Surfing in Alicante is no easy feat, since the coastline of the Valencia region is not a major international destination for surfing. For good waves to appear on its coastline, the conditions have to be just right, which isn’t always the case. Nevertheless, surfing spots do exist, although there are only a handful along the Costa Blanca.
The province has one added bonus, however: since the sport is not very popular among the people of Alicante, surfing spots are inevitably not full of local wave riders. Which is why the province has become a big draw for surfers from the ‘drier parts’ of the country – in other words, the interior of the Iberian Peninsula – who escape for a few days to a nearby beach and enjoy their favourite sport.
However, other disciplines can also be spotted on its beaches, such as windsurfing, kitesurfing and, above all, paddleboarding. Read on as we review the main places on the Costa Blanca for enjoying all of the aforementioned sports.
The best beaches in Alicante for surfing in the Mediterranean
One of the main obstacles for surfing in Alicante is that it rarely produces enough of what is known as groundswell. However, such limitations are partially alleviated by the waves that created by the wind. Therefore, the best spots for surfing in Alicante are situated in places in which the wind is frequent and stable.
Taking these factors into account, we’ve got just the right recommendations for the best spots in the area. One of the most famous is on the vast San Juan Beach, situated between the municipal boundaries of Alicante and El Campello. The easterly-facing beach stretches on for three kilometres and boasts fine sand and crystalline water with waves that break on both the left and right. Since it is so big, it has various spots: the busiest is situated where the former Hotel Sidi once stood. Another spot is Puntal, at the tip of Cap del’Horta.
A third spot is located in front of the lighthouse, although this is reserved for days in which the sea is particularly choppy. In any case, the best time to surf in this area is when the wind is blowing in an westerly direction.
The part of San Juan Beach that belongs to the municipal district of El Campello is known as Muchavista Beach, situated in the northern half of the long strip of sand. At its most northerly point is the spot known as La Zofra, a favourite of local surfers on days with north-westerly winds. The best time of the year for surfing on San Juan Beach is in the winter.
In the municipal district of Villajoyosa is the spot known as El Centro, which has a rocky ocean floor. Here the swell must be southerly or south-westerly with moderate winds. Under these conditions, left-hand waves of up to two metres with some tubular sections may appear. The best time to enjoy this spot is when there are strong easterly winds.
Surfing schools in Alicante
Alicante boasts surfing schools with a very good reputation. The fact that waves are moderate and the conditions for practising the sport in the area are unusual make the coast of Alicante a great place to start out.
One of the schools with the most pedigree is Aloha Sport, situated right on Muchavista Beach (El Campello). This equipment hire and training centre also opens a summer school at the Hotel Sidi spot on San Juan Beach.
Another school also situated in El Campello is Campello Surf Club. Much like the other schools it offers hire equipment and surfing classes. Parres Water Sports, meanwhile, is one of the most established water sport schools on the eastern coast of Spain (surfing, SUP, kitesurfing and sailing). In actual fact, its headquarters are situated in Valverde, a district of Elche, but it boasts training centres on the coast of Murcia, in Santa Pola and in Clot de Galvany, in the south of the city of Alicante.
In the capital of the province of Alicante is Club Surf El Moreno, in which you can also hire equipment as well as do surfing, SUP (stand-up paddleboarding) and longboarding classes or surfing excursions along the coast.
Paddleboarding and kitesurfing in Alicante
In addition to surfing, you can also try your hand at other wind and wave-based sports on the coast of Alicante. In fact, many of the aforementioned surfing schools also offer courses or equipment hire for kitesurfing, windsurfing and paddleboarding.
Kitesurfing is particularly abundant in Alicante, boasting specific schools in Denia (Costa Blanca Kitesurf). The city has various spots, one of which is held in particularly high regard among kitesurfers: the area around the northern breakwater at the port of Denia. The area gets constant thermal winds of between 12 and 20 knots in the spring–summer period, which are perfect for large kites (between nine and 12 metres), as well as strong north-westerly winds that are ideal for kites measuring between seven and nine metres.
Muchavista Beach in El Campello is also home to one of the main spots on the coast of Alicante: Tobago, which has strong north-westerly and easterly winds in both winter and summer.
In Alicante, much like along the rest of the Spanish coast, SUP, otherwise known as paddleboarding, has also taken hold in recent years. One of the people that has done the most to introduce Spain to SUP is, in fact, the Alicante-born Daniel Parres, owner of the aforementioned club Parres WaterSports. The centre organises the World SUP Festival on the coast of Alicante, a festival that has gradually become a leading event at international level for this fun sport.
Escuelas de surf en Alicante
En Alicante existen escuelas de surf que gozan de muy buena reputación. El hecho de que el oleaje no sea excesivo y las condiciones para practicar este deporte en la zona sean peculiares hacen que la costa alicantina sea óptima para iniciarse.
Una de las escuelas con más solera es Aloha Sport, ubicada en plena playa de Muchavista (El Campello). Este centro de aprendizaje y de alquiler de material abre, a su vez, una escuela de verano en el spot del Hotel Sidi de la playa de San Juan.
Campello Surf Club es otra escuela situada también en El Campello. Al igual que las otras, alquila material y oferta clases de surf. Por su parte, Parres Water Sports es una de las escuelas de deportes acuáticos (surf, SUP, kitesurf o vela) más asentadas en la costa de Levante. De hecho, su sede se encuentra en Valverde, pedanía de Elche, pero cuenta con centros de formación en la costa murciana, Santa Pola y en Clot de Galvany, al sur de la ciudad de Alicante.
En la capital alicantina se encuentra el Club Surf El Moreno, en el que también se puede alquilar material así como contratar clases de surf, SUP (Stand Up Paddle), longskate, o excursiones surferas por la costa.
Paddle Surf y kitesurf en Alicante
Además del surf, hay demanda por otros deportes de viento y olas en la costa alicantina. De hecho, buena parte de las escuelas de surf descritas más arriba también cuentan con cursos, o alquilan material, para practicar kitesurf, windsurf y paddle surf.
El kitesurf se ha prodigado especialmente en Alicante, contando con escuelas específicas en Denia (Costa Blanca Kitesurf). Esta localidad cuenta con varios spots, uno de ellos especialmente valorado por los ‘riders’ del kitesurf: se trata del que se halla en el espigón norte del puerto de Denia. La zona cuenta con vientos térmicos constantes de entre 12 y 20 nudos en el periodo de primavera-verano, ideal para cometas grandes (de entre 9 y 12 metros), así como con fuertes vientos del noroeste que son perfectos para cometas de entre 7 y 9 metros.
En la playa de Muchavista de El Campello también se halla uno de los principales spots del litoral alicantino. Se trata de Tobago en el que entra un fuerte viento de gregal (noroeste) así como de levante, tanto en invierno como en verano.
En Alicante, como en el resto de la costa española, también se ha incorporado con fuerza en los últimos años el SUP (stand up paddle, en sus siglas en inglés), conocido popularmente como Paddle Surf. Uno de los que más han hecho por incorporar el SUP en España es, de hecho, el alicantino Daniel Parres, dueño del club Parres WaterSports, centro del que ya os hemos hablando. Este centro organiza el World SUP Festival en la costa alicantina, que poco a poco se ha convertido en un referente a nivel mundial de este divertido deporte.
