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PLAYA ARENA, Spain

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

Also within 20 km of Buenavista del Norte

Watch this spot We email you when PLAYA ARENA is worth the trip.

About PLAYA ARENA

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

The spot faces NW (332°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (152°). 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 50 m out (1 in 2). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. The sea is about 20°C in January, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 24°C in September, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, September, October and November, with about 2 good days in 7; in July, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Buenavista del Norte, 1.9 km away (about 5 min by car).

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 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights ORD → TFS · Skyscanner from about £400 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 10 from the airport to PLAYA ARENA.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Buenavista del NorteAd

    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 Buenavista del Norte · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Buenavista del Norte · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

PLAYA ARENA 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

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct394 ft10 shollow270kJ25°C
Mon 19Oct245 ft6 shollow154kJ24°C
Tue 20Oct525 ft8 shollow234kJ25°C
Wed 21Oct503 ft7 shollow118kJ26°C
Thu 22Oct484 ft5 shollow71kJ27°C
Fri 23Oct393 ft10 shollow186kJ25°C
Sat 24Oct374 ft10 shollow251kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct494 ft9 shollow218kJ24°C
Mon 26Oct594 ft8 shollow155kJ24°C
Tue 27Oct343 ft8 shollow95kJ24°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 TFS, changing at LIS, then 1h 10 by road. About 18h 45 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf PLAYA ARENA

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf PLAYA ARENA

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, wind 7 kn (12 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf PLAYA ARENA

    Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 4 ft at 5 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf PLAYA ARENA

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 10 kn (18 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf PLAYA ARENA

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 12 kn (21 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to TFS, changing at LIS, then 1h 10 by road. About 18h 45 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Buenavista del Norte each day: la caseta del telegrapho, PLAYA ARENA.

The trip from Buenavista del Norte, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £950–£1,795 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 TFS, estimated from distance and season, changing at LIS, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£400–£835
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£950–£1,795

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

Places to eat near Buenavista del Norte

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.