Sonabia, Spain
Also within 20 km of Laredo
- Laredo Surf spot · 1.6 km from Laredo
- La Fortaleza Surf spot · 3.5 km from Laredo
- Berria Surf spot · 7.4 km from Laredo
- El Brusco Surf spot · 8.1 km from Laredo
- Islares Surf spot · 9.5 km from Laredo
- Playa de Noja Surf spot · 10.8 km from Laredo
- Ris Surf spot · 12.3 km from Laredo
- Brazomar Surf spot · 17.1 km from Laredo
Watch this spot We email you when Sonabia is worth the trip.
About Sonabia
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces N (17°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (197°). 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 200 m out (1 in 18). 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 Laredo, 7.6 km away (about 15 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.
Saved: this link opens the same trip
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 17 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
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 returnAdGetting there. 55 min from the airport to Sonabia.
Accommodation.
Stay in LaredoAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Laredo (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Islares 4 min by car · rooms from £70 a night · 3 places to stay
Places to stay in Islares · Booking.com AdLaredo 13 min by car · rooms from £70 a night · 19 places to stay · where Sonabia stays
Places to stay in Laredo · Booking.com AdCastro-Urdiales 17 min by car · rooms from £70 a night · 13 places to stay
Places to stay in Castro-Urdiales · Booking.com AdNoja 31 min by car · rooms from £70 a night · 42 places to stay
Places to stay in Noja · Booking.com AdAjo 42 min by car · rooms from £70 a night · 8 places to stay
Places to stay in Ajo · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Laredo · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Laredo · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury 
Where it is
Sonabia on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Sonabia 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
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 34, poor | 4 ft5 smushy | 92kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots | 16°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 16, too small | 2 ft8 shollow | 32kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 0 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 61, good | 3 ft12 shollow | 307kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 16°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 11, poor | 5 ft8 scrumbling | 328kJ | wind from the west, 13 knots | 16°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 0, too big | 8 ft9 scrumbling | 831kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 17°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 0, too big | 13 ft11 scrumbling | 3,455kJ | wind from the west, 12 knots | 16°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 0, too big | 9 ft9 scrumbling | 969kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 9 knots | 17°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 0, too big | 9 ft9 scrumbling | 1,074kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 16 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 0, too big | 9 ft10 scrumbling | 1,325kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 1 knot | 19°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 0, too big | 7 ft9 scrumbling | 611kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 20°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
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to BIO, changing at DUB, then 55 min by road. About 17h 35 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Sonabia
Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 34 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to BIO, changing at DUB, then 55 min by road. About 17h 35 door to door
The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Laredo each day: La Fortaleza, Laredo, Sonabia.
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.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to BIO, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £410–£850 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £80–£130 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £185–£310 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £175–£330 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 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 Laredo
- Contigo PeruPeruvian · 0.1 km from the centre
- Antídoto RestauranteSpanish · 0.2 km from the centre
- El ParqueSpanish · 0.2 km from the centre
- Restaurante OrioSpanish · 0.2 km from the centre
- Restaurante Plaza de LaredoSpanish · 0.2 km from the centre
- Bodega la CasonaSpanish · 0.3 km from the centre
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
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.