BELHARRA : AN UNEXPECTED AND RARE PHENOMENON

The wave of Belharra is a phenomenon that requires certain meteorological conditions. It appears off the Basque Corniche at Urrugne, in France.

When and where does it appears ?

It usually appears between October and March and has been measured at a height of more than 20 meters. Each of its appearances is a real phenomenon and surfers from all over the world come to the Pays Basque to measure themselves against it. 

You can see the wave of Belharra at 3 kilometers offshore ! It appears at this precise place thanks to the presence of a rocky shoal located only 15 meters deep called the Belharra Perdun which gave its name to the wave.

The formation of the wave

This wave is rare and exceptional because to form it needs many conditions to be met. The wind, the tides, the swell... have a very important role in its formation. It is therefore very difficult to predict in advance if the Belharra will appear or not. Usually, specialists can announce its formation between 3 and 5 days in advance. 

How can you surf it ?

This wave is only reserved for professional surfers, and most of them are surfing this wave with a technic called the "town-in", which consists in towing the surfer with a water scooter in order to make him gain speed and drop him in the hollow of the wave. The surfer and his companion has to regularly practice this technique and must trust each other completely.

In recent years, when the wave of Belharra does not reach 10 meters high, some surfers start rowing with a special board called "gun" or in stand-up paddle.