Sopelana
Sopela, Basque Country (Biscay), Spain
Sports: Surfing
Best time to go: January–March, November–December
Sopelana, or Sopela, lies just north of Bilbao, where beaches such as Arrietara-Atxabiribil and Barinatxe sit below steep cliffs. They face north-west and receive plenty of Atlantic swell, breaking over sand with rocky areas in places. Southerly winds blow offshore, and the best season runs from autumn to spring.
The waves are powerful and the line-ups busy with skilled local surfers, so it suits intermediate and advanced surfers; smaller days are fine for improvers. Access is down steep paths and stairs from the cliff-top car parks. Rips and rocky patches need care, especially on big days and at high tide.
Month by month at Sopelana
- January: 8 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 2.4 m, water 14°C, air 13°C (nights 6°C), 16 sunny days, 15 rainy days
- February: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 2.4 m, water 13°C, air 15°C (nights 7°C), 18 sunny days, 15 rainy days
- March: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 2.1 m, water 13°C, air 16°C (nights 9°C), 23 sunny days, 18 rainy days
- April: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.6 m, water 15°C, air 18°C (nights 10°C), 25 sunny days, 12 rainy days
- May: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 17°C, air 20°C (nights 12°C), 27 sunny days, 15 rainy days
- June: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.1 m, water 20°C, air 24°C (nights 16°C), 25 sunny days, 12 rainy days
- July: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.1 m, water 23°C, air 25°C (nights 17°C), 29 sunny days, 8 rainy days
- August: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 23°C, air 26°C (nights 18°C), 27 sunny days, 11 rainy days
- September: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 21°C, air 24°C (nights 15°C), 26 sunny days, 12 rainy days
- October: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.7 m, water 19°C, air 23°C (nights 14°C), 22 sunny days, 13 rainy days
- November: 9 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 2.3 m, water 17°C, air 17°C (nights 11°C), 18 sunny days, 16 rainy days
- December: 6 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 2.2 m, water 15°C, air 14°C (nights 8°C), 14 sunny days, 16 rainy days
When is the best time to go surfing at Sopelana?
January–March, November–December, when the waves are biggest.
How warm is the water at Sopelana?
13°C to 23°C over the year: a shorty or lycra in the warmest month, a 5/4 with boots in the coolest.
How windy is Sopelana?
About 43 days a year with at least 2 hours of 15+ knots in the daytime, most in November.
Figures from 5 years of weather data (Open-Meteo).
Spots near Sopelana
- Mundaka (24 km)
- Zarautz (67 km)
- Biarritz – Côte des Basques (115 km)
- Hossegor – La Gravière (128 km)
- Biscarrosse Plage (182 km)
More: All spots in Spain · Surfing in Spain
Compare with: Mundaka vs Sopelana · Sopelana vs Zarautz