Guéthary – Avalanche

Guéthary · Pays Basque · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Guéthary – Avalanche (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-avalanche.

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Avalanche is a powerful outer-reef left that breaks off the end of the Alcyons jetty at Guéthary harbour, over flat rock. It needs at least 2.5–3 m of swell to start and is at its best when the swell climbs past 4–6 m, with faces around 5 m. It is one of the big-wave spots of the Basque coast and is reserved for experts and professionals.

Level
Experts only
Break
Reef break, rock
Waves
Lefts
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter
Boards
A big-wave gun.

When it works

✓ A 4–6 m long-period northwest to west swell with a south to southeast offshore wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Below about 2.5 m it does not break, and west or north wind makes it dangerous.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • reef
  • currents

Best months

January, February, October, November, December

Local tips

Bring a proper gun, and make sure you know the paddle-out and exit before committing; the paddle is long. Some commenters report poor water quality after rain.

Getting there

Park on the Jetée des Alcyons at Guéthary harbour (from the RD810 via avenue du Général de Gaulle and the chemin du Port) and paddle out from the end of the jetty.

Travel notes

How often it works
A big-wave reef that only wakes up on large swells. It works on few days each winter.
Crowd and vibe
Only a small crew of experienced big-wave surfers paddles out. Wannasurf reports tension with locals at Guéthary's reefs.
Camping and vans
Camping Plage Soubelet in Acotz is about 1.5 km south (April to October). Nearest campsite about 1.5 km away.
Facilities
There is parking on the Jetée des Alcyons, and toilets and restaurants in the village.
Water quality
Guéthary's two bathing sites were rated excellent in the national dataset (2022 rating). Some surfers report poor water after rain.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WNW–NW best, W–NNW works
Size
4–6 m offshore swell; starts at 2.5 m, holds to 8 m
Period
13 s minimum, best from 16 s
Wind
Offshore ESE–S; handles onshore up to 8 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.

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Pays Basque · All spots

Sources