El Confital

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Western Canaries · Spain

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for El Confital (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/las-palmas-el-confital.

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A long, hollow right over a shallow volcanic ledge on La Isleta, at the northern edge of Las Palmas, and one of the best waves in Europe. The take-off is steep and the barrel runs down the whole wave in very shallow water. It has hosted ASP WQS events and the Red Bull Rival.

Level
Experts only
Break
Reef break, reef
Waves
Rights
Crowd
Packed
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or step-up built for barrels.

When it works

✓ A 1.5–3 m north to west swell with an east to northeast wind, at high tide.

When it doesn't

✕ It shuts down at low tide over the dry reef, and summer is mostly flat.

Watch out for

  • reef
  • rocks
  • localism
  • crowds
  • currents

Best months

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

Local tips

There are several entry points, but on big days the water pushes you towards the rocks. Make friends with the locals before trying for set waves. Thefts are reported, so don't leave valuables in the car.

Getting there

A few minutes' walk along the coastal path from the north end of Las Canteras (La Puntilla), or drive to the El Confital car park.

History

El Confital has hosted ASP WQS contests and the Red Bull Rival.

Travel notes

How often it works
Consistent from September to May.
Crowd and vibe
Very crowded when good, with an intense local crew; up to five people may go for one wave.
Camping and vans
Wild camping is not allowed on Gran Canaria. The island council (Cabildo) runs camping zones that need a permit booked online, and the closest legal option to camping by the sea is the campsite at Playa de Vargas on the east coast. The Canary Government's draft decree would ban tourist overnight stays in vans outside official campsites.
Facilities
A car park and the promenade path; the city is a few minutes away.
Water quality
El Confital is an official bathing site, but it was not classified in the 2025 EU bathing-water results.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WNW–N best, W–NNE works
Size
1.5–3 m offshore swell; starts at 1.2 m, holds to 4 m
Period
11 s minimum, best from 14 s
Wind
Offshore NNE–E; handles onshore up to 8 km/h
Tide
high best, avoid low
Faces
WSW (240°)

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 Western Canaries · All spots

Sources