🇪🇸 BASQUE COUNTRY, SPAIN

Mundaka

Europe's best left — a river mouth barrel in the Basque Country

GOOD

Live Conditions

Conditions Summary

Good 8ft waves — with 13s mixed swell — hitting at the ideal angle — light cross-shore winds, still manageable

LOW CONFIDENCEModel-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Why it's GOOD

Swell Direction

Primary swell is 310° — matches the ideal 315° window for this spot

Swell Period

13s — solid groundswell. Waves will have real energy and organization.

Wind

7mph cross-shore — not ideal but surfable if wind is light

Season

October is peak season for this spot

Data Confidence

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

At the Break

7.7ft

LOW CONFIDENCE

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Period

13s

✓ Groundswell

Wind

7mph

CROSS-SHORE

Water

64°F

3/2 wetsuit

Swell Direction

100%

Wind Direction

65%

Primary Swell

7.7ft @ 14.8s

NW 310°

Secondary Swell

1.2ft @ 3.1s

NE 37°

10 Day Outlook

8.3ft

TODAY

Oct 28

(13s)

7.8ft

TMRW

Oct 29

(12s)

3.7ft

FRI

Oct 30

(12s)

4.1ft

SAT

Oct 31

(13s)

4.4ft

SUN

Nov 1

(13s)

4.3ft

MON

Nov 2

(12s)

4.4ft

TUE

Nov 3

(7s)

3.6ft

WED

Nov 4

(11s)

3.6ft

THU

Nov 5

(12s)

2.8ft

FRI

Nov 6

(11s)

Best this week: today — 8.3ft

Best next week: THU Nov 5 — 3.6ft

Incoming Swell Events

Today

solid

Swell building to 8.3ft @ 13s

Model Breakdown

ECMWF (45%)8.2ft

ICON (35%)7.9ft

GFS (20%)6.2ft

Model confidence45%

Updated every 30 mins · Open-Meteo ECMWF + ICON + GFS

About

Mundaka is the finest left-hand river mouth wave in Europe, possibly in the world. It only breaks properly a few times each season when a large N or NW Atlantic swell coincides with the right sandbar configuration. When it goes off it produces 300m+ barrels through a beautiful Basque estuary.

The Break

The main left — river mouth barrel that peels perfectly for hundreds of meters.

Ideal Conditions

8-12ft NW groundswell, S or SE offshore winds, dropping tide as the river flows out

Best Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Best months highlighted · Current: Oct

Trip Planner

Basque Country Weekend

Weekend · 3 Days

Friday

Fly into Bilbao (BIO), 45min drive to Mundaka. Pintxos and txakoli wine in the village bar. Check the swell forecast obsessively.

Saturday

If it's firing — get in the water at first light. It won't stay uncrowded for long. Lunch at the port.

Sunday

Morning check, surf or explore the estuary, drive back to Bilbao.

Basque Swell Hunt

Full Week · 7 Days

Day 1

Arrive Bilbao, drive to Mundaka, settle in.

Day 2

Mundaka day one — read the crowd and conditions.

Day 3

Day trip to San Sebastián (Donostia) — incredible food, Zurriola beachbreak.

Day 4

Laida beach across the estuary — fun beachbreak when Mundaka is too big or crowded.

Day 5

Back to Mundaka if conditions allow. The Guggenheim Bilbao is worth a visit on a flat day.

Day 6

Explore the Basque coast — Zarautz, Sopelana, Bakio.

Day 7

Fly home from Bilbao.

Local Knowledge

Mundaka only breaks a handful of times per season — track the swell and book flexibly.

The sandbar changes every few years — some seasons it barely breaks, other seasons it's extraordinary.

Basque food culture is world class — pintxos bars in Mundaka and San Sebastián are unmissable.

The locals surf this wave daily — be respectful and patient in the lineup.

The estuary view from the church above the village is one of the best surf viewpoints anywhere.