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Islares, Spain

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

Also within 20 km of Islares

  • Sonabia Surf spot · 2.5 km from Islares
  • Brazomar Surf spot · 7.9 km from Islares
  • Laredo Surf spot · 11.1 km from Islares
  • Berria Surf spot · 15.4 km from Islares
  • Playa de Noja Surf spot · 19.1 km from Islares

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

Playa de Arenillas , Cantabria . - panoramio
Near Islares, 1 km away. Photo: McBodes, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Islares

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

The spot faces N (16°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (196°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 14). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 13°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 23°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, November and December, with about 2 good days in 7; in June and July, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Islares, 0 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 19°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 17 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Bilbao Airport (BIO), changing at Dublin Airport (DUB). About 6 flights a week that month.

    See flights ORD → BIO · Skyscanner from about £410 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 55 min from the airport to Islares.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in IslaresAd

    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 Islares · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Islares · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Islares on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

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 18Oct314 ft5 smushy61kJ15°C
Mon 19Oct131 ft5 shollow8kJ14°C
Tue 20Oct393 ft12 shollow184kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct75 ft7 shollow286kJ15°C
Thu 22Oct06 ft9 shollow546kJ16°C
Fri 23Oct011 ft10 shollow2,331kJ16°C
Sat 24Oct06 ft10 shollow554kJ16°C
Sun 25Oct07 ft9 shollow650kJ19°C
Mon 26Oct07 ft10 shollow904kJ18°C
Tue 27Oct425 ft9 shollow394kJ18°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 BIO, changing at DUB, then 55 min by road. About 17h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Islares

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 22 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to BIO, changing at DUB, then 55 min by road. About 17h 30 door to door

The trip from Islares, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £960–£1,810 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 BIO, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£410–£850
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£960–£1,810

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

Places to eat near Islares

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.