Playon De Bayas / Asturias / Spain

Situated west of Gijon and Northwest of Oviedo on Spain's north coast, lies the beach at Playon De Bayas. It is a popular spot for surfers, wind surfers and kite surfers of intermediate and expert abilities. It is not advisable for beginners to practice here because there are some rocks in and around the shoreline that can get covered during high tide. There is also a rocky mole lying just off the beach. It does get crowded with tourists during the summer months and because of this there are heavy restrictions on when you can and cannot surf. It might be advisable to check before you set off. If you want to avoid the crowds and restrictions, then go from October through to April.

The beach here is small to medium, but its size depends on the tide. It is made up mainly of sand, but there are some small rocks. To find it you need to drive westbound from Gijon on the A8. Just before Aviles take the N632 towards La Arena and Playon De Bayas. There is a large car park right next to the beach.

The wind here is very changeable but it is mainly from a westerly direction or variations thereof. The best direction for surfing is westerly. West northwest and west southwest are also good directions. The wind can get pretty gusty during the winter and it is not uncommon for gusts to exceed 30 knots, however the summer winds are much lighter. The water quality is clean and there are waves most of the time. When the wind is strong enough and in the right direction, it is possible to pick up some nice waves of over 3 meters in height. The water temperature remains between 10-16 degrees depending upon the time of year, so a wetsuit is definitely needed during the winter.

There is parking close by but not much else. If you require shops, bars, restaurants and accommodation then your nearest towns would be either La Arena or Aviles. For some excellent nightlife head into the cities of Gijon or Oviedo.

Beware of the rocks in and around the shoreline, especially when covered by the tide. Also keep a look out for the rocky mole located just off the beach. Finally, watch out for bathers and swimmers in the water during the busy summer period.