Europe

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France

France is the largest country in Europe, and one of the world’s favourite tourist destinations, offering something for every taste and budget.  France borders with the English Channel to the north, Belgium & Luxemburg to the northeast, Germany & Switzerland to the east, Italy to the southeast and Spain and the Mediterranean to the south.

The country offers a spectacular variety of scenery, from the mountain ranges of the Alps and Pyrenees to the attractive river valleys of the Loire, Rhône and Dordogne, and popular tourist sights such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc d'triumph and the Champs Elysees. A gastronomical experience also awaits with their amazing food culture including world renowned wines.

France has some 2,900km of coastline, with long sandy beaches and hollow green waves. Surfing in Europe originated in France, the most famous areas now being Biarritz and Hossegor where many international surf competitions are held.

Spain

Spain is at the bottom of the European continent, bordering France and Portugal, and is a popular gateway to Morocco. Extremely popular as an escape for Brits to warmer weather, Spain is also enticing to travelers from all over the world for their friendly locals, beautiful beaches, party atmosphere and wild festivals.  If you go in summer (June, July, August), don’t miss the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona near San Sebastian in early July or La Tomitina, the tomato street fight in Bunol near Valencia at the end of August.

Surfing in Spain was first introduced sometime around 1960 when a couple of intrepid surfers from France went on safari looking for new waves in the Basque Region. Today, Spain holds the Billabong Pro Mundaka which is a major stop on the ASP World Tour circuit. Spain has now become one of the prime surf destinations in Europe for its warmer temperatures, and vast array of beach breaks, rivermouths, and reef breaks.

France

France has waves to cater for all abilities, from chilled out beach breaks, point breaks and big waves from the offshore reefs.  It can be perfect for beginners; but also offer the most challenging waves during Autumn and Winter for experienced surfers.  Summers along the Atlantic coast also receives powerful swells from deep in the Atlantic and delivers consistent waves every year.

Surfing in France can be done all along the west coast, with the most popular area being around Biarritz/Bordeaux on the south west coast.

The west coast of France can be split into 3 main surfing areas - Brittany (north coast), the Coast of Light which stretches from Brittany down to La Rochelle, and then the Silver Coast - the straight coast that joins with Spain in the south.  Britanny receives plenty of big swell and is more suited to the more experienced surfer. There are plenty of spots to escape the crowds here and a large variety of wave types. The Coast of Light needs bigger swells to start working due to its coastline but has some great beginner spots for summer surfers and is generally less crowded that the Silver Coast surf spots.  The Silver Coast is your best bet though. If the swell is good the entire coast swings into action. The quality of the waves is particularly good here due to the funnel shape of the Bay of Biscay – which channels in the waves. The pick of the waves can be found in and around Hossegor and Biarritz – but be prepared for the crowds in the summer.

Lacanau - One of the country’s finest beaches is located west of Bordeaux. Lacanau is host to the annual ASP comp and is renowned for having one of the best beach breaks.  Good for all experience levels, Lacanau gets fun, hollow waves.

Biarritz - Cote de Basque is a right hand point break who’s quality is largely dependent on its shifting sandbar, but it's protected from the afternoon northwest wind by the rocky headland

Anglet - Anglet is one of the most consistent spots in southwest France. While it doesn’t tend to get as big as Hossegor, it's also not as wind sensitive

Hossegor - This long stretch of golden sand has earned itself the reputation as the best beach break in Europe and one of the best in the world. It offers powerful swell creating thick barrels over compacted sand banks. It can get super crowded when it’s good, and at this time it is not for novices despite the sandy bottom.

Spain

Spain has 4,000 km of coastline which means there will always be uncrowded surf spots if you are prepared to look. It has always been a popular location for surfers due to its warmer waters and consistently warm & dry weather, particularly Mundaka which is a regular feature in surf mags for its legendary lefts.

Mundaka - needs no introduction. It is found in the Bay of Biscay and on its day it is one of the best waves in the world. It’s a perfect peeling left hand point break that can produce some of the longest tube rides in the world.  As with all great waves, the lineup is competitive, patience is required and to save dramas, respect should be given to the locals. Not for beginners.

Zurriola (San Sebastian) – fun break for all skill levels

Roca Puta – for intermediate to advanced surfers, this break is an awesome right hand point break. It’s one of the best big breaks in the area but needs a large swell to work.

France

Northeastern areas have a more continental climate with warm summers and colder winters.
The Atlantic influences the climate of the western coastal areas from the Loire to the Basque region where the weather is temperate and relatively mild with some rainfall throughout the year. Summers are beautifully hot and sunny.

Summer is the most popular time to visit France, but also the most crowded and small for surf, good for beginners, but can also go flat. The end of the summer is the best time to go, when the water and air temperature is still good, waves are better and most of the crowds have gone. You will just need board shorts in summer, a springy or full wetty for spring and autumn, and you’ll need a full wetty in wintertime, possibly gloves too – it gets freezing!

Spain

Spain’s climate varies from temperate in the north to dry and hot in the south. The best months for weather are from April to October.

As with the rest of Europe, the surf season in Spain is best from Autumn through to Spring. The big low pressure systems tracking across northern Europe send the consistent ground swells south to pound the Spanish coastline in winter, but Autumn is generally considered the best season for getting swell with warmer water temperatures.