Global Sport Stories

So here we are, despite only being separated by 24 miles as the crow flies, I arrived in San Sebastián with a fresh mindset. New country, new beaches, new opportunities for some improved surf.

A hidden gem of a city known for its culinary cuisine, picturesque streets and bustling beaches – it’s a perfect mix of urban and nature. 

Many guidebooks will tell you that one can surf all along the cities coast, as would Surfline. But what we found to be the case is there was a distinct beach for us surfers – Zurriola Beach.

We visited on two occasions. The first of which downgrading to a ‘foamie’ board! Scarred from the frisky French waters, an ego boosting session on a beginner board is just what the doctor ordered – due also to 1-2ft waves that day.

The next day, with confidence renewed, we headed back into Zurriola waters with a hard board back under our arms. Low tide and bigger waves meant improved conditions, but these didn’t come without challenges…

A strong rip, that moved with the tide presented mental, alongside physical, challenges. That being said, once getting to terms with the nature of the beach, a productive session was had. The waves were messy but having caught a fair few, we felt accomplished and were left to enjoy the beauty of San Sebastián – even if this did come accompanied by the freshest of sea food aromas.

Now the next instalment of our Basque Country adventure, doesn’t actually come from the Basque Country (I just wanted a good title). Hopping on the A-8 and heading west, skipping the likes of Bilbao and Santander, our next port of call was infact Cantabria.

Littered with sandy coves and lush cliff faces, my immediate thoughts were to draw comparisons to south Wales – and I have a great fondness for South Wales. There should therefore be no surprises when I say that I felt right at home in Cantabria. The coastline was asking to be explored with guaranteed beauty around every corner.

On our first day we pulled up to Oyambre Beach, thinking we’d give ourselves the day off. We’d had a few consistent days of surf and with the sun shining, a bit of sunbathing didn’t sound like a bad substitute. This was short lived though, as even though small, the waves looked enticing – calling for another ego boosting foamie session. What else was I meant to do, sit and watch?

After a tiny taste of what Cantabria had to offer, we knew we were staying for a few days, leading us to rent a hardboard for this duration. And boy, had we stumbled across a gem. 

7”2 in length, with a stable width and four fins to boot, our surf game was transformed. Suddenly I felt complete control having popped up, with the rolling waves appropriately green to match the scenery, definitely contributing to success. 

With our new found freedom by renting the board for days at a time, it seemed rude not to take it out at sunrise for a spin – although the worryingly poor surf forecast did plunge the plans into doubt. Nevertheless we woke at 5:45 and we were repaid for our optimism by quite possibly the best surf session of our lives. 

We endeavoured across the headland from Oyambre to Gerra Beach, and as the rising sun illuminated the stunning Picos de Europa mountain range, clean, green waves were rolling in. These were seriously Indonesian level. Prior to this, the best surf I had experienced was off the island of Lombok. However I’d like to think my ability had improved since then, and since I wasn’t getting a helping hand from a little Indonesian surf guru, Gerra Beach has to take the crown as the best session to date. 

The group of three of us were alone in the water for practically the whole session. The sea was calm despite producing stunning rollers. The coastal scenery in the morning light was something you could only imagine out of a picture book. This really was the perfect session and one that I will never forget.

This session of Gerra greatness left us satisfied to this day. Sadly after that session we lost the swell and the beautiful blue board was returned to its rightful owners. We managed to fit in a fun longboard session but like the swell, it was time for us to leave Cantabria, heading next to the mountains.

I’ll treasure memories from this little section of Spain forever. The beautiful, bustling but albeit brisk surf in San Sebastián, followed by the lush and fruitful lands of Cantabria. If you haven’t already, go get your board and explore this magnificent microclimate.