Guéthary has it all, the charm of an old Basque fishing village, pumping waves, legendary surf history and typical Bask Country cliffs to watch the action from. The impressive reef break of Parlementia surf spot is well known for big sessions up to 5 or 6 meter with guns and longboards but it can be good fun on small days too. Every northwesterly swell with a period of more than 10 seconds will work well on the reef and the spot can hold some northerly wind. The right has a steep take off but is quickly mellowing out allthough it’s still a long ride. The left is a lot shorter but more challenging, sometimes it runs on the inner reef, sometimes it’s closing out. The outside reef lies deep under water and a big board is the better choice to get on the mountain of water early enough. On smaller days it can run faster on a lower tide and a smaller board might be an option allthough it won’t be easy to pick a wave where there’s not a bigger board already on it. The peak loves to shift so the line up get cleaned up form time to time and everybody can find his moment of fame. The big bunch of locals love the spot and know it by heart. Allthough it’s crowded the atmosphere is very good if you stay out of the way. Start the paddle at the port if you don’t want to come across some rocks at lower tide, it’s a long way. Good luck on scoring a legendary ride! © Laurent Masurel
