🇪🇸 BASQUE COUNTRY, SPAIN

Mundaka

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

SMALL

Live Conditions

Conditions Summary

Good 5ft waves — but short 9s period indicates wind swell, expect choppy conditions — hitting at the ideal angle — 6mph onshore wind roughing up the surface — Note: this is outside the peak season for this spot

LOW CONFIDENCEModel-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Why it's SMALL

Swell Direction

Primary swell is 321° — matches the ideal 315° window for this spot

Swell Period

9s — short-period swell. Waves will have less power than a true groundswell.

Wind

6mph onshore — light but will soften wave shape

Season

September is shoulder season — spot can still work but swells are less consistent

Data Confidence

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

At the Break

5.0ft

LOW CONFIDENCE

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Period

Mid-period

Wind

6mph

ONSHORE

Water

72°F

Spring suit

Swell Direction

100%

Wind Direction

20%

Primary Swell

4.9ft @ 10.3s

NW 321°

10 Day Outlook

5.7ft

TODAY

Sep 9

(9s)

5.0ft

TMRW

Sep 10

(9s)

3.3ft

FRI

Sep 11

(8s)

3.1ft

SAT

Sep 12

(10s)

4.1ft

SUN

Sep 13

(11s)

3.9ft

MON

Sep 14

(10s)

2.9ft

TUE

Sep 15

(9s)

3.2ft

WED

Sep 16

(8s)

3.7ft

THU

Sep 17

(9s)

3.7ft

FRI

Sep 18

(8s)

Best this week: today — 5.7ft

Best next week: THU Sep 17 — 3.7ft

Incoming Swell Events

Today

moderate

Swell building to 5.7ft @ 9s

Model Breakdown

ECMWF (45%)5.4ft

ICON (35%)4.9ft

GFS (20%)4.1ft

Model confidence65%

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: Sep

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.