Often when one thinks of Spain and its coast, the mind automatically travels to the Mediterranean. However, sun and beach tourism is much more than that in Spain, and one of the best examples is the Basque Country’s stunning beaches.
Surfers and water sport enthusiasts seem to make a pilgrimage to the Basque Country every year to find probably the best waves in the country.
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The best beaches in the Basque Country
Laga beach in Vizcaya
In the heart of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, one of the most captivating natural enclaves in the Basque Country, is Laga Beach. It’s a ‘wild’ beach, with 574 metres of intense golden sand that stands out against the blue of the sea. As is often the case along the coast of the Basque Country, this beach is revered by surfers for its quality swell.
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Azkorri beach, one of the best beaches in Getxo and the Basque Country.
The municipality of Getxo in Vizcaya is known for having some of the most beautiful and impressive beaches in the Basque Country. Among them, Azkorri beach certainly stands out. Its (slightly more) difficult access has given led to one of the most unique enclaves on the Biscayan coast. Between cliffs and dunes, this beach offers a peaceful setting for those who want to enjoy the coast. It also has powerful waves for surfers and other water sports enthusiasts.
Arrigunaga beach
Also located in Getxo, Arrigunaga is one of the beaches in the Basque Country that has been awarded the ‘Blue Flag of Quality’. Inland from the Bilbao river and under the cliffs of La Galea, you will find this beautiful 600-metre long beach of fine sand. It is ideal for water sports or just to stroll around the area and enjoy the marvellous views of the Abra and the Aixerrota Mill from the top of the cliffs.
Hondarribia beach
Hondarribia is one of the most beautiful and visited towns in the Basque Country. And it’s no wonder, as it has everything to make it the ideal place to spend your holidays. Hondarribia is full of colour, food, good atmosphere, but also sun, sea and sand.
With an expanse of 1km of golden sand, Hondarribia beach is located about 700 metres from the beautiful cobbled streets of the old town. It is also next to the marina, which offers a range of water activities.
Sopela beaches
Known as Sopelana, the town of Sopela has some of the most famous beaches in the Basque Country, especially among surfers. Just 18 km from Bilbao and accessible by metro, the beaches of Arrietara and Atxabiribil have impressive waves ideal for surfers and wonderful views over the cliffs for walkers.
But these two beaches are not the only ones you can enjoy in this area, as between Sopela and Getxo there is another impressive beach known as “the Wild”. This is Barinatxe, also protected by cliffs and has beautiful dunes.
Zarautz, one of the longest beaches in the Basque Country
Zarautz beach is the longest beach in the Basque Country. Two and a half kilometres long, it provides sunny beach days to thousands of holidaymakers who can enjoy one of the most special places on the coast of Gipuzkoa. In addition to the impressive beach bordered by green cliffs, Zarautz has the privilege of being home to the Pagoeta Natural Park, a seafront promenade with a lively atmosphere and beautiful cobbled streets in its historic quarter. And for the foodies, it will interest you to know that Hotelka, Karlos Arguiñano’s restaurant, is in Zarautz!
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
Travel tips for the Basque Country
- Bring cool clothes because temperatures can be high during the day. However, don’t forget to include some warmer clothing as the temperature cools down, especially at night, as well as an umbrella or waterproof jacket.
- Make sure to pack sunscreen and your favourite swimwear for your trip to the best beaches in the Basque Country.
- Take care of the beaches and the environment: throw your rubbish in the bin.
- One of the things to bear in mind on the beaches are the waves and currents. You should always swim in the permitted bathing areas and obey the instructions of the lifeguards.
- Make the most of the waves in the Basque Country for surfing, but always take care.
Frequently asked questions about a trip to the Basque Country
In general, the climate in the Basque Country is humid and mild temperatures prevail throughout the year, especially in the coastal areas. The average temperature in winter is 13ºC maximum and 8ºC minimum and in summer 23ºC maximum and 17ºC minimum. Rainfall is generally abundant throughout the year, especially in the months of October, November and December. The least rainy month is July.
If you want to enjoy the sun and the beaches of the Basque Country, the best time to visit is in summer. As we said before, rainfall is abundant practically all year round, so if you want to avoid it, July and August are the best months to visit. However, if you don’t like to travel in high season, September is also ideal, as temperatures are still pleasant, the beaches are less crowded and rainfall is still not as frequent.
Of course, the most comfortable option is always to travel by car, with no time limits or waiting times. That said, the Basque Country is an area that is well connected by public transport through different bus companies. So if you decide to take a route around the different beaches of the Basque Country you will have no problem travelling by public transport.
How to organise what to see in the Basque Country
Sign up or download the Passporter App and discover all its useful features.
- Get inspiration from the experiences of other travellers.
- Create your own itinerary and add the app’s suggestions to it.
- Add the spots you are most interested in, as well as the restaurants and bars where you want to eat (you can use the points of interest listed in this post as a reference).
- Organise your itinerary by days and according to their location (you can take inspiration from the routes presented in the post).
- Check the travel budget that the app calculates for you based on your travel stops, restaurants, and leisure activities.
- Make the necessary modifications and you are ready for your trip.
- Finally, share your experience. Upload photos of each of the places you have visited to the app so you can inspire other users.
If you have any doubts about how to plan your itinerary, you can read our post: How to create your travel itinerary with Passporter.
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