Map › Spain › Zarautz & Zurriola › Zurriola
País Vasco · Donostia / San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa · Donostia / San Sebastian
Zurriola
also known as Playa de La Zurriola, Playa de Gros
Nearby Hondarribia 15 km · Zarautz 16 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Nothing thermal to wait for. The wind arrives with Atlantic fronts, so it can be blowing at first light or fill at dusk and it often runs for a day or two straight. Watch the synoptic chart rather than the clock.
The wind
Direction
Character
synoptic
fills in: Nothing thermal to wait for. The wind arrives with Atlantic fronts, so it can be blowing at first light or fill at dusk and it often runs for a day or two straight. Watch the synoptic chart rather than the clock.
Typical strength
Monthly averages sit between 5 and 8 knots and only around 108 days a year reach 12 knots or more, so most days are not kiteable at all. The days that count are the strong onshore or cross-on frontal ones well above that threshold; no measured range for those sessions has been published.
Also on record
[object Object]
Direction to shore
NW is reported onshore, with strong W cross-on; NE is also reported as cross-onshore.
Dominant direction
NW, NNW; strong W/NW systems
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan42
- Feb41
- Mar59
- Apr39
- May28
- Jun22
- Jul13
- Aug16
- Sep28
- Oct49
- Nov62
- Dec52
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
- 11Jan14°
- 11Feb13°
- 13Mar13°
- 11Apr15°
- 9May17°
- 9Jun21°
- 8Jul23°
- 9Aug24°
- 10Sep22°
- 12Oct20°
- 13Nov17°
- 12Dec15°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42% | 11 kt | S | 9.4°C | 13.8°C |
| Feb | 41% | 11 kt | E | 10.4°C | 13.3°C |
| Mar | 59% | 12.6 kt | SSE | 12.6°C | 13.3°C |
| Apr | 39% | 11.1 kt | W | 13°C | 14.7°C |
| May | 28% | 9.2 kt | W | 15.8°C | 16.9°C |
| Jun | 22% | 8.7 kt | NW | 19.3°C | 20.7°C |
| Jul | 13% | 8.2 kt | WNW | 20.9°C | 22.5°C |
| Aug | 16% | 8.6 kt | WNW | 21.5°C | 23.6°C |
| Sep | 28% | 10.1 kt | W | 19.6°C | 22.3°C |
| Oct | 49% | 11.5 kt | S | 19°C | 19.9°C |
| Nov | 62% | 12.6 kt | WSW | 14.3°C | 17.2°C |
| Dec | 52% | 11.8 kt | S | 11.5°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
ocean
Tides
Semidiurnal, two highs and two lows a day. The tide moves a lot of water: at the Pasaia gauge next door the range ran 1.8 to 2.5 m across a single early-September day.Surfing goes on at all stages, but the shorebreak is at its worst near high water and the strip of sand you can rig on shrinks with it, so low to mid is the friendlier half of the cycle.
Temperature
18°C summer · 13°C winter
Wetsuit
Water of 13-18 C is reported and a wetsuit is needed every session. Shorty or normal suit in summer; normal suit in spring, fall or winter.
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
2 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: small and crowd dependent
Somewhere else
Hondarribia, 15 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Urban sandy launch on the Gros beach between the Urumea mouth and Monte Ulia; the practical launch depends on space between bathers, surfers, shorebreak, and the mole.
Space
small and 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
- Read the posted zoning and ask the lifeguards before rigging, especially from 1 June to 30 September.
- Go out only when there is enough sand and clear separation from surfers and bathers.
- Avoid high tide; the shorebreak is the hazard flagged most often here.
- Watch the mole and the rocks on the Monpas side on the way in.
- Come outside summer for wind: the 12-knot-plus days run from late autumn through spring.
- Check the tide table with the forecast. The beach is a different shape at low water and the rigging space goes with it.
- There is no thermal here. If the chart has no front on it, there is no session.
Getting there
Airport
San Sebastian Airport is about 20 km from the city; Bilbao Airport is about 100-105 km and Biarritz about 40 km.
Route
Road access from Bilbao runs the N-634/AP-8 corridor into Donostia and on to the northern beach. The airports are listed above with their distances from the city.
Transfer
25 min
Staying
Urban accommodation in San Sebastian and Gros; official tourism links lodging for San Sebastian and the Basque Coast.
No-wind days
surfing at Zurriola · pintxos and seafood in San Sebastian · Kursaal and Old Town sightseeing · canoeing, diving, beach volleyball, and other listed beach activities
Photos
FAQ
Is Zurriola suitable for beginners?
No. It is rated expert by one source and advanced by another; official tourism notes surf schools use the beach for surf initiation, but that is not evidence for beginner kiting.
What is the wind like at Zurriola?
NW and NNW are the main directions, along with strong W systems. Climatology shows the most days with 12+ knot wind in late autumn through spring, with fewer in summer.
What hazards should riders watch for at Zurriola?
The mole, shorebreak that intensifies at high tide, swimmers, a dense surf crowd and rocks are all reported hazards on this urban beach.
Are there rules or restricted zones at Zurriola?
No official kitesurf-specific rule was found, but kite guides warn that summer use is often restricted and should be checked locally under Donostia's beach ordinance.
Last updated: August 2026