Marinella.

Marinella sits in the heart of the Anglet beach strip, one of a chain of jetty-defined sandbanks stretching between Biarritz and the Adour river mouth. The break works as a classic a-frame peak, with the jetties on either side helping to concentrate and shape the sand, producing steep shoulders and occasional hollow sections when conditions align. Wave depth data shows a well-covered, swell-wellingup character with genuine hollow and steep moments mixed in — meaning on the right day it throws fast, punchy walls rather than the fat beach break found elsewhere on this coast. Rides typically run 50-100m before the wave flattens or closes out. Medium W to NW swell is the sweet spot, with pure NW often producing the most consistent banks. Any easterly offshore cleans it up and the break is functional across all tide stages, though the sandbar character shifts with each tidal cycle. The jetty infrastructure that makes Marinella work is also what makes it crowded — the spot is flanked by a youth hostel and a campground, feeding a near-constant stream of surfers into the water. Summer and autumn weekends bring serious numbers. A strong local contingent holds priority on the better peaks, and the vibe reflects it. Nearby estuary influence means water quality can drop after rainfall. Rips form reliably beside the jetties and should be treated as channels rather than hazards when paddling out.

Jetty-pinched sandbank that throws hollow walls before the Adour's estuary sprawl.