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Guethary (Getaria in Basque) is a heavy right-hand reef break on the French Basque coast between Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The wave breaks over a rocky shelf, producing thick, powerful walls and occasional barrels on bigger swells. The small fishing village perched on the cliff above has a timeless Basque character. It is one of the best waves in this part of France when conditions align.
Needs a solid north-westerly groundswell (5ft+) with a south-easterly offshore wind. Best at mid to high tide when water covers the shallowest reef. The 5-8ft range produces its best waves. Works November through March primarily. Smaller swells do not produce the quality it is capable of.
The main peak breaks over a defined section of reef. The right is the primary wave, running along the rock shelf. Line up with the harbour wall and cliff features. The take-off is a tight zone and precision is important.
Shallow reef with sea urchins. Powerful wave that throws with force. Getting caught inside means being pushed over rocks. Strong currents along the coast on bigger days. Experienced surfers only. Booties recommended.
Park in the village and walk down to the harbour area. Entry from the rocks; watch locals for the best route. The cliff path provides excellent viewing.
A dedicated crew of Basque and French surfers who know this wave intimately. The take-off is tight so numbers are limited. Competitive when it is on. Show respect, be patient.
Guethary rewards patience and skill. Do not paddle out on a whim; observe from the cliff for 15 minutes first. The right works best on a dropping tide from high to mid. The village has charming Basque restaurants. If Guethary is too heavy or too crowded, Biarritz (10 minutes north) offers mellower beach breaks.
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Based on historical weekly averages
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 29 days of logged conditions.
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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Guéthary. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical mid-June.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at Guéthary is the week of 23 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Next to nothing in the water. Check back tomorrow. Strong offshore, clean but tough to paddle into. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
Heads up: rocks exposed at low tide, and jellyfish: high.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Moderate water clarity: ~7m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Guéthary