Zarautz
Zarautz, Basque Country (Gipuzkoa), Spain
Sports: Surfing, SUP
Best time to go: January–March, November–December
Zarautz is a lively town with a 2.5-kilometre beach between San Sebastián and Getaria. The beach faces north and picks up almost every Atlantic swell, giving peaks along its length that range from gentle whitewater to punchy sandbar waves. Southerly winds blow offshore, and autumn to spring brings the most reliable surf.
It is one of the busiest learning beaches in Spain, with many surf schools and marked surf zones in summer. Big winter swells can close out, and rips form between the sandbars. The west end near the town is busiest; the eastern part, by the dunes, is often less crowded.
Month by month at Zarautz
- January: 5 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 2.5 m, water 14°C, air 13°C (nights 6°C), 15 sunny days, 16 rainy days
- February: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 2.5 m, water 13°C, air 15°C (nights 7°C), 17 sunny days, 14 rainy days
- March: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 2.1 m, water 13°C, air 16°C (nights 9°C), 23 sunny days, 19 rainy days
- April: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.7 m, water 15°C, air 18°C (nights 10°C), 24 sunny days, 14 rainy days
- May: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 17°C, air 20°C (nights 12°C), 28 sunny days, 16 rainy days
- June: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 5 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 21°C, air 24°C (nights 17°C), 24 sunny days, 13 rainy days
- July: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.1 m, water 23°C, air 25°C (nights 18°C), 28 sunny days, 11 rainy days
- August: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 5 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 24°C, air 25°C (nights 18°C), 27 sunny days, 13 rainy days
- September: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 22°C, air 24°C (nights 15°C), 26 sunny days, 12 rainy days
- October: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.8 m, water 20°C, air 23°C (nights 14°C), 22 sunny days, 13 rainy days
- November: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 2.5 m, water 17°C, air 17°C (nights 11°C), 19 sunny days, 17 rainy days
- December: 4 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 2.3 m, water 15°C, air 14°C (nights 8°C), 13 sunny days, 16 rainy days
When is the best time to go surfing at Zarautz?
January–March, November–December, when the waves are biggest.
How warm is the water at Zarautz?
13°C to 24°C over the year: a shorty or lycra in the warmest month, a 5/4 with boots in the coolest.
How windy is Zarautz?
About 20 days a year with at least 2 hours of 15+ knots in the daytime, most in January.
Figures from 5 years of weather data (Open-Meteo).
Spots near Zarautz
- Mundaka (45 km)
- Biarritz – Côte des Basques (53 km)
- Sopelana (67 km)
- Hossegor – La Gravière (73 km)
- Biscarrosse Plage (148 km)
More: All spots in Spain · Surfing in Spain · SUP in Spain
Compare with: Hossegor – La Gravière vs Zarautz · Mundaka vs Zarautz · Biarritz – Côte des Basques vs Zarautz · Sopelana vs Zarautz