Urrugne – Belharra

Urrugne · Pays Basque · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Urrugne – Belharra (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/belharra.

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Belharra, sometimes called Belharra-Perdun, is a reef plateau 14–18 m deep about 2.5 km off the coast between Socoa and Hendaye, northwest of the bay of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. When a giant swell hits it, the plateau's stepped ledge stands up a fast, powerful wave of 8–15 m that has exceeded 20 m, with a left that is longer than the right. It breaks only a few days a year and some winters not at all. It is one of the biggest waves in Europe and strictly for big-wave professionals.

Level
Experts only
Break
Reef break, rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Quiet
Season
winter
Boards
Tow boards and big-wave guns.

When it works

✓ A 6 m+ long-period west to northwest swell at low tide with a light east to southeast wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Almost always: it needs a rare combination of size and period, and the left needs about 6 m of swell to break at high tide.

Watch out for

  • reef
  • currents
  • boats

Best months

January, February, December

Local tips

Belharra is reached only by boat or jet ski, and sessions have mostly been towed, with water safety essential. For everyone else, the best view is from the cliffs of the Corniche between Socoa and Hendaye on a big day. In calm weather the reef is a dive site.

Getting there

By boat or jet ski from the harbours of Saint-Jean-de-Luz–Ciboure (Socoa) or Hendaye; spectators watch from the coastal road above the cliffs.

History

Belharra was first surfed on 22 November 2002. In 2011 Benjamin Sanchis rode a wave measured at 20.4 m there; in winter 2013–14 it broke only three times.

Travel notes

How often it works
Belharra is a deep offshore reef that only breaks on the very biggest swells, often just a few days a year or none at all.
Crowd and vibe
Only a small group of big-wave surfers and their safety teams ride it. Crowds watch from the cliffs on the big days.
Camping and vans
For spectators, Camping Flower de la Corniche and Camping Juantcho are on the Corniche road above the cliffs.
Facilities
There is nothing at the reef. Boats and jet skis leave from the harbours of Socoa and Hendaye.
Water quality
The reef is far offshore, so there is no bathing-water monitoring here.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WNW–NW best, W–NNW works
Size
6–9 m offshore swell; starts at 5 m, holds to 12 m
Period
15 s minimum, best from 18 s
Wind
Offshore ENE–SSE; handles onshore up to 8 km/h
Tide
low best, avoid high
Faces
NNW (335°)

Live cam

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

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Pays Basque · All spots

Sources