Galicia surfing destination

For years, Galicia has been at the top of the list of the best places to surf in Spain. Its situation at the end of the map, receiving the onslaught of the storms, means that it always has plenty of waves and  swell.

There are more and more fans, more schools… Surfing is being incorporated normally as one more extracurricular activity. Both spot, swell, surf camp, shaper… Will we be in California? No: this is Galicia, although the search for the ideal wave turns our beaches into an ideal destination for surfers from all over. Many times, without realizing it, we come across the best surfers in the world on the sand, who come to the Galician coast.

In the municipality of Valdoviño, in Ferrolterra, there are wonderful open sea beaches for catching waves. They are part of the so-called Costa das Ondas. Here they know a lot about surfing, they even have the Ocean Surf Museum. Although there are quality waves all year round, the best time for these beaches is spring and summer. The best known is Pantín; Other good ones are Campelo, A Frouxeira and Vilarrube.

Pantín. This horseshoe-shaped beach, also known as O Rodo, is open to swells from all sides. Despite not reaching 1 km in length, which is why it is sometimes crowded, it has a consistency that makes it one of the best places to learn. Count on breakers to bore. Lots of left and right peaks and very large waves with a long journey. In fact, it is said that if there are no waves in Patín, it is because there are none in all of Galicia, which is why they also call it the “wave factory”.

The Pantín Classic has been held here since 1988, one of the oldest surfing championships in Spain, and one of the highest professional level. It is a festival of tourist interest, and is celebrated at the end of summer. By the way, only on this beach there are eight authorized schools. In addition, it has the Ocean Surf Club.

The Costa das Ondas also includes Ferrol beaches, such as Doniños, Esmelle, San Xurxo, A Fragata, Covas-O Vilar, Santa Comba and Ponzos. The most famous is Doniños.

Doniños. This beach extends for about 2 km, stretched out facing the open sea, very wild, in an environment of dunes, pine trees and a lagoon. When it is best to catch waves is when the low tide is rising, and there are many peaks. To the south is the Punta Penencia breaker and to the north is the Outeiro area, with many varied waves. Of course, Doniños is perfect for surfing.

A Costa da Morte, so wild, is also the number one surfing destination. Among the best beaches for surfing are Razo, Faro de Lariño, Soesto, Mar de Fóra, O Rostro, Area Maior…

Razo (Carballo), the last beach of A Costa da Morte, is a long sandy area that, together with that of Baldaio, with its dunes and marshes, makes up the Razo-Baldaio Natural Area, extending over a length of almost 6 km of beach . It is very good for learning to surf and also for professionals, since it has multiple and varied peaks along the entire beach (A Cabreira, Art, Cordobés, O Teirón, A explanada, Río… ). The best time to surf here is between April and September; beginners, better in summer, when the beach becomes the capital of surf camps. Various events are held here throughout the year.

Surfing is also practiced in the Rías Baixas. One of the most popular sandbanks is that of Patos. They also highlight A Lanzada and Montalvo.

Patos (Nigrán). It is a beach with a long surfing tradition, very crowded throughout the year. The Monteferro peak stands out, at the westernmost end. It has several peaks that work with the northwest sea. In addition to enjoying the waves, it is a luxury to do so with views of the Cíes.

On the other hand, the Cantabrian beaches also give good waves, especially between autumn and winter. The wave of A Machacona stands out, near the Areoura beach, the Peizás beach (Foz) and the Oliñas beach (Barreiros).

Sometimes it is not about looking for the best beach but rather the best big wave (big wave), and we also have a few of those, like O Portiño, in A Coruña, where the Coruña Big Wave is held, or Panchorro, the big wave in Illa da Pancha, at the mouth of the Ribadeo estuary, where the Illa Pancha Big Waves takes place.