La Herradura
Almuñécar · Spanish Mediterranean · Spain
Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for La Herradura (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/la-herradura.
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A horseshoe bay on the Costa Tropical, between two headlands west of Almuñécar. Unlike most of the coast, it faces south-west, so it works on west and south-west swells. Peaks break over sand and rock across the bay.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Break
- Beach break, sand and rock
- Waves
- Lefts and rights
- Crowd
- Busy
- Season
- autumn, winter, spring
- Boards
- A fish or shortboard.
When it works
✓ A south-west swell with a north-east wind.
When it doesn't
✕ East swell, which the headland blocks, and summer.
Watch out for
- rocks
- crowds
Best months
January, February, March, April, October, November, December
Local tips
It works on poniente (west) days when Málaga is flat, so the regional crowd drives over. Arrive early.
Getting there
Off the N-340 / A-7 between Nerja and Almuñécar. Parking in the village behind the beach.
Travel notes
- How often it works
- Only on west to south-west swells, a few days a month in winter.
- Crowd and vibe
- Crowded when it works, because it is the only wave around on those days.
- Camping and vans
- Nuevo Camping La Herradura is by the beach, about 1 km away; there is also a camper stop in the village. Nearest campsite about 1 km away.
- Facilities
- Village beach with restaurants, diving and kayak centres, showers; lifeguards in summer.
- Water quality
- Náyade lists Playa La Herradura as fit for bathing.
Ideal conditions
- Swell
- SSW–WSW best, S–W works
- Size
- 0.9–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.4 m, holds to 2.8 m
- Period
- 5 s minimum, best from 9 s
- Wind
- Offshore NNW–ENE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
- Tide
- low, mid, high best
- Faces
- SSW (200°)
Live cam
No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.
Nearby spots
- El Palo – El Dedo 54 km · Beginner
- La Misericordia 63 km · Intermediate
- Fuengirola 82 km · Beginner
- Tarifa – El Balneario 186 km · Intermediate
- Tarifa – Los Lances 186 km · Beginner
- Tarifa – Punta Paloma 193 km · Intermediate