La Fortaleza 87.4
#1108 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇪🇸 Spain · Cantabria · near Santander
Works almost every day, no off season.
Works all yearIntermediate
Surf score87.4 /100
Surfable days90% of the year
Clean days42% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell50% period 11 s+
Typical size1.3 m 4.2 ft median
Water17°C a 3/2 wetsuit
Best time to surf La Fortaleza
The best time to surf La Fortaleza is March, November, December. The season runs Oct to Mar. In November the water sits around 17°C, so pack a 3/2 wetsuit, and the typical wave is 2.0 m. The nearest airport is BIO (45 km) and the nearest town is Santander (30 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 91% | 57% | 1.7 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Feb | 99% | 51% | 2.2 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| Mar | 96% | 59% | 1.8 m | 13°C | 5/4 |
| Apr | 93% | 34% | 1.2 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| May | 88% | 33% | 1.0 m | 16°C | 3/2 |
| Jun | 87% | 19% | 0.9 m | 20°C | 2mm |
| Jul | 76% | 9% | 0.8 m | 23°C | vest |
| Aug | 87% | 15% | 0.9 m | 23°C | vest |
| Sep | 89% | 33% | 1.1 m | 21°C | 2mm |
| Oct | 92% | 40% | 1.4 m | 19°C | 3/2 |
| Nov | 96% | 70% | 2.0 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| Dec | 86% | 58% | 1.8 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
Why 87.4
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
26.0
Clean days 24%
24.0
Groundswell 12%
9.8
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
3.3
Water comfort 10%
2.9
Access 10%
9.1
The detail
Faces 85° with 42% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 84% of days. Mean peak period 11.1 s. Days over 3 m: 7%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 43%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates 43.438, -3.437 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Laredo🇪🇸 Spain · score 84.5Berria🇪🇸 Spain · score 85.2El Brusco🇪🇸 Spain · score 86.8Sonabia🇪🇸 Spain · score 81.9
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