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La Guancha, Spain

Stay in Gáldar: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Gáldar

All 11 on Gáldar's map

Watch this spot We email you when La Guancha is worth the trip.

About La Guancha

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces N (0°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (180°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 8). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 19°C in March, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 24°C in September, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Gáldar, 2.2 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 1 dive site.

Water about 24°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 18 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to LPA, changing at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS).

    See flights ORD → LPA · Skyscanner from about £405 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h from the airport to La Guancha.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in GáldarAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Gáldar · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Gáldar · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

La Guancha on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

La Guancha does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct464 ft5 shollow66kJ22°C
Mon 19Oct105 ft6 shollow195kJ22°C
Tue 20Oct296 ft8 shollow376kJ22°C
Wed 21Oct163 ft7 smushy90kJ23°C
Thu 22Oct313 ft5 shollow50kJ23°C
Fri 23Oct174 ft10 smushy315kJ22°C
Sat 24Oct224 ft9 smushy176kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct173 ft9 smushy122kJ21°C
Mon 26Oct334 ft6 shollow95kJ22°C
Tue 27Oct243 ft5 shollow55kJ22°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to LPA, changing at LIS, then 1h by road. About 18h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Bocabarranco

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 19 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 35 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 20 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 25 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to LPA, changing at LIS, then 1h by road. About 18h 30 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Gáldar each day: Bocabarranco, Emiliano, La Guancha.

The trip from Gáldar, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £955–£1,805 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to LPA, estimated from distance and season, changing at LIS, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£405–£845
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£80–£130
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£185–£310
Food7 days eating out£175–£330
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£75–£125
Total£955–£1,805

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Gáldar

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.