Guéthary – Les Alcyons

Guéthary · Pays Basque · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Guéthary – Les Alcyons (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/guethary-alcyons.

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Les Alcyons is a long left over the reef in front of the Alcyons jetty at Guéthary harbour, with a strong reputation among good surfers. It has several sections that give it a distinctive rhythm, and speed, power and clean manoeuvres are what it rewards. It is considered one of the best waves on the Basque coast and is the more manageable neighbour of Avalanche, which breaks further out on bigger swells.

Level
Advanced
Break
Reef break, rock
Waves
Lefts
Crowd
Busy
Season
autumn, winter
Boards
A shortboard or step-up.

When it works

✓ A 1.5–3 m west-northwest swell around mid tide with a south to southeast wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Small swells, which barely break on the reef, and northwest wind.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • reef
  • currents

Best months

January, February, October, November, December

Local tips

This is a wave for experienced surfers; read the sections from the jetty before paddling out. The reef is shallow in places and currents pick up as the swell grows.

Getting there

From the RD810 turn into avenue du Général de Gaulle, follow the chemin du Port and park on the Jetée des Alcyons, five minutes from the village centre.

Travel notes

How often it works
A reef that needs a decent swell to work. It is less consistent than the beach breaks to the north.
Crowd and vibe
A lineup of experienced surfers and locals. Wait your turn.
Camping and vans
Camping Plage Soubelet in Acotz is about 1 km south (April to October). Nearest campsite about 1 km away.
Facilities
There is parking on the jetty, and toilets and restaurants five minutes away in the village.
Water quality
Guéthary's two bathing sites were rated excellent in the national dataset (2022 rating). Water quality can drop after heavy rain.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WNW–NW best, W–NNW works
Size
1.5–3 m offshore swell; starts at 1.2 m, holds to 4 m
Period
10 s minimum, best from 14 s
Wind
Offshore ESE–SSW; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
NNW (340°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Pays Basque · All spots

Sources