surf camp, then we’d recommend booking yourself a hire car/train over from San Sebastian and making your way to Zarautz for a stay by the beach. The good news is that there are loads of options that cater especially to surfers by offering walking access to the sands and even help with board rentals and whatnot.
The following would be our top picks…
- Zarautz Surf House – Our top pick for this town generally is the Zarautz Surf House. They make it super easy to organize lessons and rentals after you’ve booked. Plus, the place itself is pretty awesome. It’s basically a super-stylish hostel with pod beds and cool as communal areas.
- ATeRIAN GAZTELU – If you’re the self-catering sort then this self-contained apartment with balcony is among the most stylish in town. It’s bright, sunny, and really nicely renovated. Plus, it’s a 400-meter walk to the beach breaks.
- Hotel Ur Bare – If it’s luxury you want then you can’t beat Hotel Ur Bare. The infinity pool of this super-stylish eco hotel gazes right over the waves at the western end of the beach. Rooms have landscape windows with some of the best views in the town, not to mention Scandi-cool interiors.
Surf lessons in Zarautz
Zarautz is such a fantastic spot for learners and surf campers that it’s now the go-to location for surf lessons in the Spanish Basque. These are packages that last a day or less and offer a fine intro to the sport. They can also be tailored to intermediate and expert surfers who don’t have their own car or the local knowledge but want to sample everything the region has to offer.
Here’s the one option that we’d recommend in the area:
- Surf the Basque Country Day Trip – This curated trip is run by a local ripper who knows the very finest breaks between Mundaka and Hossegor. There’s a good chance you’ll drop by Zarautz if the swell is right but equal chance you’ll be scoring secret waves that only the locals know about. That’s what you’re paying for. No wonder its 5/5 rated!
When to surf in Zarautz?
The best time to surf in Zarautz is spring and autumn. Those are sweet spots between the biggest winter swells and the relatively tame summer swells.
That said, we’d still argue that summer trips between June and August are generally better for learners. The waves are usually between the 2-6 foot range at that time, and there can be very steady S winds to help things say clean.
Meanwhile, hardened surf pros will likely prefer the months of Jan and Feb, which have bigger sets and stronger offshore winds from the S when they push through. There’s also a higher chance of epic locations like Mundaka going off in the winter and the fall, which is great if that’s the main reason your heading to Zarautz, which is less than an hour’s drive from that super-famous spot.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
