Surf: The Guéthary terrace gives the best view of this Sunset-like right with a shifting peak and short shoulder that holds up to 6m faces on a clean, NW swell. The outside bombora style reef is quite deep, so the peak draws up a lot of water and only invites those on large, long, voluminous boards to get in early. There is also an attractive left off the peak, which rumbles back across the inner reef, sometimes walling up steeply or else sectioning and closing out. On small to moderate days, faster rights break over this shallower reef shelf that entice the shortboarders, but eventually the sets off the west peak will punish with a circuit via the inside then the channel. Can be some fun, steeper, inside runners for the less gun happy and the wide playing field does give everybody a chance. Paddle out from the harbour to avoid the rock slalom at lower tides. Access: Small carpark Environment: Always deceptively bigger than it appears and it’s always crowded with the longboard and pintail gun locals, who dominate the peak by knowing it backwards, plus a whole flotilla of others from groms and surf schools to granddads. Parking fills up quickly down Chemin Barognenia and the small car parks at the top or in town. Toilets, showers and a nice cafe in front of the break. Surf: General: The wave at Guethary can be quite deceiving. From the park benches at the west end of town, you look out at what seems to be a clean and mushy right-hand peak breaking into a clearly marked channel, as if Sunset Beach moved to San Onofre. But reality kicks in mid-paddle as you start to realize it's out there.

The outside peak is a few hundred yards from the rocky shoreline and it shifts around, turning those peaks that seemed so easy and makeable from the cliff top into roguish A-frames stalking around the lineup just waiting to catch you inside. And if you try to go left on a big day, be prepared to inhale a whole bunch of Atlantic Ocean.

Guethary is all about long, drawn-out bottom turns and swooping cutbacks and carves. Like Sunset, it's more of a thinking-person's wave, and the lineup tends to reflect that level of salt-watery sophistication.

After the initial big bottom turn/cutback, the wave will either back off again, allowing another carving combo, or begin to wall up across the bay and demand some serious high speed lines toward the inside section. When it connects properly, you'll be using more of your rail in one wave than you would in an entire session at Hossegor. Tides: Smaller swells need a lower tide, but once it's overhead, it doesn't matter. Size: overhead to double overhead+ Wind: E (it's pretty far out there and is very sensitive to wind) Swell: NW Bottom: Rock reef Paddling: Long paddle. Spot Rating: Shifty deepwater A-frame. Access: Park at the end of town and walk down; the channel (just south of the break) is easy to spot. Long paddle. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Underhead summertime sees a thick crowd riding various craft, but as the winter swells start kicking in, the lineup gets bigger and the crowds chill out. Local Vibe: If you show respect and charge on the big days, they should leave you alone. Don't expect free waves though. Environment: Moderate Hazards: Long paddle. Season: October-February but rideable year-round.