A sandbar left peeling off the rivermouth and pier at Plentzia, tucked inside a sheltered bay on the Basque coast of northeast Spain. It needs genuine size to get going, requiring at least 3ft of ground swell, and only comes into its own at low to mid tide on W to N swell windows when the sandbars align. The sheltered position means W and NW winds blow somewhat offshore, but that same shelter keeps it flat on small swells, limiting real sessions to a handful of days per season. Intermediates will find it manageable when it's on, though weekend crowds pack the lineup when any swell arrives in winter. Bottom: sand. Season: Oct-Mar. Consistency: medium, with some sessions reaching 6ft on the biggest ground swells. Arrive early on weekends or expect to share peaks with longboarders and visiting surfers from the wider Bilbao area.
Popular with the local Basque surf community and longboarders. Weekends in winter see the heaviest crowds given the bay's proximity to Bilbao and the surrounding towns. Midweek sessions are noticeably quieter. Standard lineup respect applies, this is a well-known community spot.
Park in the car park adjacent to the beach. The spot is visible from the carpark. Camping and good beach facilities available nearby at Gorliz. Note estuary, residential, and stormwater pollution from the rivermouth. Check water quality after heavy rain before paddling out.
Gorliz beachbreak sits immediately adjacent and offers more swell-exposed peaks when Plentzia is too sheltered. For bigger swells, the Mundaka rivermouth barrel is a short drive east and is one of Europe's premier left-hand waves, though the crowd pressure there is considerably heavier.
Forecast by Windy.app
