Wake up and see big waves roll into Playa San Lorenzo in Gijón. It’s on! Drive out to Playa España. Big and unruly, we’ve learned that this place doesn’t hold swell well, more of a place you go when it’s small, but we figured we’d check it anyways. Not peaky enough to surf. Continue on to Rodiles. There are waves and it has potential but it’s definitely a low tide spot and it’s peaking high tide. Unfortunately no surf here but a reason to return as it is an amazing Mindaka-like left when on with a vicious local crowd. The beach is gorgeous. You traverse a eucalyptus grove to get to the sand and then out in the lineup amongst a classic Asturian headland. Consider waiting for the tide to drop and surf here, but I reckon everyone else has the same strategy.
Continue back to Vega, a wave we’ve surfed with Zuey, and it’s way too big even though this place likes high tide. Back in Ribadesella and we still haven't surfed! Get a nice menu del día and digest up on the way to San Martin, a wave we've already surfed in the most beautiful setting. It’s a nice wave now that the tide is dropping and we’re psyched to get out there. I complete a little ding repair on the twin fin’s tail while we digest and then hit for a survival session in the glass off. The current pulls us immediately down in front of the rocks the second we start our paddle and we have to make it out, there’s no turning back and it's way bigger from this perspective than when viewing from the cliff above. Really fun dodging big sets, a couple big drops but short rides get the adrenaline going. Race back to our hotel room in San Vicente de la Barquera.
Nov 3
Wake up early and rush to Laredo! There are big stormy conditions and a howling west wind all across Spain. Basically all beaches are blown out except for two east facing beaches that are protected by a massive headland: Oyambre and Laredo. We know that Laredo has serious potential. Laredo is also the beach break down from the Fortaleza wave that never breaks. The trek from San Vicente de la Barquera is an hour and we hustle through. Make our way to the beach where we see a couple vans parked and check it. There’s not a whole lot of surfable waves right here but up the beach up by where it is truly east facing we see lines and massive offshore spray. Park there and walk over.
The surf is peeling around shoulder to head high long, clean, high quality, longboarding waves left, stood up by the offshores. What an absolute gem. It’s literally perfect for the blue dolphin, the twin fin is a little more of a struggle, and we score. On the sandbar we’re at it is breaking like a pointbreak. 3-4 wave sets peeling with a small crowd taking turns. Get out there and get many good waves, almost picture myself surfing frontside at Malibu, until the rising tide affects the quality. What a treat to take this chance on coming out an hour to Laredo and get it good while every other beach around is massive and stormy. For reference the beach on the other side of the Fortaleza headland is 8-12 ft and onshore, massive slammers.
The rain begins to fall so pop into a little cafe/bar in town filled with older ladies outside (under a canopy) and gentlemen inside drinking wine/sherry and discussing soccer games etc. We stayed there for 3 hours writing and reading while it dumped outside. Ate some tortilla and a few coffees. The rain stopped in the afternoon and we decided to see if we could get another session in at the other east facing beach, Oyambre, on the way back to our hotel.
Again it was super offshore over there but freezing. The wind was howling and the waves were nowhere near the quality we had in Laredo. We sat perched on a country road at the top of the cliff watching the surf break in the sunset surrounded by green meadows and cows grazing. Such a beautiful way to end the day.
Wake up early and check out of our hotel in San Vicente de la Barquera. Today the swell is massive, just under XL, surfline is calling it 15-18 ft and again rainy and deep west wind! We are so lucky to have Laredo that can handle that wind. Roll into town and check the peak that we surfed yesterday. This protected, east facing beach is 8-10 ft and groomed with offshores, and 4 jetskis are doing circles, guys are charging into the wind on rights into crazy barrels, step offs. I’m not sure why the jetskis are there, it doesn't seem big enough for them to be warranted, they could be practicing or it could be to help the surfers get into the waves when so much wind is howling up the face. Either way, I’m not trying to surf with a bunch of jetskis.
We move further up the beachwear the surfers are paddling in and watch for a while deciding whether to go or not. 30 minutes later Zuey and Cliff roll up, they’ve driven up from Bilbao to hit the one place they can that will work. They psych us up to go out and it’s on. There are big peaks, heavy rights into the wind with potential to get the barrel of your life. I see them out there but everytime one comes no one’s in position for it. Instead, we catch a bunch of closeouts and some shouldery ones, the drop is sick and adrenaline pumps. Finding a great wave is like finding a needle in a haystack.
The real beauty of this session is the surreal, ever changing conditions. The sun pokes through and rainbows everywhere in the offshore spray. A big cloud grays everything out and you see silvery sheets of water traveling across the surface, rippling out to sea and up waves. Wind drops for a second and rain pours and loudly pelts the glassy surface. Every 20 minutes it feels like we have a new type of weather condition, all of them beautiful as the surf pumps in this wild beach break. Down the beach you can see the jetski surfers stepping off into big right barrels. The only way to describe this surf is surreal. As the tide rises a little the surf gets more rippable and instead of barrel hunting the surfers start unloading big turns and combinations. Again, this being the only surfable spot around here, and with good waves no less, we have the surf scene from Cantabria to Bilbao out here psyching to surf these sick waves on this incredibly stormy day.
Eat some paella in town, glad to check that off the list, and head to our airbnb in Leoia. Leoia is a small, weird little zone between Algorta and Bilbao, close to the freeway so we could move around and go to surrounding spots easily as this weeklong swell bender continues. Go into Bilbao with Jack and Zuey for a little bit of a party night and good times.
Nov 5
Sleep in, exhausted from epic surf to late night combo. Before we know it, it’s 3-4 pm and we’re running out of daylight. We surf Sopelana and it’s probably the biggest that beach can handle. Big rolly, slopey waves breaking really far out but there’s a nice channel for the paddle out. Get a couple of good ones where you drop in and fade the other direction letting the wave stand up more and then fade once again working it all the way to the beach. Now comes the super long paddle out and after 5 of these laps I’m tired and it's time to go in with this gorgeous sunset. A day of recovery, the swell is once again building to XL size on Nov 7th.
A little bit of an off day surfwise because it’s far too big for the breaks around Bilbao (the wind was not good for Mundaka or else it would’ve been an easy call) but still a little too small for the waves to come in and get Getxo working. Apparently the wedge beachbreak in town was pretty good but it didn’t even cross my mind to check it. Sopelana was fully maxed out, just one guy on a jetski doing laps. Even if we had been able to make the paddle out, I don’t think it would've been worth it because it’s a massive rolly closeout.
We head down to the old port in the evening to meet up with Jack and Zuey. The middle peak is starting to break as the swell builds and the tide drops. It’s around head high, maybe a bit bigger on sets and slopey, perfect for the blue dolphin. Go out and make the most of it, watch it get bigger and start to see some of the other waves, usually dormant, awaken as this swell fills in. It’s the XL swell that is slamming into Europe. We’re already seeing footage of spots going mental, tomorrow is going to be huge. Looking around from the middle of the bay with city ports all around us, full moon rising from behind the hill, surfing waves in the middle of a city, pretty special.
The 4 of us go for an all you can eat sushi that Jack’s been hyping up in downtown Bilbao. You order sushi in rounds and whatever you don’t eat gets added to your bill on top of your flat fee. Pretty soon we realize that the sushi isn’t really that great but Jack and Zuey are into it. Evan is miserable but being a good sport not to yuck on their yum. I’m thinking fuck it, we’re here, lets get the crazy rolls with gnarly combos like cream cheese and mango. Let's get fully gross. One particularly revolting combo was a piece of salmon wrapped around a mango cube. Almost couldn’t get it down. We laughed a lot about it then and later.
Nov 7
Wake up first light, get to the beach at puerto viejo and the point break there is on. It’s doing its thing! Fat offshores, sunrise looking directly into the right. They call this wave Jeffreys after Jbay but that’s definitely a stretch. It’s around 8-10 ft rights breaking off the seawall of the old port and running for a pretty long time. Some break in sections and close out, others don’t, there’s very long rides to be had out there if you get the right one. Paddle out through the port in dirty water and out we go with around 20 others. If it’s this big here, imagine what it is at the unprotected spots!
The early bird gets the worm, I guess no one wants to wake up early on Monday even though the low tide window is at dawn and by midday it should be too high. Throughout the session it got more and more crowded as the surf got worse. Got some sick ones though, dropping in blind as the spray goes into your eyes combined with the blinding sun, low in the sky, on my backside, dodging people. It was a fantastic experience with all the locals stoked to surf a wave that only breaks properly a couple times a season. This is kind of a novelty spot so I’m really happy to have gotten it good on the twin fin. We are surfing such a variety of waves on this trip it’s awesome! Couple closeouts, couple long ones, and one serious beat down. I got caught inside and duck diving a wave the board ripped out of my hands and sent me to the bottom. My board was tombstoning at the surface; I could feel the leash tense straight upwards and I pulled myself up. Nothing too serious but very seldom do you use your leash to get air. Zuey got it on film I think.
Overall, an incredible experience, get out of the water, grab a coffee, and trip out that it’s 1pm. I surfed there for 4 hours. Exhausted but psyched! So lucky to have gotten a tip to surf here from Zuey. I see a 20-35 ft forecast and have no idea what to do with that. The local knowledge is paramount. So many spots around here are fickle and it’s all about being at the right place at the right time. Every spot has its window. It’s also validating to kinda start recognizing the familiar faces in the water. I recognize some of the guys from Laredo a couple days ago and even Mundaka on my birthday. Cool to think we’ve been hitting the spots we should when they’re good. Amazing surf session, I rest my body for our final day in Spain tomorrow, final surf in Mundaka!
Nov 8
Today is the last day of our final week in Spain swell bender. Wake up early and race to Mundaka so that we can get it for the morning low tide window. Mundaka was largely why we returned eastwards after Gijón so it’s fitting that it all comes to an end here at the premier wave. It’s packed and waves are firing. The waves are smaller than my birthday swell but it’s still plenty big and way more crowded. Suit up and hop in through the little port and the current takes us out to the lineup. It’s the same faces from birthday swell sitting at the top, the heavy hitters, these guys get the best waves. Paddle right passed them with a smile to a more inside position.
In Getxo the early bird gets the worm, we surfed it pretty good with not that many guys out at first, here people are on it hungry, regardless of the time. Now that the XL swell is passing and it's a mere 8-12 ft, us mortals have a shot at Mundaka. It is pumping, I’m watching a surf movie go down in front of me. Pros and sponsored kids everywhere trading barrels, flying out, stalling, going back in, knowing when to drive or slow down. They know the wave so well, it’s incredible.
Unfortunately, my performance was not that good. I catch 2 waves in nearly 2.5 hours there. There’s always someone deeper than me or if someone falls I can spin and go but someone else is always there doing the same thing. It is the most cut-throat crowd I’ve ever been in and the level of surf skill is really high. It’s like rincon on a big swell day but everyone actually rips. Out there I’m way low on the totem pole, one of the worser ones. Now it seems like my birthday was even more of a gift because I got many waves that day. Maybe the stars aligned for me then. Today is definitely not the day to be fatigued and not on your A game in the lineup. Regardless, do scrape into the few ones I catch and they're high quality long lefts. It’s an honor to be out there and throw my hat in the ring at this wave.
Back in Bilbao we have a reservation at the txuleton spot recommended to us. We’ve had 4 txuletons in Spain and this is the highest quality, most expensive one. We are starved from the surf and arrive eager to put down some meat. It’s tender, fatty, delicious, salty, and melts in your mouth. We left the plate completely clean, ate in silence. Now we have 3 hours before the game.
We have tickets to Athletico Bilbao vs Valladolid, a la liga game in San Mamés, Bilbao home game right before the international break for the World Cup. After surf, then txuleton, 3 hrs to kill, we decide to go back home and nap. Incredible decision, we wake up refreshed ready to hit the game.
The game is sick, the fans are awesome, everyones wearing jerseys, the place is full. Huge home team advantage, they’re singing the whole time and can't understand half of what they're saying because it's in Basque. Athletico Bilbao is one of the historic teams and founders of la liga, one of three to have never been relegated to the second division (the other two being Real Madrid and Barcelona.)
But the coolest thing about Athletico Bilbao is that the group of owners only select players that are from the Basque country (including the Basque part of France.) This is not mandatory but they do it anyway, growing home talent and continuing the tradition of local support against all odds and the rest of Spain who buy players from wherever. Really gives them a lot of street cred as the fans really worship the team and is seen as a sporting symbol of the Basque struggle.
The game is sick, 3-0 Bilbao dominate and get their points on their mission to make a top 4 champions league berth. Seeds 3-8 are really close in points so theyll take all the wins they can get. An amazing moment in the game was when there was a hand ball in the box that would've given Bilbao a penalty that the ref missed. Everyone is screaming when they see the replay hand ball and then cheering when the ref goes to VAR review, surely he returns with the correct penalty call. Instead he comes out and says it was a foul on the Bilbao player and gives the ball to Valladolid. When the ref misses a call or makes a bad call the crowd whistles like, “fuck you, you missed your whistle so we’ll do it for you!” So the crowd whistles as hard as they can, 50,000 people making a shrieking, piercing noise deafening, the boy in front of me covers his ears. It’s like being in a high pitched bee hive. While the whistle blast is happening the Bilbao team makes a sub and the whistles change into a farewell-we-love-you-thank-you-for-the-game-you-played type song. An angry shriek to a thankful chant, a really cool musical moment. One of the beauties of soccer is that it’s so musical in the stands.
Another amazing tradition is that right when the ref whistles for the half-time break, everyone pulls out a sandwich. All types. Jamon, tortilla, chorizo, etc. sandwiches out of tinfoil come out and it’s a sandwich party. We’re the only ones out of 50,000 without sandwiches. Hilarious. It’s awesome when the team you root for gets a fat win and we all leave in good spirits.
Return home exhausted, what a blow out, epic final day in Spain. Mundaka, txuleton, Athletico back to back to back. Now comes Portugal.
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