Discover the best beaches for surfing in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are a paradise of sun, beach and nature. The great year-round weather makes the archipelago the ideal place for tourists who want to enjoy sport while on holiday.

The many beaches and the characteristics of the wind and seabed make the islands one of the best destinations in Europe for playing or learning water sports.

You can roam the archipelago from spot to spot (spot is how surfers define the ideal places to surf), looking for the perfect wave. Here are some of the best beaches on the islands for surfing.

Surfing in Tenerife

El Socorro

In the north of Tenerife, in the municipality of Los Realejos, is El Socorro, a beach that is well-known for its local surfing community and for hosting many competitions, such as the Canary Islands Championship.

This black-sand beach with a wild feel to it has large swells, characterised by hollow and symmetrical waves. The waves break far from shore, so it’s perfect for both bathers and surfers.

In addition, the beach has the Blue Flag award, meaning it has all the necessary facilities and meets the environmental requirements established by the European Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

El Médano

If you’re travelling to the south of Tenerife, El Médano is a great option. This beach is in the municipality of Granadilla de Abona, and also flies the Blue Flag.

Before stepping on the fine, grey sand of this urban beach, you can buy everything you need in the surf shops on the seafront while taking in the iconic Montaña Roja, a 171-m tall volcanic cone created by an ancient eruption on the coast.

The area’s constant wind, moderate waves and shallow water attract surfers from all over the world. If you’ve never dared to practice this sport or want to perfect your technique, there are several surf schools where you can learn.

Surfing in Gran Canaria

El Confital

You can continue your surfing trip on the El Confital Beach. Located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, it’s famous for its pipes and vertical walls that allow the most skilled surfers to do tricks.

Its reef break (waves that break on a solid surface), which breaks from the right onto a volcanic seabed, is considered one of the best in the Canary Islands. This, together with the quality and consistency of the waves, has made El Confital a home for renowned international competitions.

Despite their constant year-round presence, surfers recommend riding the waves on this beach in the months of September and May, when the tide is highest.

La Cicer on Las Canteras Beach

Another spot that’s famous for its waves is on Las Canteras Beach. La Cicer is an area at the foot of the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium that extends to La Peña. It is the only point in the capital in which to enjoy water sports, which is why you will find surfers there from dawn ’til dusk.

This bay is especially suitable for beginners, since there is no barrier reef to keep the waves from reaching the shore. The winds are predominant and the waves are ideal for enjoying the sea at high and low tide.

Surfing in Fuerteventura

Majanicho Beach

Fuerteventura is the ultimate island for water sports: white sand beaches and terrain that guarantees waves to ride on.

Majanicho Beach is located in a small town in the municipality of La Oliva, in the north of the island. The untamed wind of this area attracts expert surfers, whom you can see waiting for the sea to be just right before catching a wave.

The most coveted wave on this beach is known as El Bubble, which is undoubtedly the most surfed. This is due to its explosive nature; it can multiply in size in mere moments.

Surfing in La Palma

Nogales beach

Finally, we present Nogales Beach, in the northern town of Puntallana. After walking down a well-kept path that runs along an impressive cliff, you arrive at the black sand that is so typical of this volcanic land. Here you will also find a place to rent all the equipment you need.

This 500-m long beach has moderate waves, but strong currents that unleash both right- and left-breaking waves. It’s the most suitable beach for surfing enthusiasts, because you can go in the water and walk several metres before bottoming out, which means that the waves reach right up to the shore.

Categories: Canaries, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Tenerife