Is it worth the trip?
35Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 3 ft swell at 4 s
Tue 3 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft4 s
- Energy
- 34kJ
- Wind
- ESE 0 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Wed 4 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 50kJ
- Wind
- NW 2 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Thu 5 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 s
- Energy
- 99kJ
- Wind
- N 2 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Fri 6 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 s
- Energy
- 68kJ
- Wind
- S 1 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Sat 7 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 s
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Sun 8 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 27kJ
- Wind
- S 5 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Mon 9 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- SE 5 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 256, fair
- Tue 357, fair
- Wed 421, too small
- Thu 542, too small
- Fri 635, too small
- Sat 721, too small
- Sun 826, too small
- Mon 911, too small
- Tue 105, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Playa de El Bocal does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 56, fair | 3 ft10 s | 196kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 57, fair | 3 ft4 s | 34kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 0 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 21, too small | 1 ft12 s | 50kJ | wind from the north-west, 2 knots | 13°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 42, too small | 2 ft10 s | 99kJ | wind from the north, 2 knots | 14°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft9 s | 68kJ | offshorewind from the south, 1 knot, offshore | 15°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 21, too small | 2 ft9 s | 37kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 17°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, too small | 1 ft9 s | 27kJ | offshorewind from the south, 5 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 11, too small | 1 ft8 s | 7kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 5 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft7 s | 2kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 7 knots, offshore | 21°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
Playa de El Bocal on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
5 places
- Matalenas 3.1 km away
- El Muro 3.2 km away
- El sardinero 3.6 km away
- Covachos 7.1 km away
- Isla Santa Marina 7.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Playa de El Bocal
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (342°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (162°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea is about 13°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Santander, 3.2 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,020–US$1,940 each
about US$1,020–US$1,940 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to SDR, estimated from distance and season, changing at MAD, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$456–US$951 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$208–US$348 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$234–US$442 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$100–US$167 |
| Total | about US$1,020–US$1,940 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 10 min by car · 80 places to stay
about US$80/nightcountry average
About Santander its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Liencres on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 10 places to stay
- Beds in Suances on Booking.com
about 35 min by car · 41 places to stay
About US$80 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 05m
About 17h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SDR, changing at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD), then 25 min by road
Flights ORD → SDR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.