Map › Spain › País Vasco — Ereaga to Bakio › Gorliz-Plentzia
País Vasco · Gorliz / Plentzia, Bizkaia · Gorliz and Plentzia
Gorliz-Plentzia
also known as Gorliz, Playa de Plentzia, Plage de Plentzia, Playa de Gorliz
Nearby Sopelana 5 km · Ereaga 10 km · Bakio 11 km · Laida 21 km · La Salvé (Laredo) 40 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Nothing local is measured. The working west to north-west arrives with Atlantic systems and can blow at any hour; in settled summer weather a north-westerly sea breeze reportedly builds through the afternoon, which is the same window the beach is closed to kites from 1 June to 30 September.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Nothing local is measured. The working west to north-west arrives with Atlantic systems and can blow at any hour; in settled summer weather a north-westerly sea breeze reportedly builds through the afternoon, which is the same window the beach is closed to kites from 1 June to 30 September.
Typical strength
No measured local average exists. A figure of 23.6 kt circulates for this beach with no method behind it and is unconfirmed; the nearest long-run station, Algorta, averages 4 kt with 7 kt gusts over 2012-2026, which is a sheltered estuary reading and equally unrepresentative of the bay. Treat any single number for Gorliz as unconfirmed and ride off a forecast.
Thermal or synoptic
thermal and synoptic
The quiver, in words
No local size table is published. Indicative for a 75-85 kg rider in this bay: 13-14 m below 13 kt, 11-12 m around 15 kt, 9 m at 20 kt, 7 m once a winter westerly is over 25 kt.Nothing here is measured and the bay is gusty when the wind comes in onshore, so bring the range rather than one kite.
Direction to shore
NW-W is generally side-on to side-shore; NE-N comes in cross-onshore and is reportedly less regular.
Dominant direction
W, WNW, NW; NE-N also reported
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month41
- Feb, riders' month34
- Mar46
- Apr33
- May30
- Jun18
- Jul11
- Aug18
- Sep24
- Oct31
- Nov47
- Dec, riders' month46
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Dec.
- 10Jan14°
- 10Feb14°
- 11Mar14°
- 10Apr15°
- 9May17°
- 9Jun20°
- 9Jul22°
- 9Aug23°
- 9Sep22°
- 10Oct20°
- 11Nov17°
- 11Dec15°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41% | 10.4 kt | S | 9.2°C | 14°C |
| Feb | 34% | 10 kt | SSE | 10°C | 13.5°C |
| Mar | 46% | 11 kt | S | 12.4°C | 13.5°C |
| Apr | 33% | 10.3 kt | NNW | 13°C | 14.6°C |
| May | 30% | 9.4 kt | NW | 15.7°C | 16.7°C |
| Jun | 18% | 8.9 kt | NW | 19.2°C | 19.9°C |
| Jul | 11% | 8.6 kt | NW | 20.9°C | 22°C |
| Aug | 18% | 9.2 kt | NW | 21.4°C | 22.8°C |
| Sep | 24% | 9.3 kt | WNW | 19.2°C | 21.5°C |
| Oct | 31% | 9.7 kt | S | 18.4°C | 19.6°C |
| Nov | 47% | 11.4 kt | S | 13.8°C | 17.2°C |
| Dec | 46% | 11.2 kt | S | 11°C | 15°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
sheltered bay / ocean
Standing depth
Foot-depth water at both high and low tide, though how much of it there is remains unconfirmed.
Tides
Rideable at any tide, so access is tide-independent, but what you ride is not: flatter and cleaner water around high tide, choppier and shallower at low.
Temperature
Summer 20.5 average summer; August average 21.9
Winter 13.2 average winter
Wetsuit
A suit year-round: a lighter summer one may be enough in July-September, a full or thicker one in winter.
Currents
The bay is sheltered, but currents get stronger around the transition areas and the tide passages.
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
No school names this spot
Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.
On your own
Room to launch: small to moderate for kiting; beach use and season can reduce practical space
Somewhere else
Sopelana, 5 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Sandy bay beach with parking and services behind it. Keep the launch clear of swimmers, walkers, the road, the promenade and the concrete.
Space
small to moderate for kiting; beach use and season can reduce practical space
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Treat 1 June to 30 September as closed unless the town confirms an authorized kite arrangement.
- Leave a large downwind buffer; the road and the concrete are right behind the sand.
- Wait for clean W to NW with beach space and few swimmers in the water.
- Check the Gorliz beach webcam and the flags before driving out, because the town publishes real-time beach information.
- Do not make this your first spot riding on your own.
- Outside 1 June to 30 September there are no lifeguards at all: the six-plus-one crew works only those dates, 11:00-20:00.
- Paid OTA parking runs daily 13 June to 15 September and weekends until 12 October; the promenade car park by the toilets is the closest to the sand.
- Keep clear of the Astondo dunes when rigging or landing; that sector is a protected conservation area.
Getting there
Airport
Bilbao (BIO)
Route
Drive north from Bilbao to Plentzia and on to Gorliz; the beach is a short walk from the parking. The main car park is on the promenade next to the toilet and shower building and closest to the sand, with overflow at Astondo, around the hostel and in Plentzia. Bilbao airport is the arrival point.
Staying
Gorliz and Plentzia are established beach towns with parking, restaurants and beach services; no kite-specific stays are published.
No-wind days
Surf, SUP, kayak, coasteering, beach walks, cycling, the Gorliz pine woods, Plentzia, Bilbao at night, coastal sightseeing.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Gorliz-Plentzia?
Local listings show December to February as the strongest window, with W to WNW to NW the preferred wind direction.
Is Gorliz-Plentzia suitable for beginners?
No, it is explicitly listed as not for beginners because a street runs directly behind the beach, leaving little margin for error.
Are there rules or restricted seasons?
A local 2026 post states kitesurfing is not allowed on the beach from 1 June to 30 September, matching the official lifeguard-season dates; confirm current signage before riding.
What hazards are at this spot?
A mole, concrete and a road close to the shore are recurring hazards, along with cliffs at both ends of the sandy bay.
Last updated: August 2026