Best Surf Spots in the Canary Islands: 8 Breaks for Year Round Waves (2026)

The best surf spots in the Canary Islands are El Quemao and Famara in Lanzarote, the North Shore and El Cotillo in Fuerteventura, El Confital and Las Canteras in Gran Canaria, and El Socorro and Las Américas in Tenerife. The season runs from October to March, when North Atlantic swell arrives at islands sitting in 19 to 23 degree water. It is the only place in Europe with proper winter waves and no need for a 4/3.

The Canaries are often called Europe's Hawaii, and the comparison holds in both directions: volcanic reefs producing powerful, high quality waves, and volcanic reefs that are sharp, shallow and unforgiving. This guide covers which island suits which surfer, the best spots on each, and when to go.

• 1. Which Canary Island is best for surfing?
• 2. What are the best surf spots in the Canary Islands?
• 3. Lanzarote: Famara and El Quemao
• 4. Fuerteventura: the North Shore and El Cotillo
• 5. Gran Canaria: El Confital and Las Canteras
• 6. Tenerife: El Socorro and Las Américas
• 7. When is the best time to surf in the Canary Islands?
• 8. Where can beginners surf in the Canaries?
• 9. Surfing in the Canaries: locals and the environment
• 10. Summary
• 11. Frequently asked questions

Which Canary Island is best for surfing?

Fuerteventura for variety and beginners, Lanzarote for quality, Gran Canaria for one world class wave, Tenerife for everything else on the island. All four are a four to four and a half hour flight from Amsterdam, Brussels or Paris, and all four have waves through the whole European winter.

Island	Best for	Standout spot	Beginner friendly?	Flight from NL/BE/FR
Fuerteventura	Variety, learning, long stays	The North Shore	Yes, Corralejo and El Cotillo	4h 30
Lanzarote	Quality waves, experienced surfers	El Quemao	Yes, Famara	4h 15
Gran Canaria	One world class right, city base	El Confital	Yes, Las Canteras	4h 30
Tenerife	Non surfing partners, volcano trips	El Socorro	Limited	4h 30
La Palma / El Hierro	Escaping everyone	Various	No	Connecting flights

 

If you are choosing between Canary islands for a first trip, Fuerteventura is the safest bet. It has the widest spread of beginner beaches alongside serious reefs, so a mixed ability group can all surf. Our Fuerteventura guide goes spot by spot.

What are the best surf spots in the Canary Islands?

This table is for matching a spot to your level. Figures are approximate. Note how many of the best known waves are advanced or expert: the Canaries reward good surfers and punish optimistic ones.

Spot	Island	Type	Skill level	Wave size (m)	Best months
El Quemao	Lanzarote	Left reef barrel	Expert only	1.5 to 4.0m	Nov to Mar
Playa de Famara	Lanzarote	Beach break	Beginner to intermediate	0.5 to 2.5m	Oct to Apr
San Juan / Morro Negro	Lanzarote	Reef	Advanced	1.0 to 3.0m	Nov to Mar
The Bubble	Fuerteventura	Right reef	Advanced to expert	1.0 to 3.0m	Oct to Mar
Mejillones	Fuerteventura	Reef	Advanced	1.0 to 3.0m	Oct to Mar
El Cotillo (Piedra Playa)	Fuerteventura	Beach break	Intermediate	0.8 to 2.5m	Oct to Mar
Flag Beach, Corralejo	Fuerteventura	Beach break	Beginner	0.5 to 1.5m	Year round
El Confital	Gran Canaria	Right reef	Expert only	1.5 to 3.5m	Nov to Mar
Las Canteras (La Cicer)	Gran Canaria	Beach break	Beginner to intermediate	0.5 to 2.0m	Oct to Apr
El Socorro	Tenerife	Beach and reef	Intermediate to advanced	0.8 to 2.5m	Oct to Mar
Playa de Las Américas	Tenerife	Reef	Advanced	1.0 to 3.0m	Nov to Mar
El Médano	Tenerife	Beach break	Beginner to intermediate	0.5 to 2.0m	Year round

Lanzarote: Famara and El Quemao

Lanzarote has the highest concentration of quality waves in the archipelago, and the sharpest reefs. The north west coast around La Santa is where almost all of it happens, and the island has a long history as a training base for European professionals.

El Quemao is the famous one, a heavy left hand barrel breaking over shallow lava in front of La Santa village. It is genuinely world class and genuinely dangerous, with a committed takeoff and a reef that does not forgive. Expert surfers only, and the local crew are protective of it for good reason.

Playa de Famara is the opposite and the reason most visitors come. A six kilometre beach beneath a cliff wall, with sand banks that produce waves from knee high to well overhead. It is the main learning beach on the island and it also gets very good on the right day. Beware the rips on bigger swells, which are strong.

Fuerteventura: the North Shore and El Cotillo

Fuerteventura has the best spread of waves in the Canaries, from sheltered beginner bays to a stretch of reef that experienced surfers travel for. The North Shore, running west from Corralejo towards El Cotillo, holds a dozen reef breaks inside twenty kilometres.

The Bubble, Mejillones, Generosa, Bristol and Rocky Point are the names people come for. All of them break over shallow, sharp volcanic rock, all of them need a northwest swell, and none of them are places to be learning. Booties are close to essential.

At the other end, Flag Beach and Grandes Playas at Corralejo are sandy, sheltered and gentle, with surf schools running daily. El Cotillo's Piedra Playa sits in between: a punchy beach break that suits confident intermediates. Full detail in our Fuerteventura guide.

Gran Canaria: El Confital and Las Canteras

Gran Canaria has one truly world class wave and one of the best urban beach breaks in Europe. El Confital, on the headland north of Las Palmas, is a fast, hollow right hand reef break that has been compared to waves in Indonesia. It is expert only and heavily localised.

Las Canteras, the city beach in Las Palmas, is protected by an offshore reef that filters the swell into something manageable. The southern end, known as La Cicer, is where the surfing happens, and it works for beginners and intermediates alike. Being able to surf before work and eat in a proper city afterwards makes Gran Canaria the best pick if you are travelling with someone who does not surf.

Tenerife: El Socorro and Las Américas

Tenerife is the least surf focused of the four main islands and the most rewarding if you want more than surfing from a trip. The north coast around Los Realejos has El Socorro, a consistent beach and reef setup that is the island's most popular spot.

In the south, the reefs at Playa de Las Américas, known locally as Spanish Left and Spanish Right, are powerful and shallow and hold a strong local crew. El Médano on the south east coast is a windy but friendly beach break that doubles as one of Europe's best windsurfing spots.

Tenerife also has Mount Teide, and a week that mixes surfing with a 3,700 metre volcano is a good week. See our wider Spain guide for how the islands fit into Spanish surfing overall.

When is the best time to surf in the Canary Islands?

October to March, with December to February the most consistent. That is when North Atlantic depressions send northwest swell down to the islands. Summer is small, warm and busy with beginners, and the trade winds blow hard.

Period	Swell	Water temp (°C)	Wetsuit	Verdict
Oct to Nov	Building, first proper swells	22 to 23	Shorty or 3/2	Warmest water with real waves
Dec to Feb	Peak, most consistent	19 to 20	3/2 full suit	The best waves of the year
Mar to Apr	Still good, easing	19 to 20	3/2 full suit	Quieter than midwinter, plenty of swell
May to Jun	Small	20 to 21	Shorty	Fine for learning, thin for everyone else
Jul to Aug	Smallest, strong trade winds	22 to 23	Boardshorts or shorty	Beginners and windsurfers only
Sep	Returning	23	Boardshorts or shorty	Underrated: warm water, first swells

The Canaries are the warmest winter surf in Europe by a clear margin. Compare them against the rest of the winter shortlist in where to surf in winter.

Where can beginners surf in the Canaries?

Flag Beach and Grandes Playas in Fuerteventura, Playa de Famara in Lanzarote, and La Cicer at Las Canteras in Gran Canaria. All three are sandy, all three have surf schools, and all three work through the winter when most of Europe is too cold to learn in.

Beginner spot	Island	Bottom	Wave size	Notes
Flag Beach, Corralejo	Fuerteventura	Sand	0.5 to 1.5m	Most sheltered option in the Canaries
Grandes Playas	Fuerteventura	Sand	0.5 to 1.5m	Long stretch, easy to find space
Playa de Famara	Lanzarote	Sand	0.5 to 2.5m	Great on small days, strong rips when bigger
La Cicer, Las Canteras	Gran Canaria	Sand	0.5 to 2.0m	Sheltered by a reef, city beach
El Médano	Tenerife	Sand	0.5 to 2.0m	Windy but forgiving

 

Stay away from the North Shore reefs, El Quemao, El Confital and Las Américas until you are a solid intermediate. The volcanic rock in the Canaries is sharper than coral and shallower than it looks. If you are travelling with kids, our guide for families with children covers what to look for.

Surfing in the Canaries: locals and the environment

Respect the locals

Some Canary lineups are strongly protective, particularly El Quemao, El Confital and the Las Américas reefs. This is not random hostility: these are small communities with world class waves and a lot of visitors. Sit wide, wait your turn, do not bring a group of six to a reef that holds four, and go somewhere else if the vibe is clearly not welcoming. Spanish helps.

Respect the environment

The islands are volcanic and water is scarce; almost all of it is desalinated, which is energy intensive. Keep showers short. Stay on marked paths across the lava fields, which are fragile and slow to recover, and take everything off the beach with you. Famara and the North Shore both sit inside protected natural parks.

Summary

The Canary Islands give Europe a genuine winter surf destination with 19 to 23 degree water and a four hour flight. Fuerteventura is the best all rounder, Lanzarote has the best waves, Gran Canaria has the best single wave and the best city, and Tenerife is the pick if surfing is only half the trip. Come between October and March, bring a 3/2 and booties, and be honest about the reefs.

Next, read the Fuerteventura guide, or see how the Canaries compare with Morocco in our winter roundup.

Frequently asked questions