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Sopelana (Sopela) is a quality beach and reef break on the Basque coast, between Bilbao and Getxo. Several beaches (Atxabiribil, Arrietara, Barinatxe) sit below dramatic sandstone cliffs, offering varied waves from mellow beach break to powerful reef. Barinatxe (La Salvaje) is the most exposed and powerful. The cliffs and wild setting give it more character than the urban beaches closer to Bilbao.
Picks up north and north-westerly swells from the Bay of Biscay. A southerly wind is offshore. Works on all tides. Consistent October through April. Each beach has a slightly different character: Atxabiribil is more sheltered, Barinatxe is exposed and powerful. The 3-6ft range is ideal.
Choose your beach based on ability and conditions. Atxabiribil has a defined reef peak for intermediates. Barinatxe is bigger and more powerful. Arrietara sits between the two. Each beach has multiple peaks.
Reef sections have shallow rock. Barinatxe is powerful and exposed. Cliff access paths can be steep and muddy. Currents between the beaches near the rock outcrops. Choose your beach according to your level.
Pay car parks above each beach. Steep paths down the cliffs (5-10 minutes). The walk keeps the crowd slightly lower than easier-access spots. Facilities at the top.
Less crowded than Getxo or San Sebastian due to the cliff access. Good days see 15-20 people spread across multiple beaches. The Basque surf community is strong but the variety of options here disperses people. A more relaxed atmosphere than the city breaks.
Sopelana offers variety: mellow to powerful depending on which beach you choose. The cliff-top paths between the beaches make it easy to check several spots before committing. The lookout above Barinatxe gives an excellent view of conditions. Metro connection from Bilbao makes it car-free accessible. Pintxos in Sopela village are excellent.
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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 28 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 Sopelana. 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 Sopelana is the week of 16 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Not much swell but keen eyes will find something to ride. Short-period wind swell: expect weak, crumbly faces. Moderate wind adding texture to the faces. Best conditions early morning before the sea breeze arrives. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
Heads up: jellyfish: high.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Crystal clear water: ~23m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Sopelana