Surf spot guide · Gran Canaria, Spain
Easy-going boulder-backed left tucked behind a large rock near Moya, ideal for improvers chasing mellow walls on a small NW swell.
El Roque is a sheltered left-hander that peels behind a prominent boulder on the northwest coast of Gran Canaria, near the town of Moya. The wave breaks over a mixed boulder-and-sand bottom and works best at mid tide, with the incoming swell wrapping around the rock to produce slopey, well-covered walls running 50-100m before fading. Take-offs are easy and unhurried, and the mellow, medium-paced walls give beginners and improvers plenty of room to work on turns and cutbacks without the consequences of a heavier reef. The spot responds to N through W swell with an optimal N bias, and fires cleanest under a southerly offshore. At low tide the bottom is exposed and the wave loses shape; at high tide it goes flat, so the usable window is narrow around mid tide. Crowd levels are occasionally elevated given its accessibility and beginner-friendly character, but the inconsistency of the banks keeps numbers manageable. Free car parking is available nearby.
You’re seeing the next 3 days. A free account opens all 14, which is the difference between checking tomorrow and planning a trip.
Sometimes crowded for a beginner spot, with a mix of learners and improvers. The inconsistent banks spread people out and the narrow tide window keeps sessions short.
Low-key beginner corner with easy access and forgiving walls
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria's premier big-wave proving ground - a freight-train A-frame over uneven reef that fires on NW swell up to 6 m.
Gran Canaria
Long, fast right-hander over a boulder reef that needs a solid NW swell to fire - the bigger it gets, the better it performs.
Gran Canaria
A remote, freight-train A-frame reef off Gran Canaria firing thick barrels on NE-E swells - experts and bodyboarders only.
+9 MORE →Arrive as the tide rises through mid to catch the optimal window before the high tide kills the wave
Booties protect against urchins on the boulder bottom
The southerly offshore aligns with the trade winds in spring and autumn -- check wind forecasts before the session
Nearby El Alto and Boquines offer longer walls for confident intermediates when swell is bigger
HAZARDS · KNOW BEFORE YOU PADDLE
Free car park available near the break. Walk-in access to the water. No lifeguard, restrooms, showers, surf school or surf shop recorded at the break.
Open in Maps