Map › Spain › País Vasco — Ereaga to Bakio › Bakio
País Vasco · Bakio, Bizkaia
Bakio
also known as Bakioko Aritza, Playa de Bakio, Bakio Beach, Bakioko Hondartza
Nearby Laida 10 km · Gorliz-Plentzia 11 km · Sopelana 16 km · Ereaga 19 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No daily cycle to plan around. Modelled wind-day frequency is close to flat across the day, roughly 11 percent morning, 11 percent afternoon, 9 percent evening, so the wind arrives with a front rather than at an hour. Modelled, not measured.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
synoptic
fills in: No daily cycle to plan around. Modelled wind-day frequency is close to flat across the day, roughly 11 percent morning, 11 percent afternoon, 9 percent evening, so the wind arrives with a front rather than at an hour. Modelled, not measured.
Typical strength
No measured kite record at the beach. The long-run picture is light: around 6 kt modelled at the beach itself, and 8 kt averaged with 13 kt gusts at the nearest coastal station up the road at Punta Galea, over 2011-2026. Only about 7 percent of days land in the 12-35 kt band, so the numbers that matter here are the ones on the day, not the average.
The quiver, in words
Nothing published locally. Indicative for a 75-85 kg rider, derived from the wind range rather than measured here: 10-12 m on a 12-16 kt day, 8-9 m when a winter north-westerly front pushes past 20 kt. Wave board rather than twin-tip when the swell is up.
Direction to shore
NW is reported as cross-onshore for kitesurfing.
Dominant direction
NW for kite sessions; S is the clean offshore wind for surfing.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan45
- Feb38
- Mar54
- Apr34
- May31
- Jun22
- Jul16
- Aug22
- Sep24
- Oct42
- Nov58
- Dec56
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
- 11Jan14°
- 11Feb13°
- 12Mar14°
- 11Apr15°
- 10May17°
- 9Jun20°
- 9Jul22°
- 10Aug23°
- 10Sep22°
- 11Oct20°
- 13Nov17°
- 12Dec15°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45% | 11.4 kt | S | 9°C | 13.6°C |
| Feb | 38% | 11.2 kt | S | 9.7°C | 13.2°C |
| Mar | 54% | 11.8 kt | SSE | 11.9°C | 13.5°C |
| Apr | 34% | 11 kt | E | 12.3°C | 14.7°C |
| May | 31% | 9.8 kt | WNW | 15°C | 16.7°C |
| Jun | 22% | 9.3 kt | NW | 18.5°C | 20.3°C |
| Jul | 16% | 8.8 kt | WNW | 20.2°C | 22.3°C |
| Aug | 22% | 9.5 kt | WNW | 20.7°C | 23.4°C |
| Sep | 24% | 9.9 kt | W | 18.7°C | 22°C |
| Oct | 42% | 10.7 kt | S | 17.9°C | 19.7°C |
| Nov | 58% | 12.9 kt | W | 13.5°C | 16.9°C |
| Dec | 56% | 12.2 kt | S | 10.8°C | 14.8°C |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024
The water
Type
ocean beach break
Standing depth
No measured figure. The beach is reportedly steep with a shore dump on it, so the standing band is narrow and you are swimming within a few metres of the sand. Plan on body-dragging out through the break rather than walking out.
Tides
Semidiurnal Atlantic tide. The break itself works across all stages, so tide is not what decides whether there are waves. What changes for a kiter is the east end, where the current toward the rocks and the shorebreak both build at high water.
Temperature
Summer 20-24 peak, average summer about 20.6
Winter 12-13 peak-minimum range, average winter about 13.2
Wetsuit
2 mm long-sleeve shorty or 3/2 mm spring suit in peak summer if windy; 4/3 mm with boots or warmer setup for winter and long cold-wind sessions.
Currents
Current increases toward the east-side rocks at high tide; detailed rip-current mapping is unconfirmed.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: moderate to large, but tide and summer crowd dependent
Somewhere else
Laida, 10 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Long sand town beach with a promenade behind it, wide enough to lay a kite out. High tide pushes the shorebreak and the current up near the east rocks.
Space
moderate to large, but tide and summer crowd dependent
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Wait for a genuine cross-on NW. South is the clean wind for surfers and offshore for you.
- Ride the lower half of the tide: at high tide the current toward the east rocks and the shorebreak both build.
- Ask the lifeguards before rigging in summer; swimmers are the main hazard between 11:00 and 20:00.
- Pack 4/3 mm and boots for winter, a 2 mm long-sleeve shorty or 3/2 mm spring suit for a summer day with enough wind.
- Stay off the surf peaks when the waves are good; the lineups here fill up.
- Winter is the season. December and January hold most of the kiteable days; May to September gives you almost none.
- Check the flag before you unpack. Red closes the water to everything, kites included.
Getting there
Airport
Bilbao Airport (BIO)
Route
By car, Bakio is close to Bilbao Airport and to Bilbao itself. The Bizkaibus A3518 also runs between Bilbao and the town.
Transfer
About 22-33 minutes by car from Bilbao Airport, depending on the route.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Hotels, guesthouses, apartments and surf-oriented stays in Bakio and along the Basque coast. No kite-specific lodging cluster.
No-wind days
Surfing, beach walking, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Bermeo, Bilbao, Basque coast sightseeing and local txakoli/wine tourism.
Photos
FAQ
Is Bakio suitable for beginners?
No, it is condition-dependent and classified as intermediate to advanced because of waves, shorebreak, current and rocks near the east end.
What is the wind like at Bakio?
The kite-worthy setup is moderate swell combined with a sufficiently strong cross-onshore NW wind; otherwise the beach is mainly used for surfing and swimming.
What hazards should I know about at Bakio?
Current increases toward rocks at the east end at high tide, and waves can close out when swell gets too big, alongside summer swimmers and crowded surf lineups.
Are there kite schools near Bakio?
Surf schools such as Uretan Basque Surf Center, Lokal Surf Bakio, Koba Surf Eskola and Bakio Rip Curl Surf Eskola operate at the beach, though they are primarily surf-focused.
Last updated: August 2026