The Côte Basque shares many characteristics with the north-facing Spanish coast and is blessed with some decent submarine geology. Slabs of reef dot the coast, focusing some of the most organised and unadulterated swell trains into scary, big-wave arenas, but there are also calm beginner coves, headlands, famous reefs and great jetty surf, offering a cornucopia of fun waves for all abilities and surfcraft.
When to Go
The coastline faces due west around to due north, catching the bulk of the very consistent North Atlantic swells. Unfortunately, it is not so well orientated for the dominant NW winds. When a low pressure approaches the coast, winds usually blow from the SW before turning WNW. Big storms are common and the surf can remain blown out for several days. Combine this with rain and cooler temperatures and it can get a little depressing! On the other hand, when a high pressure covers the country you will be blessed with sunny skies and in the mornings, light offshore breezes (about 1/3 of the time). In the afternoons it’s usual for a light to moderate NW sea breeze to kick in. Tidal ranges can reach 4.50m on spring tides, at which time very few spots work properly, so timing the tides is crucial.
Surf Spots
Statistics |
J
|
F
|
M
|
A
|
M
|
J
|
J
|
A
|
S
|
O
|
N
|
D
|
dominant swell |
W -NW |
W -NW |
W -NW |
W -NW |
W -NW |
W -NW |
swell size (ft) |
7 |
6 |
4-5 |
2-3 |
5-6 |
6-7 |
consistency (%) |
60 |
70 |
70 |
60 |
80 |
70 |
dominant wind |
SW -NW |
W -NE |
W -NE |
W -N |
W -NW |
SW - |
average force |
F5 |
F5 |
F4 |
F3 |
F3 |
F5 |
consistency (%) |
36 |
37 |
38 |
39 |
31 |
40 |
water temp (C) |
12 |
13 |
17 |
22 |
19 |
15 |
wetsuit |
4/3 |
4/3 |
3/2 |
springsuit |
3/2 |
3/2 |
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Travel Information
Weather
Due to the proximity of the Pyrenees mountains, it rains about 1500mm annually on the French Basque coast (1 day out of 2), which is less than the Spanish Basque country, but more than Hossegor. Summer stays light until 10pm and in the winter it’s dark by 5.30pm. The weather is reasonably stable from March to October, although March/April will be much cooler than May/June or Sept/Oct, which are the prime months. Water temps bottom out at 11.3ºC (53ºF) in March then climb to 23.1ºC (72ºF) in August. Same wetsuit requirements as Hossegor.
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Lodging and Food
Many hotels, from budget up to 4-star. On the N10, you can expect a double from $35, but the average in town is $50, especially in high season. Campsites are plentiful from May to September but beware of the wet climate. Typically, a restaurant bill is $20 not including wine. Hypermarkets have a huge selection of cheap food for self-caterers.
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Nature and Culture
There is an aquarium in Biarritz and a Museum of Ocean and Surf (Cité de l’Océan et du Surf). The Longboard Surf Festival occurs in mid-July. If you are in the area in early August, then don’t miss the Fete du Bayonne. Lots more festivals in October. Bars and nightclubs are very lively in peak season. The combination of sea and high mountains found in the Basque country make this area one of the most beautiful and enjoyable places in the world. Local sports that are well catered for include golf and mountain sports in the Pyrenees, whilst Pelote and Course du Vaches (jumping over charging cows in a bull ring) are interesting spectator sports.
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