Getxo – Punta Galea

Getxo · Bizkaia · Spain

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Getxo – Punta Galea (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/punta-galea.

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Punta Galea is a big-wave right below the cliffs of the cape between Getxo and Sopela, at the mouth of the Bilbao estuary. It breaks over sharp rock and is counted among the most powerful waves in Europe. It starts working at about two metres and holds big storms with faces above six to eight metres, sometimes with large barrels. It hosts the Punta Galea Challenge, described as the oldest big-wave contest in Europe.

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

When it works

✓ A large north-west swell with wind from the south, south-east or east, from mid to high tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Anything below about two metres, low tide, or onshore wind.

Watch out for

  • reef
  • rocks
  • currents

Best months

January, February, November, December

Local tips

It is only for experts and big-wave specialists, since currents can drag fallen surfers onto the cliff rocks. Surfers paddle in on long guns. For everyone else, the clifftop is a great place to watch the big swells arrive.

Getting there

A clifftop viewpoint is a few minutes' walk from the car park on the La Galea lighthouse road. Reaching the water means a long, steep descent with some scrambling, or a boat.

History

The Punta Galea Challenge became a stop on the World Surf League's first Big Wave Tour in the 2014–15 season. The event ran on 11 December 2014 and was won by Nic Lamb, with Makua Rothman second, while Basque surfer Natxo González scored a perfect 10 in the semi-finals.

Travel notes

Camping and vans
Camping Sopelana, on Calle Atxabiribil in Sopela, is open all year and has pitches for vans and motorhomes. It is about 4 km away by road. Nearest campsite about 4 km away.
Water quality
Punta Galea is not an official bathing point, so it has no water rating. We could not confirm Blue Flag status or any official note on run-off after rain.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WNW–NNW best, WNW–N works
Size
3–5 m offshore swell; starts at 2 m, holds to 7 m
Period
12 s minimum, best from 15 s
Wind
Offshore E–S; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
mid, high best, avoid low
Faces
WSW (250°)

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 Bizkaia · All spots

Sources