Les Alcyons (Guéthary)

Les Alcyons is a world-class left-hand reef break beside the Guéthary harbor, known for powerful, hollow/barreling waves that jack abruptly on takeoff over shallow rocky reef. The lineup is exposed and the bottom is reef/rock with reported strong currents, which makes the spot demanding even on good conditions. It mainly becomes truly rideable on significant north to northwest (NW/W) swells. Multiple sources indicate it starts working around roughly 2.5 m (with some descriptions also noting it can be surfable lower, depending on wind and reef action) and can hold up to about 5 m and beyond if conditions align. Ride length is often described as “normal” for reef days (commonly in the 50 to 150 m range), but the wave can also be very short and punishing when it jacks/closeouts occur. Wind-wise, the most favorable directions are South-East and East, which are described as grooming/offshore for cleaner barrels. Reliability is described as low to moderate in the spot-level wind info, and gusts are reported as moderate. Timing matters: the best tide is reported as mid tide, while another set of notes emphasizes low to mid tide because of the shallow shelf that can affect wave behavior. From a safety perspective, hazards include rocks/shallow reef and strong currents, with a long paddle (often 20+ minutes through the harbor mouth) and no lifeguards at the spot. Local guidance emphasizes strict expert-only attempts, respecting the harbor zone/traffic, and recognizing that the wave can boil/jack to telegraph the reef below and close out quickly.