Orio surf forecast
Orio is a rivermouth left in Gipuzkoa, close to Zarautz, and it faces north. The wave depends on the sand the river leaves behind, and when the banks line up it ranks among the best waves on this coast.
Orio surf forecast hour by hour
The table shows swell size, period and direction, wind and tide for the Orio rivermouth left, hour by hour. The swell numbers are for open water near the coast, and breaking waves are often smaller at less exposed spots.
Updated 08:58next run 13:40Open-Meteo wave and wind models
Today 3 Nov
Skip: short weak swell, waist-chest, cross-offshore SE.
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 04:32
- High
- 11:11
- Low
- 17:27
- High
- 23:58
- Sunrise
- 07:46
- Sunset
- 17:57
Every hour, 05–21
Tomorrow 4 Nov
Skip: small, waist-chest, cross-onshore NE.
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 05:48
- High
- 12:19
- Low
- 18:30
- Sunrise
- 07:47
- Sunset
- 17:57
Every hour, 05–21
Thursday 5 Nov
Skip: small, knee-waist, offshore SSW.
Tide and daylight
- High
- 00:57
- Low
- 06:49
- High
- 13:14
- Low
- 19:21
- Sunrise
- 07:48
- Sunset
- 17:55
Every 3 hours
Friday 6 Nov
Skip: small, knee-waist, offshore S.
Tide and daylight
- High
- 01:45
- Low
- 07:38
- High
- 14:02
- Low
- 20:02
- Sunrise
- 07:49
- Sunset
- 17:54
Every 3 hours
Forecast point: Orio (43.292, -2.135). Waves = estimated breaking height at the beach. Data: Open-Meteo wave and weather models (CC BY 4.0). Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information. Surf at your own risk.
Watch the tide line first. Orio works best from low to mid tide, so match a good swell hour with that tide window. Then check that the wind comes from the south, which blows offshore here.
The breaks at Orio
Orio is a rivermouth, so the wave forms over sandbanks shaped by the river. The main wave is a left off the mouth, and Zarautz lies just along the coast. One source describes the waves here as more sheltered.
Orio rivermouth left
RivermouthAdvancedThis is the left that breaks at the river mouth, and our forecast is set up for it. The sand moves with the river, so the shape changes, and on its day the wave is one of the best on the coast.
We rate it for advanced surfers only, because of the jetty rocks, boat traffic and crowds. One source calls it an intermediate wave, for surfers who already catch unbroken waves and can read currents. Sources: caranva.app
Zarautz
BeachNearbyZarautz is about 3.7 km from Orio. One source names it with Mundaka and Sopela as legendary spots of the region. Sources: es.windfinder.com · caranva.app
What Orio needs to fire
These are the exact rules behind Kiwi's rating for this spot. Every hour of the forecast is scored on all four, then turned into a rating of 1 to 5 stars.
Swell
West to north-east swell
Orio faces north and picks up swell from the west round to the north-east. North-west and north swells are the ones that suit it best.
Wind
South wind is offshore
Wind from the south blows offshore at Orio and keeps the left clean. South-east wind also works, according to one local guide.
Tide
Low to mid tide
The rivermouth works best from low to mid tide. The tidal range here is large, with highs above 3 m and lows near 0.3 m on big tides.
Size
1.5–3 m is ideal
Below about 0.8 m the wave is usually too small, and 1.5 to 3.0 m is the sweet spot. Above about 4.5 m it gets too big to handle.
Shortcut: look for a 1.5–3 m swell from the north-west or north, a south wind, and a low-to-mid tide in the same hours.
The best months to surf Orio
We replayed Kiwi's rating on every day of the last year and counted how often Orio's best window reached 4 or 5 stars.
Nov–MarPrime season
Good days come on 61% of days in February and March and 52% in December. January brings the biggest average swell, about 2.5 m.
Sep–OctAutumn wakes it up
Good days jump to 50% in September and 58% in October. The water is still warm, at 19–22 °C.
Apr–MayFading spring
April still gives good days on 37% of days, but May drops to 13%. The swell eases from about 1.7 m to 1.1 m.
Jun–AugMostly too small
Summer swells average only about 1 m, close to the size where the wave stops working. July had no good days in our year of data.
Before you go
Hazards
The jetty rocks sit close to the wave, and boats use the river mouth, so keep an eye out for both.
Water quality is poor after rain.
Getting there
Orio is in the Urola Kosta area of Gipuzkoa, right next to Zarautz. Zarautz is about 3.7 km away and San Sebastián / Igueldo about 7.5 km. Sources: caranva.app · es.windfinder.com
Crowds and etiquette
The rivermouth gets crowded. Wait your turn and give way to the surfer closest to the peak.
Water temperature and wetsuit
From January to March the sea is about 13–14 °C, so wear a 5/4 or a 4/3 with boots. In April and December it is about 15 °C, so a 4/3 is right.
May and November sit near 17 °C and suit a 3/2. From June to September the water is 22–25 °C, so a springsuit or just a rash vest will do.
Best time to paddle out
Plan your session around the low to mid tide rather than a fixed hour. The tide swings by around 3 m on bigger tides. Sources: es.surf-forecast.com
Reading the forecast
Look for swell periods of 8 seconds or more, because longer-period swell hits with more power and shape.
Forecast sizes are for open water, so the wave in the rivermouth is often smaller. Sources: caranva.app · surf-forecast.com
Webcam and where to stay
There is no known live webcam at Orio itself. Hotels, apartments and surf camps can be found in and around the town. Sources: caranva.app
Where the numbers come from
The method
Kiwi takes Open-Meteo's wave and wind models (ECMWF WAM, Météo-France, NOAA GFS and Open-Meteo's best-match blend) at a point about 5 km off Orio. There is no buoy correction here yet: these are the models as they come.
Each hour is scored on the four rules above (swell, wind, tide, size). The stars are calibrated on a full year of data for Spain, so 4 stars at Orio is a genuinely good day by that country's standard.
What we can say
The season chart and the stars use the same rules, replayed on the archive: a month marked good was good by these rules, not by a surf report.
Without a buoy nearby, the size at the beach is our model's estimate, not a measurement.
Orio surf questions
Is Orio good for beginners?
We rate the Orio rivermouth left for advanced surfers only, because of the jetty rocks, boat traffic and crowds. One guide says beginners can try small days, ideally with a surf school.
When is the best time to surf Orio?
Autumn and winter are best, with good days on 39–61% of days from September to March, peaking at 61% in February and March. Summer is mostly too small.
How cold is the water in Orio in December?
The sea is about 15.4 °C in December, so a 4/3 wetsuit is a good choice.
What wind and swell does Orio need?
It needs a north-west to north swell and a south or south-east wind. Aim for 1.5 to 3 m of swell.
What tide is best at Orio?
Low to mid tide works best at the rivermouth. Check the tide times, because the range is large.
Is there a surf webcam at Orio?
No live webcam is known at Orio itself. Use the hourly forecast and tide table instead.
Check the Orio surf forecast before you go
Open the hourly table above, line up south wind with a low-to-mid tide, and pick your window at the Orio rivermouth.