Erretegia.

Erretegia sits tucked beneath low cliffs between Bidart and Biarritz, offering a forgiving mix of sand and uneven reef that tends to produce soft, slopey peaks across a 50-100m ride. The wave breaks with well-covered depth and a tendency to well up rather than throw, making it one of the more genuinely approachable spots on this stretch of the Basque coast. At its best on W to NW swells in the 0.6-1.5m range, it rarely delivers hollow sections - what you get instead are crumbly, medium-paced walls that forgive poor timing on takeoff. A dropping tide is optimal: the beach shrinks considerably at full high on any significant swell, and the scattered rock sections become more exposed as water recedes, requiring attention on the inside. The spot gained brief international attention when a major Roxy contest was held here in 2002, but outside of peak summer it draws a manageable crowd, partly because the walk down from the clifftop car park is longer than at neighbouring beaches. Surf schools from Bidart and Biarritz have used it as a training ground for years, which means weekday mornings in summer can get busy with beginners. Those seeking more challenge can find powerful reef setups at Parlementia just 2km south, or the more structured peaks of Ilbarritz to the north.

Soft peaks that well up rather than throw, forgiving sand-and-reef between Bidart and Biarritz.