Month guide · June

Surfing in June

The longest days, warm air and summer before the holidays

June is summer without the crowds. The air is warm, the water is finally comfortable in a thinner suit in the south, and the sun stays up past ten in the evening in Brittany and Ireland. In Lofoten it does not set at all. Schools, campsites and beach bars are all open, but the French summer holidays only begin at the start of July.

The swell is the trade-off. Summer on the Atlantic coasts of Europe is usually small, and the World Surf League has described a good June run in Hossegor as unusual. Pick spots that make the most of small waves, like Sennen at Land's End or the Costa Vicentina, ride a longer board, and keep an eye out for the occasional early-summer swell. South swells also start to reach the south coasts of the Canaries.

At a glance

🌡️ Water: 9 °C Lofoten – 21 °C Canaries
Averages climb to about 9 °C in Lofoten, 10.5 °C in Orkney, 13.5 °C at Galway and 14 °C off the Isles of Scilly. It is about 18.5 °C at Biarritz and Lisbon, 19.5 °C in the Azores and 21 °C around Gran Canaria.
🧥 Wetsuit: 3/2 mm south, 4/3 mm north
A 3/2 mm suit is comfortable on the Basque coast, in the Landes and in Portugal. Brittany, Normandy, Galicia, Britain and Ireland stay cool enough for a 4/3 mm, especially early in the month, and Scotland and Norway still call for a 5/4 mm. In the Canaries a shorty or springsuit works on sunny days.
🌊 Swell: Small, with the odd surprise
Summer is generally the smallest season on the Atlantic. Travel guides describe summer waves in France as smaller and less consistent, and the Basque Country as the part of the Spanish coast with the most summer flat spells. The most exposed beaches catch what swell there is, and summer south swells reach the south coasts of Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
🌬️ Wind: Sea breezes and north-easterlies
Afternoon sea breezes are common on sunny days. Along the Spanish north coast, summer north-easterlies set in, which keep west-facing beaches in Asturias and Galicia clean. In Portugal the north wind, the nortada, often blows on summer afternoons, and in the Canaries the north-east trade wind can blow for weeks.
☀️ Air: Highs 13–26 °C
Average highs are about 13 °C in Lofoten, 14 °C in Orkney, 18 °C in Galway, 22.5 °C in Biarritz, 25.5 °C in Gran Canaria and 26 °C in Lisbon.
👥 Crowds: Moderate; holidays from 3 July
French summer holidays start on 3 July 2027, so June weekdays are relatively calm, with busier weekends. Popular learner beaches across Europe are quieter than they will be in July and August.
🌅 Daylight: ~14–18 h · midnight sun in Lofoten
Around mid-June the sun rises about 06:15–06:25 and sets about 21:50 in Biarritz and 22:20 in Brest. Thurso has over 18 hours of daylight, Las Palmas about 14, and in Lofoten the sun stays above the horizon from late May to mid-July.

Where to go

Pays Basque

The Côte des Basques and the Anglet beaches give fun, small-wave surfing with cafés and promenades behind them.

Gironde

Lacanau and Carcans are open, sandy beach breaks with many peaks, easy to surf on small days.

Asturias

West-facing beaches stay clean in the summer north-easterlies, and the regional tourism office names summer as the best season to learn.

Galicia Norte

Galician tourism says Pantín has waves all year round, Doniños is at its best in spring and summer, and Nemiña is sheltered from the north-easterlies.

Portugal Centro

Baleal is the busiest learning bay in the region, and its shelter from the afternoon north wind makes it the summer go-to around Peniche.

Algarve

On the Costa Vicentina, Arrifana and Amado catch small Atlantic swells and have surf schools in every bay. The sea is about 19.5 °C at Faro.

Cornwall

Sennen and Gwenver near Land's End pick up the most swell in summer. Elsewhere, Polzeath and the Newquay beaches are made for longboards and lessons.

Ireland North West

Bundoran's Tullan Strand and gentle Rossnowlagh have surf schools and evenings that stay light until after 22:00.

Western Canaries

Summer is the season for the south coasts, when south swells reach Las Américas on Tenerife and Playa del Inglés on Gran Canaria. The north shores are mostly flat and windy.

Norway

Hoddevik on the Stad peninsula is a summer surf beach with friendly waves, mountains all around and surf schools. In Lofoten the sun does not set from late May to mid-July.

The 20 best spots in June

  1. Biarritz – Côte des Basques

    Biarritz · Pays Basque · Beginner · Beach break · live cam

    Where surfing in Europe began: a long, gentle beach break with mellow lefts and rights that suits longboards and learners, under cliffs with a famous view.

  2. Baleal – Cantinho da Baía

    Peniche · Portugal Centro · Beginner · Beach break

    A safe corner of the Baleal bay where the island blocks the north wind of summer afternoons, so it stays clean when much of the coast is choppy. The busiest surf-school spot around Peniche; friendly but crowded.

  3. Anglet – Les Sables d'Or

    Anglet · Pays Basque · Beginner · Beach break · live cam

    Fun, fast peaks between groynes that work at all tides; there is almost always someone in the water. The floodlit night-surfing contest takes place here in summer.

  4. Arrifana – beach

    Aljezur · Algarve · Beginner · Beach break · live cam

    A cliff-backed bay south-west of Aljezur that is sheltered from the north wind and full of schools. Peaks at either end of the bay suit learners; it gets very busy as summer goes on.

  5. Valdoviño – Pantín

    Valdoviño · Galicia Norte · Beginner · Beach break · live cam

    Galicia's famous surf beach handles small and large swells, and Galician tourism says it has waves all year round. The Pantín Classic contest is held here at the end of summer.

  6. Lacanau – Plage Centrale

    Lacanau · Gironde · Beginner · Beach break · live cam

    The busiest surf spot in Gironde, where the jetties keep sandbanks fairly stable and give A-frame peaks on a small west to north-west swell.

  7. Sennen Cove

    Sennen · Cornwall · Beginner · Beach break

    England's westernmost surf beach picks up even small Atlantic swells, so it often has waves in summer when the rest of Cornwall is flat. The harbour end suits learners; the middle of the beach can be punchy.

  8. Lahinch Beach

    Lahinch · Ireland West · Beginner · Beach break

    Ireland's best-known surf town has sandbanks for every level and schools along the promenade. June evenings are long, and the line-up is friendly if busy.

  9. Zarautz

    Gipuzkoa · Beginner · Beach break · 2 live cams

    Almost three kilometres of open sand that picks up nearly every swell, with the Basque Country's largest surf-school scene.

  10. Ericeira – Foz do Lizandro

    Ericeira · Lisbon coast · Beginner · Beach break · live cam

    Ericeira's best beginner spot, at the mouth of the Lizandro river, with A-frame peaks along about 300 m of sand. Surf schools use it every day; busy in summer, but the beach is big.

  11. Muxía – Nemiña

    Muxía · Galicia Norte · Intermediate · Beach break

    Where the Lires estuary meets the sea, sheltered from the north-easterlies that blow out much of the Galician coast in summer. A long right at the north end; intermediate.

  12. Bundoran – Tullan Strand

    Bundoran · Ireland North West · Intermediate · Beach break

    On the edge of Bundoran, waves bounce off Roughey Cliff and cross the new swell, so even small summer days give surf along much of the beach. Schools use it all summer; the cliff peak is busy but good-humoured.

  13. El Conquistador

    Playa de Las Américas · Western Canaries · Intermediate · Reef break

    Summer is south-swell season on Tenerife's south coast, and this reef between Las Américas and Los Cristianos needs exactly that. Intermediates and up; the local group is protective, so keep a low profile.

  14. Ferrol – Doniños

    Ferrol · Galicia Norte · Beginner · Beach break

    Galician tourism names spring and summer as Doniños' best seasons; two kilometres of consistent sand in front of a lagoon.

  15. Saunton Sands

    Saunton · Devon and the south coast · Beginner · Beach break

    Three miles of sand backed by the Braunton Burrows dunes in North Devon, with slow, gentle waves that make it a classic longboard and learner beach. Walk south from the car park for empty peaks.

  16. Xagó

    Xagó (Gozón) · Asturias · Beginner · Beach break · 2 live cams

    A west-facing Asturian beach that works at every tide, with peaks along its length and schools all season.

  17. Hoddevik

    Stad · Norway · Beginner · Beach break

    A kilometre-long sandy bay on Norway's Stad peninsula, under high mountains and sheltered from the wind, with long, friendly walls for all levels. Busy by Norwegian standards in summer, with surf schools.

  18. Rodiles – beach

    Villaviciosa · Asturias · Beginner · Beach break · 2 live cams

    Away from the famous left, the kilometre of sand east of the river mouth is a mellow beach break that suits learners, backed by a eucalyptus wood.

  19. Santa Bárbara

    Ribeira Grande · Azores · Intermediate · Beach break

    The Azores' main surf beach has waves all year, and its several black-sand peaks work at any tide. In June the water is about 19.5 °C.

  20. Somo

    Ribamontán al Mar · Cantabria · Beginner · Beach break · live cam

    Forgiving peaks, many schools and waves on most days. A classic learning beach before the July rush.

Tips from the line-up

  1. Bring a longboard or a bigger board for the small days. It turns a flat-ish week into a fun one.
  2. Dawn patrol is magic in June: glassy water, warm light and hardly anyone out before 08:00.
  3. Surf between the lifeguard flags where they are set up, and learn to spot rip currents before the summer crowds arrive.
  4. If one coast is blown out, look at another. Spanish west-facing beaches stay cleaner in summer north-easterlies, and spots sheltered from the north, like Baleal, handle Portugal's afternoon nortada.
  5. Use plenty of sun cream: long days and reflections off the water burn fast.

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