Surf beaches in Asturias
These are the beaches we cover with their own surf report and AI quality prediction, spread along the Asturian coast. Each one has its own model, trained on the judgement of a local surfer: it is not one report copied from beach to beach, but a different reading of the same sea at each one.
How to choose a beach
On this coast the useful swell almost always comes from the north-west, so what really separates a good day from a bad one is four other things:
- How much swell gets in. Every beach has a different range. Xagó picks up swell when everywhere else is flat; San Lorenzo needs more size, and above 2 m it closes out. If San Lorenzo is small, look at Xagó; if it is too big, look for somewhere more sheltered.
- Where the wind blows from. The offshore direction is different at each beach, depending on which way it faces: south at San Lorenzo, south-east at Salinas, east-south-east at Xagó, south-south-east at Playa España. A wind that ruins one can be the good one next door.
- The state of the tide. San Lorenzo wants mid-to-low, Xagó works better on high, Salinas on high or mid, Playa España on mid. Knowing the tide time already rules out half the list.
- How far you are willing to drive. The central beaches are no more than forty-five minutes apart, so switching between them is cheap. The east is another matter: Gijón to Ribadesella is over an hour, and the day had better be worth it.
Central coast: from Gozón to Villaviciosa
Peñarrubia
Municipality of Gijón
A rock-bottom beach at the foot of the cliff, east of Gijón. It has a long, forgiving left, ideal for learning and for longboarding, and a considerably more radical right. It is fussy about the tide — it only works from mid tide down — and it makes the most of long periods.
- Type
- Rock bottom at the foot of the cliff, with a left and a right
- Swell
- WNW–NNW (287°–346°)
- Ideal wind
- From E to SW (102°–225°); it holds strong southerlies
- Tide
- Only from mid tide down; at high tide it does not work
- Level
- The left is one of the easiest around to learn on and to longboard; the right asks for a bit more
Playa España
Municipality of Villaviciosa
A sand and shingle beach east of Gijón, in Villaviciosa. It is fairly protected from cross-shore winds, so it holds days that are already messy at more open beaches.
- Type
- Sand and shingle beach break
- Swell
- NW–NNW; it also works with a northerly
- Ideal wind
- SSE (~160°, offshore)
- Tide
- Mid
- Level
- Suitable for almost every level
Rodiles
Municipality of Villaviciosa
The wave at the mouth of the Villaviciosa estuary, a quality rivermouth. It is a narrow-window beach: it needs a north-west swell, a long period and a mid-to-high tide to coincide. When everything lines up, it is something else.
- Type
- Rivermouth at the mouth of the Villaviciosa estuary
- Swell
- WNW–N (289°–359°), best from 301° to 348°
- Ideal wind
- From ESE to S (106°–186°); it handles westerly cross-shores well
- Tide
- From mid to high and from high to mid; avoid low tide
Salinas
Municipality of Castrillón
One of the beaches with the longest surfing tradition in Asturias, next to the Avilés estuary. It needs less swell than San Lorenzo, so it is the natural alternative on weak days.
- Type
- Long beach break
- Swell
- NW–NNW; it also works with a northerly
- Ideal wind
- SE (~145°, offshore)
- Tide
- High or mid
- Level
- Good for almost every level on a small day
San Juan de Nieva
Municipality of Castrillón
The eastern end of the Salinas sands, right at the mouth of the Avilés estuary. It gets the same report as Salinas but less swell reaches it, so it asks for a bit more size to get going and, in exchange, holds big days better. Its banks are stable, which is rare around here.
- Type
- Beach break next to the mouth of the Avilés estuary
- Swell
- WNW–NNW (286°–340°)
- Ideal wind
- From E to SSE (83°–164°); the best, around 128°
- Tide
- Better on a low or a high tide than at mid tide
- Level
- On a high tide it is an easy wave for everyone; on a low tide it has more wall
San Lorenzo (Gijón)
Municipality of Gijón
The city beach of Gijón, with surf schools on the sand itself and waves almost all year round. It is the yardstick every other beach on the central Asturian coast is compared against.
- Type
- Sand beach break
- Swell
- NW–NNW (315°–340°)
- Ideal wind
- S–SE (offshore)
- Tide
- Mid to low
- Level
- Fine for learning on a small day; closes out above 2 m
Xagó
Municipality of Gozón
The most exposed stretch of sand in the area, backed by a dune field in Gozón. It is where the most swell gets in anywhere in Asturias: when everywhere else is flat, there is usually a wave here.
- Type
- Exposed beach break
- Swell
- NW–NNW; it also works with a northerly
- Ideal wind
- ESE–SE (~125°, offshore)
- Tide
- High
- Level
- Intermediate, because of how fast it grows
Xivares
Municipality of Carreño
A beach in Carreño that only wakes up with a big north-west swell. It starts working at a size at which other beaches in the area are already closing out, and it needs a long period, an offshore southerly wind and a mid-to-high tide at the same time. When all four come together, which is not often, it is the beach to look at.
- Type
- Big-swell beach
- Swell
- WNW–NW (295°–336°)
- Ideal wind
- Offshore from SE to SW (140°–240°), up to 18 knots; in light wind any direction will do
- Tide
- Mid to high; at low tide it closes out and spring high tides bring backwash
- Level
- Not a beginner wave: it needs a big swell, and at low tide it is for very experienced surfers
Eastern Asturias
La Espasa
Municipality of Caravia
An open beach break between Caravia and Colunga, with the mountains right behind it. It is the most demanding of the eastern beaches: it needs more swell and more period than Vega or Ribadesella, but in exchange the swell reaches it through a wide window, practically the same one as San Lorenzo.
- Type
- Beach break in open surroundings, at the foot of the mountains
- Swell
- NW–N (315°–359°), with margins much like those of San Lorenzo
- Ideal wind
- Southerly in the broad sense (115°–241°)
- Tide
- Surfed on any tide; on a low it breaks a little closed out
- Level
- It asks for swell and period at the same time, so it is not a small-day beach
Playa de Vega
Municipality of Ribadesella
A long, open stretch of sand in eastern Asturias, in the municipality of Ribadesella. It picks up swell easily and has a wide size window, so it works on many days when little is needed.
- Type
- Exposed beach break
- Swell
- W–NW–N (281°–10°); with an easterly it needs 0.4 m more
- Ideal wind
- E–SE–S–SW (wide offshore sector, ~157°)
- Tide
- Mid to high
- Level
- At 0.7 m it is a beginner beach; from 0.8–0.9 m it asks for some level
Ribadesella
Municipality of Ribadesella
Santa Marina beach, in the town of Ribadesella, next to the mouth of the Sella. It is very sheltered from the wind and asks for a fairly specific swell, but when that swell arrives it holds sizes that already close out elsewhere.
- Type
- Sheltered beach break, next to the mouth of the Sella
- Swell
- Only between 324° and 10° (tight NW, N and NNE)
- Ideal wind
- Very sheltered; only northerlies spoil it
- Tide
- Works on any tide
- Level
- At 0.8 m it is a beginner beach; from 0.9–1.0 m it asks for some level
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best beach to start surfing in Asturias?
San Lorenzo, right in Gijón, on a small day: it is a sandy beach, there are surf schools on the beach itself and you can walk there from the town centre. Once the swell goes over 2 m it stops being a place to learn and it is better to wait for another day.
What is the best time of year to surf in Asturias?
Autumn, from September to November: North Atlantic swells arrive one after another, the water is still mild and there are fewer people. Winter brings the biggest waves of the year, but with 12–15 °C water and storms. In summer the sea is flat most days.
Where are there waves when Gijón is flat?
At Xagó, the beach in the area that picks up the most swell: with San Lorenzo showing 0.4–0.5 m there is usually already a wave there if the period helps. Salinas and Playa España also work on less size than San Lorenzo.