Penarrubia / Asturias / Spain

Situated on Spain's rugged northern coast, a small distance east of Gijon lies the beach at Penarrubia. It is a popular spot for wind surfers, kite surfers and surfers of expert ability. You really have to know what you are doing here because of the numerous hazards associated with this spot so it is not advisable for beginners and intermediates to surf here. It doesn't get too busy with tourists during the summer so it is easy to surf all year round without having to worry about zone and time restrictions. The best times for surfing here are April through to October, when the weather, and indeed the water is slightly warmer.

The beach here is pretty small and is made up mostly of pebbles, there are sharp rocks and coral reefs surrounding most of the beach and there are also cliffs to the back of the beach. To get here you simply drive across the river northeast of Gijon.

The wind, like most spots along this coastline is pretty changeable. The best direction for surfing here is a northeasterly direction The wind can get fairly gusty, especially during the winter months, so it is not uncommon for gusts to exceed 30-35 knots. However in the summer it is much calmer. The water quality is crystal clear and the conditions are generally choppy most of the time. However when the wind is in the right direction and is strong enough, it is possible to pick up some larger waves of up to 3 meters in height. The water temperature falls somewhere between 10-16 degrees depending upon the time of year, so in the wintertime a 5mm wetsuit might be advisable.

There isn't really too much here apart from parking. Just around the bay is the city of Gijon, which has shops, bars, restaurants, accommodation and plenty of nightlife.

There is a lot to watch out for here, so keep an eye out for the sharp rocks in and out of the water. Also watch out for the coral reefs, and for kite surfers, watch out for the cliffs to that surround the beach.