🇪🇸 BASQUE COUNTRY, SPAIN

Mundaka

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

SMALL

Live Conditions

Conditions Summary

4ft waves — but short 9s period indicates wind swell, expect choppy conditions — hitting at the ideal angle — cross-onshore wind affecting quality — 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 324° — matches the ideal 315° window for this spot

Swell Period

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

Wind

3mph cross-shore — not ideal but surfable if wind is light

Season

July is off-season — rare for this spot to get quality waves

Data Confidence

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

At the Break

4.1ft

LOW CONFIDENCE

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Period

Mid-period

Wind

3mph

CROSS-SHORE

Water

74°F

Spring suit

Swell Direction

100%

Wind Direction

60%

Primary Swell

4.0ft @ 10.2s

NW 324°

Secondary Swell

0.1ft @ 1.9s

SE 125°

9 Day Outlook

4.2ft

TODAY

Jul 28

(9s)

2.8ft

TMRW

Jul 29

(8s)

2.8ft

THU

Jul 30

(6s)

1.9ft

FRI

Jul 31

(6s)

2.5ft

SAT

Aug 1

(6s)

2.6ft

SUN

Aug 2

(6s)

1.6ft

MON

Aug 3

(7s)

2.0ft

TUE

Aug 4

(6s)

2.2ft

WED

Aug 5

(7s)

Best this week: today — 4.2ft

Best next week: WED Aug 5 — 2.2ft

Model Breakdown

ECMWF (45%)4.4ft

ICON (35%)4.0ft

GFS (20%)3.8ft

Model confidence80%

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: Jul

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.