30 minutes by metro, right on Arrietara beach (Sopela). A surf school and club since 1989.
From Abando, Moyua or Casco Viejo, take Metro Bilbao line 1 towards Plentzia and get off at Larrabasterra. It takes about 30 minutes with no changes, and from the station it is about a 15-minute walk to the school, right on Arrietara beach.
You do not need to bring anything: we give you the board, wetsuit and leash here. Come with your swimsuit on and a towel; when you get out of the water there are changing rooms with hot showers.
All our lessons last 2 hours, are taught in groups by level with 6 students per instructor and include a board, a wetsuit in your size and accident insurance. Book online at least 24 hours ahead to secure your place.
From 18 years old, with no upper age limit. €35 per lesson, or a 5-lesson pack for €150 to build a solid base.
From 6 years old, in groups by age. For 6 and 7-year-olds, Txiki Surf, with smaller groups.
If you already catch waves: paddling, wave selection, manoeuvres and reading the sea, with coaching in the water.
Weeks in July and August for ages 4 to 17: surfing, surfskate and a trip to Armintza. From €200.
From Bilbao, Sopela is the surf beach that is easiest to reach by public transport. Arrietara beach is open to north-westerly swells, gets waves for much of the year and has a sandy bottom, which you will appreciate every time you fall while learning.
We have been here since 1989. Peña Txuri is a school and also a club: we run the Bertoko Surf Txapelketa, which brought together more than 170 surfers in 2026, and many of the people who start with us end up staying in the community. Before you come, check the sea on the Sopelana webcam.
About 30 minutes on metro line 1 from the city centre to Larrabasterra and a 15-minute walk to the school. By car, about 20 minutes.
No. The board, a wetsuit in your size and the leash are included. Bring a swimsuit, a towel and sun cream: we have changing rooms with hot showers.
Yes. Many of our students start from scratch. We group people by level, start on the sand and go into the water with very stable foam boards.
Yes, we teach all year round. In winter the water is colder and we use thicker wetsuits; times change with the season, so check them when you book.
A 2-hour lesson costs €35. A 5-lesson pack costs €150 and a 10-lesson pack €270, with equipment and insurance included.
Kids lessons start at 6 years old; 6 and 7-year-olds join Txiki Surf, in smaller groups. The summer camps are for ages 4 to 17.
Yes. If you already surf, we rent boards and wetsuits for 2, 3 or 4 hours, from €25.
Safety comes first. If the lesson cannot be run safely and there is no suitable alternative, you choose between moving it to another date at no cost or a refund.
When you arrive at the school your instructor meets you, we give you a wetsuit in your size, a board and a leash, and show you around our beachfront facilities. Before going in the water we go over what matters: how currents and tides work at Arrietara, where to get in and out, and the basic rules for sharing waves.
Then we practise paddling, your position on the board and the take off — the move to stand up — on the sand. In the water you start in the whitewater close to the shore, with your instructor beside you correcting you wave by wave. At the end we put the equipment away and you have changing rooms with hot showers.
If it is your first time, a single lesson lets you try it and see if you are hooked. If you really want to learn, we recommend a 5 or 10-lesson pack: surfing is learned through repetition, and putting several sessions together over a few weeks is what makes the biggest difference. Our adult surf lessons have no upper age limit, and we group each student with people at the same level.
Our kids surf lessons start at 6 years old, always in groups by age and with qualified instructors. For 6 and 7-year-olds we run Txiki Surf, with fewer children per instructor and lots of games in the water. In July and August, our summer surf camp combines surfing with surfskate, beach games and a trip to Armintza every Friday, in Monday-to-Friday weeks with three timetable options.
In our improver lessons we work on what you cannot easily learn alone: picking the right wave, positioning yourself at the peak, efficient paddling and your first manoeuvres. In summer, the Training Surf Camp adds water sessions, video analysis and dry-land training, and if you compete there is our competition and high-performance programme. If you just need equipment, you can rent a board and wetsuit at the school and forget about carrying a board on the metro.
We organise group surf lessons for 6 or more people: groups of friends, hen and stag parties, company teams and schools, with a quote beforehand based on numbers and format. We also offer adapted surfing for people with disabilities: we do an assessment beforehand to prepare the session, and our changing rooms are accessible.
You can surf in Sopela all year round, but every season is different. In summer the waves are usually smaller and the water is warmer: the best time to start. In autumn and spring more swell comes in, which is when it is most fun if you already have some experience. In winter the water is cold and the sea is bigger; with a thick wetsuit the surfing is great, but you need to choose your day and your tide.
The beach works best with a north-westerly swell and a light or southerly wind, which cleans up the waves. With a strong northerly wind the sea gets messy, and when it is too big the shorebreak closes out. The easiest thing is to check the Sopelana webcam before you catch the metro. And if you are going to surf on your own, go over the rules of surfing: priority at the peak is the first thing we teach.
Sopela is not the only option. Right next door is La Salvaje (Barinatxe), more exposed and with stronger currents, better once you have some experience. In Getxo, Arrigunaga is often sheltered when the sea is big. Further away, about 40 minutes by car, are Bakio, a long open beach, and Mundaka, one of the most famous waves in Europe, only for very experienced surfers.
Peña Txuri was born in Sopela in 1989 and is still the town’s club. We run the Bertoko Surf Txapelketa, with categories from under-10s to over-60s and adapted surfing, and we coach surfers of all ages. If you want to keep surfing with people after your lessons, the Peña Txuri club is the next step.
Choose your lesson and book online, or write to us and we will help you pick the best day. See you in the water!
