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Surfing in Famara, Lanzarote
The small and tranquil fishing village of Famara located on the North West coast of Lanzarote is fast becoming a bit of a surf mecca. Visiting surfers and people keen to learn surfing are flocking to this special place located at the foot of the awe inspiring 650 metre cliffs of El Risco.
Famara’s popularity is hardly surprising once you get to know the place. It has everything a surfer, budding surfer or tourist on the hunt for wild nature, could ever want.
Visiting surfer and surf enthusiasts really are spoilt by the quality and selection of great surf spots. From rank beginners to world class wave warrior Lanzarote has more than enough to keep everyone happy. The main places to find Famara surf are the sand bottomed beach of Famara and the reef bottomed San Juan. The beach is the perfect place to learn to surf. In town you have at least four surf schools to chose from. All the schools are happy to hire equipment and give lessons to suit your level and needs. San Juan is for advanced experienced surfers only.
The town of Famara
The town is relatively unaffected by the ravages of tourism and still very much has all the qualities of a small and rambling fishing village. There are a few local shops, bars, restaurants and shops to cater for all your surf and kite surfing needs. Only a few roads are even tarmaced, many are still just dirt.
Accommodation in Famara
There are plenty of apartments to rent in Famara. The main areas to stay in are the town or set 500 metres away on the west facing lower slopes of the main cliffs are the Famara Bungalows. The luxury accommodation option is considered a Famara rental bungalow. Although slightly more expensive, but not always, the bungalows have so much more to offer than the apartments to rent in the town or Caleta de Famara. Have a look around and see what option you prefer.
Surf breaks in Famara in detail:
Famara beach:-
The best known and most popular place to surf in Famara is the beach. Seven kilometres of golden sand with the awesome back drop of the huge vertical cliffs of El Risco. The waves on Famara beach and sand bottomed and therefore break more gently than reefs but cannot hold as much size. The beach is a great place to learn to surf. There is a good selection of quality surf schools in the town of Famara for you to chose from. You can surf anywhere along the full length of the beach. Most of the surf schools take their students to the nearest spot to the town possible to surf, however once you become a little more advanced and can go off surfing on your own you will find a higher quality of wave further along the beach. Because the beach is sand bottomed the exact place the best surfable waves can be found changes, but normally they are found where the track that starts up behind the bungalows goes down and meets the beach. There is a flag pole to mark the spot. This is where the locals normally congregate and surf. Best waves are found either side of high tide.
San Juan: This is a hard breaking, reef bottomed wave for surfers that have a lot of experience. The wave itself breaks left. The take off is steep and fast, about half way along there is a section which often forms into a very nice and deep tube section. You paddle out from the beach to the peak in deep water and arrive at the take off spot with dry hair. The wave breaks best before and after low tide. On low tide the wave can be a little too steep on the take off. At high tide there is too much water and wave become mushy and weak. On a good day with a solid ground swell and off shore winds San Juan is one of the best waves anywhere. The level and skill of the local surfers is testament to this. Before taking to the water take a few minutes to watch from the beach what is going on in the water. At certain times of day it can get very competitive in the water with the best surfers fighting for the best waves. If you are new to the area it might be advisable to take your time and wait for the crowds to calm down a bit.
Surf Famara summary
Famara is a beautiful, natural and relaxing place for anyone to have a holiday. The surf is very consistent all year round for beginners wanting lessons. The best and most consistent waves are to be found in winter time. This is the time of year when storms form out to sea to the North West of Lanzarote and send over large clean surf. Local conditions on the west side of Lanzarote are of much lighter winds with clearer and sunnier weather, perfect for the surf.