2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

download 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

of 39

Transcript of 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    1/39

    South FraTripping & Surfing

    By Derek Dodds

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    2/39

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    3/39

    South FranceTripping & Surfing

    By Derek Dodds

    v.3

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    4/39

    Contents

    Introduction . . . 9Surf . . . 12

    Getting There & Away . . . 14Grub, Wine, oh la la . . . 18

    Hotels . . . 21Where To Go . . . 24 The Medoc . . . 26 The Lands . . . 27Pay Basque . . . 28

    Maps . . . 34

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    5/39

    Every sentence spoken by Napoleon, and everyline of his writing, deserves reading, as it is the sense

    of France.

    ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    6/39

    South FranceCopyright 2013 by Derek Dodds

    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be re-produced in any form by any electronic or mechani-

    cal means including photocopying, recording, orinformation storage and retrieval without permission in

    writing from the author.

    Wave Tribewww.wavetribe.com

    Give feedback on the book at:

    [email protected]

    Printed in U.S.A.

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    7/39

    What does it mean to pre-board? Do you get onbefore you get on?

    ~ George Carlin

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    8/39

    8

    Southern France

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    9/39

    9

    IntroductionA surf trip is an opportunity to see new places andto discover yourself through the expression of whoyou think you are beyond the borders of your coun-tryit will expand your mind and enrich your life invery meaningful ways so please dont wait to do it.

    I have been traveling for over a decade in searchof waves and experiences along European coast-lines and I can tell you that there is much adventureawaiting you.

    This guide was written with the help of a French lo-cal surfer with over 30 years of experience sur ng insouthern France, we asked him to help us create this

    Surfers Guide to Southern France. And he said yes,trs cool!

    We will talk about the known spots in the southwestof France, unfortunately only the known ones. We weretold by the locals that if we speak about the secretsurf spots we could never have another chocolate

    French croissant and believe me this is a great pun-ishment that we want to avoidwith a little creativeexploration youll nd some unknown oceanic Frenchjewels.

    Most of the known spots are crowded in the summerbut you can nd empty line-ups o the beaten pathor during the fall and winter. The fall is our favoritetime to travel to southern France and can be ex-ceptionally warm. September and October serve upsome solid swell with spring-suit or trunkable typeconditions and is mostly outside of the Europeanbusy travel season (especially October).It will be cheaper and the surf will be more consis-

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    10/39

    10

    tent in the o seasonJune through the beginning of September can be packed like a Mexican pinadaand unless you like the sardine feeling wed recom-mend staying away from this season. Of course, youcan go in the summer tooits a di erent place withtopless girls and bronzed Italians, in winter the onlything topless will be your tequila bottle.

    The winter can be brutalyoull want a 5/4/3 wet-suitwith hoodie, gloves, booties and a bottle of tequilatucked into your wet-suit to keep you warm. Youllneed 3/2 full suit in October and sometimes into No-vember. I lived in Lacanauin the winter of 2010, itcan be punishingly cold(like snow-on the-beachcold) and the waves

    can get so big that youwont be able to surf. Butthere will be many daysin the winter with perfectuncrowded waves. Springcan also be enjoyable butthe swells are less frequent

    and come from a di erentdirectionMay can be fun.

    In mid September the tour-ists go back toA surf trip is an oppor-tunity to see new placesand to discover yourself through the expression of who you think you are beyond the borders of yourcountryit will expand your mind and enrich your lifein very meaningful ways so please dont wait to do it.

    I have been traveling for over a decade in searchof waves and experiences along European coast-

    4 Insiders Tip.

    There are a lot of small

    towns and unknown surf spots between Soulac andLge-Cap-Ferret; in theMdoc between Biscarosseand Seignosse; in Les Landesbetween Capbreton andAnglet, and further south of Biarritz. Dont limit yourself to the top name breaks, getin the car and explore andyoull find some real gems.

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    11/39

    11

    lines and I can tell you that there is much adventureawaiting you.

    This guide was written with the help of a French lo-cal surfer with over 30 years of experience sur ng insouthern France, we asked him to help us create thisSurfers Guide to Southern France. And he said yes,trs cool!We will talk about the known spots in the southwestof France, unfortunately only the known ones. We weretold by the locals that if we speak about the secretsurf spots we could never have another chocolateFrench croissant and believe me this is a great pun-ishment that we want to avoidwith a little creativeexploration youll nd some unknown oceanic Frenchjewels.

    Most of the known spots are crowded in the summerbut you can nd empty line-ups o the beaten pathor during the fall and winter. The fall is our favoritetime to travel to southern France and can be ex-ceptionally warm. September and October serve upsome solid swell with spring-suit or trunkable typeconditions and is mostly outside of the European

    busy travel season (especially October).

    It will be cheaper and the surf will be more consis-tent in the o seasonJune through the beginning of September can be packed like a Mexican pinadaand unless you like the sardine feeling wed recom-mend staying away from this season. Of course, youcan go in the summer tooits a di erent place withtopless girls and bronzed Italians, in winter the onlything topless will be your tequila bottle.

    The winter can be brutalyoull want a 5/4/3 wet-suitwith hoodie, gloves, booties and a bottle of tequilatucked into your wet-suit to keep you warm. Youll

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    12/39

    12

    need 3/2 full suit in October and sometimes intoNovember. I lived in Lacanau in the winter of 2010,it can be punishingly cold (like snow-on the-beachcold) and the waves can get so big that you wontbe able to surf. But there will be many days in thewinter with perfect uncrowded waves. Spring can alsobe enjoyable but the swells are less frequent andcome from a di erent directionMay can be fun.

    In mid September the tourists go back to work, so thesurf is not too crowded, except in the areas of Biar-ritz, Hossegor, and Lacanau. The best surf is aroundHossegor and Biarritz/Anglet. There are always a lotof surfers there, no matter of the season and some-times a few pros dangling aboutespecially beforethe professional contests (usually in October).

    The Surf BasicsThe French southwest coast is mainly exposed tofull west swells (much like southern California), whichmeans that the o -shore wind is mainly from the east.Here are the wave facts:

    The swells come from the northwest or the west.

    The best swells come from the northwest.

    The biggest and most powerful waves break onsand bars.

    There are some reefs in the south, around Biarritz,mainly to the south of the city.

    The best surf period is in fall during September, Oc-tober and November. These three months are syn-onymous with ze French Power, with o shore winds,barrels, and some big swells. Water temperature is still

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    13/39

    13

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    14/39

    14

    good south of the Aquitaine region, between 60 -70 Fahrenheit.

    Getting There & AwayThere are various ways to travel to southern France.The biggest French airport is obviously in Paris, butthere is one small international airport in Bordeauxcalled Bordeaux Mrignac and hour ight from Paris.Flying into Bordeaux is

    the most convenient andmost direct route to thesurf.

    There is also a nationalairport in Biarritz andthis is a good sec-

    ond option if you cannd an airline that iesthere. There are numer-ous trains from Paris toBordeaux (3 Hours onthe TGV Fast Train) andBiarritz (5 hours)in fact train travel in Europe is agreat way to get around and if you take the fasttrain it can be quicker than ying and much cheaperto transport your boards. You can take your boardson the Train no problem.

    From the States I recommend ying into Paris orBilbao, Spain. It will cost you about $800 - $1200round trip in the o season to y from the Los Ange -les, California, and it takes about 12 hours.

    I recommend ying into Paris and hanging out therefor a few days before or after your surf adventure(always depends on swell of course). The rst thingyou need to know is that Paris is split into districts,

    4 Insiders Tip.favorite place to eat inParis is La Maonnina Italianresturant at 10 rue Marie& Louise. The telephonenumber is 01 42 01 25 26.

    There are tons of places inthe 6th to eat.

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    15/39

    15

    think of them as small neighborhoods. I recommend atleast two days in Paris near the 6th district, its closeto most everything and has great shopping and din-ing. It will cost you 50 euros to take a taxi from theAirport to the center of Paris and it will take between20-40 minutes. You can also take the train but its apain in the arse if you have boards and luggagewith you. Youll save like 30 euros, no really worth it inmy opinion.

    All trains departing for the southwest of France leavefrom Gare Montparnasse in the 14 district (an easywalk or Taxi ride from the 6th). Youll want to take theTGV fast train to the south of France to Bordeaux,Dax or Biarritz. The train ticket to Bordeaux costsabout $100 each way. Once you get to the southyoull want to rent a car at the train station or airport

    ($500 for one week).Booking your train tickets in advance can save youlots of dinero. Book your train tickets online here:http://www.idtgv.com/en/

    Its a little tricky to pre-book the car on the internet

    at the Bordeaux train station but with a little per-sistence you can do it. The train station is calledBordeaux Saint Jean Train Station and the car rentalcompanies on location are Sixt, Avis, National, Eu-ropcar. The easiest way to book is to do it directlythrough the company websites.

    I usually y into Paris and out of Bordeaux Mrignac(BOD) airport (you can y to many other Europeanlocations from Mrignac) and they always let me pickthe car up at the train station and drop it o at theairport at no extra charge. You can ask them aboutthis when you go to pick up the vehicle.

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    16/39

    16

    If you y into BOD and need to get to the train sta -tion there is a bus that will shuttle you either way for7 euros. It leaves every 45 minutes and takes about30 minutes depending on tra c. Give yourself anhour if you need to make a train or ight. At BOD thepick-up is in front of Terminal B at exit 11. Look for thesign in the picture above. If you taking the bus fromthe train station to BOD look for the same sign in frontof the train station in Bordeaux.

    If you decide to rent acar get the insurance. Onone trip when I got homethere was a letter wait-ing for me telling me thatthe rental car companyhad charged my card

    an additional 250 Eurosfor a small scratch on thefender, not trs cool. Paya little extra to avoidthose unforeseen charges,it sucks to get a large billthat you didnt expect in

    the mail after an epic surf trip.

    On the main highwaywatch out for the radar camerasyoull see a warn-ing sign before you hit the radar zone but if youdont slow down and you see a ash you will get theticket in the mail or the car rental agency will chargeyour card for the infraction. Sometimes the police willset up stops or use radar on the smaller roads lead-ing into towns.

    The French usually have border agents at the tollbooths going back into France so you might want to

    4 Insiders Tip.Accomodation is mucheasier to rent and mostsummer rentals sit unoc-cupied during this season.

    Youll be able to get longterm rentals for about40% less. Check outhttp://www.homelidays.com for great rentals. Alsocheck camp sites (where

    you can rent mobilehomes) and surf camps.

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    17/39

    17

    dispose of any Moroccan goodies before you crossthe border. Ive never seen the Spanish stop or screenanyone going the other way.

    Take soft racks. We recommend Wave Tribe HempRacks! Seriously though, cars in Europe arent likeAmerican behemoths and most likely youll end uprenting a smallish car. Once you pile your wet-suits,wine, luggage and boards into the cramped spaceyoull wish you had racks. Oh yea, dont scratch theroof with the racks (see above) or leave your boardsunattendedthey might disappear.

    Another option is to y into Spain and drive up tothe surf in France from Bilbao. Its about a 3 hoursdrive from Bilbao to Bordeaux and the ight from theUSA is about the same price. Its a really easy drive

    and the car rental companies dont mind that youcross the border into France or visa-vera.

    Do you hate border crossing? Bad memories of Mexico? Well, where to grab your co ee and crois -sant is your greatest worry while traveling betweenSpain and France, the border crossing is a non-issue,

    you just drive straight through. If you do get stoppedit will be on the French side at the toll booth.

    Surfboards in France

    As we all know, ying with boards is not that comfort -able and can be very expensive. Thats why I musttalk about surfboards in France. There are a lot of surf shops all along the coast, like everywhere inthe world. Youll nd small funny surf shops, but alsothe branded surf shops. Youll nd exactly the samebrands of surfboards in France as in US or Australiaand lets not forget those cheap Chinese and Thaisurfboards.

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    18/39

    18

    Dont hesitate about the French shapers. Most of themare very good and work with the best materials. Youllalso nd a lot of second-hand surfboards, but dontforget that the Euro is super strong these days soyoull be paying more for your boards in Europe.

    Another option is to rent your board. Nick at OceanGypsy Surf (http://oceangypsysurf.com) has a necollection of surfboard rentals. He is located inLabenne Ocean, 5 minutes South of Hossegor and20 minutes North of Biarritz. Send him an email [email protected] or call him 33 (0)6 33 82 14 26to reserve a board.

    Grub & Vin, oh la la

    There are many di erent places for eat, from the worstto the best. Dont worry about it before you come, if there is one thing that the French people dont jokeabout, it is food and wine. Youll nd very Frenchrestaurants, but also food from all around the world.One thing to keep in mind is the afternoon eatingschedule, the French tend to start lunch around oneand they nish eating around three and if you arrivetoo late they might not serve you.

    Vegans will nd it hard to eat in France and veg -etarians that eat cheese are in paradise. Grab abottle of red, a French baguette from the bakery anda chunk of blue cheese and you are golden. Youllalso nd a lot of street markets, organic or not. If youhave an apartment, buying food at the street marketand cooking it at home is the cheapest way to eat.But youll need a place with a kitchen, another rea-son to get an apartment.

    If you like red wine, like me, then you are in the most

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    19/39

    19

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    20/39

    20

    bountiful wine zone of France with so many deliciousBordeauxs that your head will spin when you walkinto the store to select one. Frances rst extensivevineyards were established by Rome in around 122BC in todays Languedoc and then later perfected inBordeaux.

    The major reason for the success of wine making inthe Bordeaux region is the excellent environmentfor growing vines. The geological foundation of theregion is limestone, leading to a soil structure that isheavy in calcium.

    In Bordeaux, almost all wines are blended. The typicalblend consists of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon(and/or Cabernet Franc), with small additions of PetitVerdot and Malbec. So, my friends, the real gift the

    French have is in how they blend those varietals.However, the French use one other interesting trickcall chaptalization, which means they add sugarbefore undergoing barrel-ageing. In the south youcan get a good bottle of Bordeaux for 4 Euros, soit wont break your wallet either. Great red wine and

    sick barrels, what else could you ask for?

    Budget

    Accommodation will run $50-$100 a night in mostplaces and your food budget is up to you. Shopping

    for fresh groceries and preparing meals will be muchless than eating out every meal. Finding an apart-ment for part of your trip is what I recommend, mostbreaks in the south are within a reasonable driv-ing distance from each other. You could do a tenday trip (with car) for about $2000 USD, less if youcamp and prepare most of your own food. Add a

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    21/39

    21

    few nights in Paris, some good meals out, and a fewbottles of Bordeaux and that low budget could eas-ily double.

    Pillow Time

    If you want to go to France in the summer, during Julyand August, it will be very expensive. The well-knownsurf spots are more expensive. Be forewarned, youmust book your accommodation very early in the

    year for travel during the high seasonif not youll besleeping on the beach, which might be cool too.

    Camping

    There are camp sites in every coastal city, pricesvary depending on the popularity of the areaforexample camping in the popular spots like Hossegoror Lacanau are much more expensive. Youll nd theprices on the internet. Here are some resources:

    http://www.campingfrance.com/UK/

    Guest HousesThere are not many guest houses in France. Cham-bres dhotes are the way to go, you rent a room in afamily house and can share meals and learn aboutthe culture. Rooms can be o ered in a home or in aspare room in the garden.

    This is highly recommended for people that want tolearn about French culture and lifestyle. You can, if you want, eat with the owner in some situations. Thereare a lot of di erent prices; this site is a good re -source.

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    22/39

    22

    http://www.chambresdhotesfrance.com

    Couch Sur ng

    This can be a fun way to travel, spend time in some-ones home or on their couch. France has a big rep-resentation on this site.

    http://www.couchsur ng.com

    HotelsThere are thousands of hotels in France. Youll

    nd all types of prices.You can book them onthe internet:

    http://www.hotel-france.com

    Apartments

    You might want to con-sider renting a place fora week or longer. Thereare lots of websites of-fering long term rentals.Here are a few links toget you started. I have

    used homelidays and liked it. http://www.homeaway.com

    http://www.homelidays.com

    http://www.airbnb.com

    4 Insiders Tip.A nice hotel-resort in La-canau for less than 100Euros a night is the Vitalparc

    at Route du Baganais. Thewebsite is http://www.vital-parc.com and the phonenumber 33 (0) 5 56 03 91 00.I have stayed there a fewtimes, its about 5 minute

    drive to the ocean and hasnice dining and even a Spafor your lady. Want a mas-sage after your long session?

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    23/39

    23

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    24/39

    24

    Where to Go First?

    Lacanau is a small quaint town and a nice placeto start your trip. The further south you go the morecrowded it will be. From Bordeaux train station itsabout 45 minutes by car to Lacanau or about 1.5hours to Hossegor. Youll want to check the surf re-ports to see whats the haps, but if there is swell allthose places will be working.

    Lacanau has a lower pro le surf scene than its cous -ins in the south and is more laid-back, it feels morerustic and is a good place to ease into the southernvibe. Youll nd less crowds in this region and havethe opportunity to explore some of the lesser surfedbreaks to the north towards the Bay of Biscay.

    SearchForWaves.com is a great resource for surf fore-cast in southern France while on the road. You cancheck surf spot information at:

    http://searchforwaves.com/France

    Sur ine also has a forecast page:

    http://www.sur ine.com/surf-forecasts/france/south -west-france_2955

    Wannasurf France section is good for chatting withlocal surfers and learning details:

    http://wannasurf.com/spot/Europe/France/

    Good site for wind:

    http://windguru.cz/it

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    25/39

    25

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    26/39

    26

    Surf by Regions: The Medoc

    The best waves are in Mdoc, suggests our Frenchlocal. Even if its perfect, you can surf alone or justwith your friends. The waves only break on sandbarsand there is a spot on every banesevery 300 to400 meters.

    A bane is a kind of big hole in the beach, parallelwith the ocean, made by the currents. At the door of

    the bane, youll nd the sand bars. Be careful whensur ng the banes, people die every year from thecurrents and they can be tricky to manage in bigswell.

    The worst thing aboutthe Mdoc is that there

    arent a lot of shelteredspots and the windcan cause some realhavoc. When the windis onshore, its best tolook inside the mouthof the river called the

    Garonnehere youll ndsome o -shore waves,but usually a bit smallerthan other places.

    You can also check thewaves north of La-canau towards Soulac.The waves tend to getsmaller as you travelnorthdepending on the swell and also remember towatch the tides.

    My favorite place to surf is right in town at Lacanau.

    4 Insiders Tip.I recommend the Hotel LeBellevue in downtown Biar-ritz located right in front of an excellent surf spot andclose to shopping and greatfood (check out the Italianright across the street). Thereare also beautiful walksalong the boardwalk. Thehotel is located at 5 AvenueEdouard VII. The phonenumber is 33559030450 andthe email [email protected]

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    27/39

    27

    There are a few really good sandbars and jettiesthat produce barrelling waves when the conditionsare right. This place changes on the tide swings andcan look totally uninviting at low tide and then turnon at high tide, so keep an eye on it and dont besurprised if it jumps within a few hours. You can gohang at Le Kayoc where they have free wi andwatch it. Le Kayoc is the restaurant at the end of themain drag and looks out onto several breaks. Thefood is ok.

    Region II: The Landes

    The best waves in France are around Hossegor, Sei-gnosse and Capbretonsimply put, the surf is worldclass in this area and this is where they hold theprofessional surf contests each year.

    There is a very deep fault at the bottom of theocean in front of this region (much like Blacks in Cali-fornia). This means that the swell arrives extremely fastonto the sand bars, creating very large and powerfulbarrels (like the one on the previous page). Unfortu-nately, this region is cursed with the same wind issueas in the Mdoc.

    You can surf big waves in la nord (north) inHossegorfrom 12 to 14 feet. The southern beachesin Hossegor are a bit more sheltered from the largerswells if thats more your style. So if its too big in thenorth, try hitting the southern beaches. It can betwice as big on the northern beachesits a strangephenomenon, just a few hundred feet north it starts toget much bigger.

    If its really big try heading for Capbreton, you cansurf sheltered waves at the Santosha, but just as inle sud that damn French wind blows hard and could

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    28/39

    28

    ruin your session. I have had some great sessions overthe years in this region and I nd the French trs coolin the water. Always remember to be respectful of thelocals and other surfers in the water and follow cour-teous sur ng etiquetteno snakes.

    Region III: Pays Basque (Basque Country)

    The Basque country has a wide variety of waves withwonderful qualitythis is one of the most beautiful

    coastlines in all of Europe. The mountains and oceanare married at the same place. That means that inwinter time, you can have a surf session and a snow-board session on the same day.

    In Anglet and Biarritzyoull nd hollow waves

    on sand bars. If yougo south from Biarritzyoull nd a lot of di er -ent waves on reefs andsand bars. There are alot of sheltered spots inthe Basque region andits the best place to surf when the wind is howlingor the surf is gigantic. Asolid swell at Biarritz canbe super fun with options at Anglet ve minutes awayand playful reefs in the southern part of the city.

    Sur ng at Grande Plage in Biarritz can be really fun,its a thumping wave and when its going the peaksshift around so you can get waves even in the crowdif you work it. Try sitting outside near the rocks tocatch some of the larger sets.

    You can nd miraculous waves without too many

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    29/39

    29

    Red WineUNearly all the International varieties originate fromFrance. Cabernet Sauvignon. The home ground

    of this famous grape variety is Bordeaux. It isnearly always blended with Merlot and in generalthe wines below have more Cabernet than Merlot.There is a general ranking of Appellations within

    the Bordeaux area - from lowest to highest:

    Bordeaux and Bordeaux SuperieurEntre-Deux-Mers

    GravesPessac-Leognan

    Medoc and Haut MedocListrac, Moulis

    MargauxSt Estephe

    St Julian and Pauillac

    The outlying areas of Bordeax produce varyingquality wines from Cabernet and Merlot and are

    often better value-for-money than Bordeaux.

    BergeracCotes de Duras

    BuzetCotes de St-Mont

    Gaillac

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    30/39

    30

    people if you hunt for the right spot, or keep goingsouth to Spaina totally di erent experience, oneyou will not want to miss!

    San Sebastian is only about 30 minutes from down-town Biarritz and if the swell is too big in France itmight be perfect in San Sebastiancheck out themap. The winds are also di erent in Spain, San Se -bastian is a very protected spot and rarely getsblown out.

    Follow the signs out on themain highway and headtoward Spain, the boarderis about 30 minutes fromBiarritz. Youll go throughseveral tolls on this route so

    grab some change for theroute. Depending on howdeep into Spain you goyoull need about 20 eurosin change. Most of the tollsare automated, you throwthe change into this bucket

    and the gate opens. Its apain if you dont have theright change.

    Once you enter Spain the coast make a largesweeping turn here and the beaches go from facingwest facing to north facing in just a few miles. Thusthe more northerly swells slam right into Spain, provid-ing epic waves just around the corner.

    San Sebastian is a fun wave and will hold plenty of swell. Try and nd a parking spot at the north end of the beach against the cli . There is also a paid park -ing structure two blocks o the beach, just follow the

    4 Insider Tip. Try the Peoples Cafe onthe main beach at SanSebastian for an awe-

    some post session beerand watch the othersurfers while basking inthe sun. The have excel-lent sandwiches andreally fresh bread and

    cold beer.

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    31/39

    31

    signs. Dont leave any valuables in your car.

    You cant miss the wave at San Sebastian, there is aleft o the jetty and a fun right next to the rocks atthe north end of the beach. Sometimes it breaks inthe middle section too, depends on the swell.

    Mundaka. If you have crossed the boarder into Spainyou are not far from one of the premiere waves inEuropeMundaka. The tides, wind and swell have tobe just right but if you are lucky you might score thiswave.

    If there is a lot of swell Id check it for sure, it needs3-5 meters to work. Mundaka is situated on a beauti-ful cli overlooking a breathtaking rivermouth. Lookup the river and be blown away by the immense

    beauty of this place.Getting there by car look for the Gernika exit rightbefore (coming from France) the city of Bilboa. Followthe signs towards Bermeo and eventually youll dropright in to Mundaka about 20 minutes o the mainhighway. If you get lost along the way just pull over

    and ask any local: Donde esta Mundaka?

    Once you are in Mundaka prepare yourself for asmall maze of streets, work yourself towards the har-borthe main break is right in front of the harboropening. If you have a van you can even campright in the main parking lot above the break, but asalways be respectful and if the police come to yourvehicle o er to buy them a beer.

    To get to the main break head toward to harborand jump in next to the boats and paddle about 30yards into the lineup. Check the middle and insidesections of the waves too, sometimes if the peak is

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    32/39

    32

    crowded the middle section can be super fun.

    Most people know Mundaka as a fun left but if thesandbars are setup just right you can also surf asweet barrelling right. When we were there in 2012we surfed some of the best right tubes of the trip. Youjust never know in Europe.

    There is also a super fun beachbreak across the bayand a reef break near the island at the mouth of theriver. Do some exploring, youll be stoked!

    Bon Voyage!

    Have a great trip, let us know what you think of theWave Tribe Surf Travel Guide Series and dont forgetto check out Wave Tribe for great eco sur ng gear

    before your trip.

    Go out there and score some waves. Traveling willchange your life and is one of the most preciousactivities you will ever do!

    Derek Dodds, Founder Wave Tribe

    PS. Bali, Cabo, Peru, Brazil, South Africa Surf Guides inthe pipelinealways free to the Wave Tribe family!

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    33/39

    33

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    34/39

    34

    Maps

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    35/39

    35

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    36/39

    36 *For custom Google Map of surf r

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    37/39

    37gion see: http://g.co/maps/qsr9s

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    38/39

    38

  • 7/28/2019 2013 Southern France Surf Travel Guide

    39/39