Atlantic Coast Surf Roadtrip: Local Secrets from France to Spain

Europe’s western coastline is a magnet for surfers, packed with world-class breaks that keep the faithful coming back season after season. Photographer Moritz Reulein knows the Atlantic since diaper days. And he’s sharing his best tips. Bonne journée from Bordeaux through Biarritz and into the Basque Country.

German Moritz Reulein first visited the Atlantic coast as a three-month-old baby. Since then, not a single year has passed without him roaming between the dunes and pine forests, chasing beach breaks and barrels. Here are his 10 tips that might not be on every surfer’s Atlantic roadtrip radar.

1. Timing is Everything

For me, September and October are the sweet spot for Atlantic surfing – right when everyone else is heading home. The crowds thin out, the ocean’s still warm (thanks to the Bay of Biscay), the waves are great, the locals are more relaxed – and so are the prices.

2. Save Money with ACSI

Most campers have the Park4Night app on their phones by now, but I keep noticing that not everyone knows about the CampingCard ACSI. It gets you seriously discounted rates at over 3,000 campsites across Europe during off-season – sometimes you’ll pay just half price. The digital version without the guidebook runs about €21, or around €26 with the printed guide. I always make my money back fast. For anyone who get inspired flipping through pages, I would recommend picking up the book. I always keep it in my van. It’s also great because you discover new campsites you would never have found otherwise.

3. Perfect Pit Stop on the Way to the Coast

Paray-le-Monial is one of my favourite stopover towns, sitting almost exactly halfway from my hometown in Germany. You exit the highway and just 10 minutes later you roll into a huge, free parking area right in the city centre with a beautiful old basilica next door. You can grab a nice dinner, soak up the atmosphere, and hit the road the next morning with a fresh baguette or croissant for the final push to the Atlantic.

4. The Overlooked Gem: Montalivet

Bordeaux marks the northern gateway to surf country. But most people stick to the highway, which runs south of the city. Montalivet-les-Bains sits right on the ocean north of Bordeaux. While the famous surf towns are always packed, this place stays calmer. During the day you can park right by the water, and for the night there are great spots tucked behind the dunes in town.

5. Cap Ferret

Drive south through the Médoc Natural Park for about 100 kilometres and you will hit the almost ridiculously picturesque Cap Ferret. This peninsula is home to the cool Truc Vert campsite, a lighthouse, and Europe’s tallest sand dune – the Dune du Pilat. It rises up to 110 meters and stretches over nearly 3 kilometres. From the ridge, the views are sensational. Plus, there are countless little villages scattered around – like l’Herbe or Mimbeau – serving up fresh oysters.

6. Basque Country Surfing: Lafitenia

Let’s jump south into the Basque Country, where the food scene shifts – hello tapas and pintxos… Just before the border, you’ll find a spot I’m particularly fond of: Lafitenia, with its beautiful right-hand point break. It’s also a fantastic spot for paragliders, and there are great campsites like Inter-Plages perched right above the bay with views toward Biarritz, or Le Bord de Mer, a camping site at Erromardie beach where it is also great to wingfoil.

7. Best Backup Plan in Northern Spain

We had several flat days in Northern Spain in 2025, complete with rain. But Pamplona makes an excellent escape. Our main mission there: eating tapas. The bars here have counters loaded with food, and the Casco Antiguo – the old quarter – is wrapped by a five-kilometre fortress wall. We stayed just minutes outside Pamplona at Camping Ezcaba.

We also ventured deeper inland to one of my highlights as a photographer: northwest of Zaragoza lies the Bardenas Reales, a stunning, bizarre semi-desert spanning 415 square kilometres. Some of you have probably seen photos of the surreal lunar landscape with its wind-carved rock formations. You can explore the nature park on foot for hundreds of kilometres, or – as we did – by mountain or gravel bike. My tip: park right at the edge of the desert and pedal in from there.

8. Campsite Pick in Northern Spain: La Paz

Right on Playa de Vidiago in Asturias sits Campsite La Paz, one of my favourites (and part of the ACSI network). What makes it special is the terraced layout. From the upper pitches you get incredible views sweeping across the Bay of Biscay. White sand beach below, green hillsides above, and a restaurant serving solid paella…

9. Eating Well for Less in Spain

In Spain, there’s a strategy for eating exceptionally well at lunchtime on the cheap: the Menú del Día. They are available on weekdays and originally meant for workers – which makes them perfect for hungry surfers. At pretty much every tavern, you get an unbeatable three courses plus a drink for a superb price. Tip: the more trucks or pickups parked out front, the better the food.

10. Perfect Final Stop: Dole

For one final soaking in of French charm on the drive home, I often stop in the town of Dole, where the A36 and A39 intersect. It sits between Dijon and Besançon along the Doubs River and the Rhine-Rhône Canal. The historic centre with the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame is a protected heritage site. The whole town is threaded with canals, hence the title “Little Venice of the Jura”. The campsite sits right on the Doubs River across from the Château d’Azans.