Ballota

Andrín (Llanes) · Asturias · Spain

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Ballota (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/ballota.

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Ballota is a wild beach of sand and rock below the cliffs west of Andrín, at the foot of a steep path. Offshore stands a rock stack, the islet that gives the beach its name. Several fast, hollow peaks break left and right on sand between rock bars, and they can form tubes when the swell and sand line up. It works best on a medium north-west swell of about 0.5–2 m, and very small days suit beginners. The walk keeps numbers down, and rips run hard along both ends.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Quiet
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or fish; a longboard on small days.

When it works

✓ A medium north-west swell at low to mid tide, with a south or south-east wind; south-west and west are also fine.

When it doesn't

✕ High tide fills it in and leaves little beach, and onshore wind from the north or north-east turns the peaks to mush.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • rocks

Best months

January, February, March, April, September, October, November, December

Local tips

Rips run along both sides of the beach. Paddle out in the middle and watch the drift. It handles west and north-west breezes better than many nearby spots.

Getting there

A dirt track leads to a small car park, then a steep path goes down. Lifeguards are on duty in summer.

Travel notes

How often it works
It can work all year, but it needs a medium north-west swell of about half a metre to 2 m to come alive.
Crowd and vibe
There is no big local crew, and the water is usually quiet. Its steep path keeps numbers down.
Camping and vans
The nearest campsite in the regional directory is Camping Entreplayas in Llanes, about 3 km west. Llanes has an área de autocaravanas, and overnight parking in town is not allowed outside it. Nearest campsite about 3 km away.
Facilities
Few facilities: toilets, showers and a small bar are listed, with lifeguards every day from mid June to early September.
Water quality
Ballota is not an official bathing-water test site, but neighbouring Andrín tests clean in Náyade.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WNW–NNW best, WNW–NNE works
Size
1–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.6 m, holds to 2.5 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore SSE–SSW; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
low, mid best, avoid high
Faces
NNE (15°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

Nearby spots

All spots in Asturias · All spots

Sources