<i>KURSWOCHE</i> <i>BASKENLAND</i>
<i>KURSWOCHE</i> <i>BASKENLAND</i>
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KURSWOCHE BASKENLAND

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Course

05.–10.10.2025

COURSE WEEK BASQUE COUNTRY

This advanced course on the breathtaking Basque coast rounds off our course programme at the top level. Have you already gained quite a bit of experience in surfing and rock hopping and feel quite comfortable in wind and waves, even on a rugged coast? Have you been out on the Atlantic before, perhaps at our Playa de Isla course camp, in Asturias or on Jersey? Then this new course is definitely for you.

The Basque coast is an absolutely fantastic area for experienced paddlers and those who have already gone a long way towards it and now want to push their own comfort limits a little further and gain more experience in sometimes more challenging conditions. In October we are almost guaranteed to find that here, no matter what the weather is doing! When the autumn storms are already raging far out on the Atlantic, sending us swell into the Bay of Biscay, we will concentrate on surfing and paddling in the surf zone. We know various surfing beaches in the region that all work best in different conditions, so we can always do something – even if the conditions outside are really bad enough for coastal paddling to be out of the question. If, on the other hand, the conditions are calm to moderate, we will explore the green, rugged and mostly densely forested flysch coast between Zumaia and Bilbao on day trips, devote ourselves specifically to rock hopping in the almost surreal rock gardens of the area or hold specific course sessions in our amazing bay of Plentzia and Gorliz, which is so beautiful and offers so much that you could spend days even just there without getting bored at all.

The aim of the week is to make you a really confident paddler through intensive coaching and lots of opportunities to try things out and have fun. And as always, our motto is: It is not the amount of paddling miles, but the number of "wows" that we measure the success of a day by!

DETAILS

Programme Day 1
Day 1
Our course camp begins on Sunday at around 10:00 with the official welcome and introduction round and the distribution of kayaks and gear. Of course, we will also go paddling afterwards – depending on what makes sense given the conditions. Either directly from the beach near the campsite or somewhere else. We will see…
Programme Days 2–5
Days 2-5
As we don't know in advance what conditions we will actually encounter, it makes no sense to publish a detailed schedule for a programme like this. Instead, we would rather summarize here what is important for us to do with you during this week:

  • Rock hopping: One of the coolest activities on this coast when there is little to medium swell. You have already understood the basic techniques and principles and you have already gained some experience and fun doing it. Now it's time to refine all of this, practice and gain more experience – step by step, also in places with more dynamic water that require a little more commitment and good timing. The Basque coast is packed with exciting rock gardens and passages, all of which are very different day by day and hour by hour depending on the swell and the state of the tide, but always exciting.
  • Speaking of tides: During our week we will have the biggest tides of the year. Especially on the spring tide days Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday you can look forward to very high coefficients and several places with fast currents. On one of these days we plan to visit the Mundaka tide race: a strong current pushed over a sandbank, running into swell from the opposite direction, which together form fantastic standing waves. However, we need the ebb tide for this, which we will only have on these days early in the morning or in the late afternoon and early evening. We also need a day with little swell, because otherwise the wave of Mundaka – one of the top 5 surf spots in the world – becomes huge. On such days we leave the place to the surfers.
  • Sea kayak surfing: Mundaka is great, but in the Basque Country we really don't need a tide race to surf. It is no coincidence that boardsurfing is a kind of popular sport on this coast and there are also many places suitable for paddling in the surf in a sea kayak, depending on whether there is a lot or little swell. One of the main goals of this week is definitely to coach you in sea kayak surfing and to give you plenty of opportunity to practice in perfect waves while having a lot of fun and to grow beyond yourself: becoming more agile, with more control on the wave, steering and supporting better, faster and more intuitively, rolling in the waves, epic bongo slides from which you can also turn your kayak back, backward turns and now and then a few powerful "shakers". We don't usually make promises that depend on weather and sea conditions to fulfill, but we can almost guarantee that here at this time of year.
  • Paddling on a challenging coast: Almost the entire Basque coast is crisscrossed by flysch, a heavily weathered and folded type of rock that often extends out into the sea in bizarre lines. On the one hand, this flysch coast looks incredibly beautiful and unique, but it also creates some challenges for coastal paddling and thus always trains our attention. There are places where the flysch protrudes from the sand in shallow areas, meaning the waves break right over it. This is definitely where keeping your distance is a must! In other places there are huge flat and table-like slabs of rock while other areas form perfect rock gardens to explore and play on. All of this makes paddling this coast a great and valuable experience, as you learn to distinguish what is safe and where to avoid. And, as we already mentioned, it is breathtakingly beautiful everywhere!
  • Rescues and safety: As with all our courses, rescues are part of the week. And since we expect capsizes to happen anyway, we want to build in exercises and drills from the start to prepare you for them: quick deep water rescues, self and partner rescues, surf zone rescues, complex scenarios requiring the use of tow lines and throw-tows, etc. There are probably no methods here that you are not already familiar with from our other courses. But the scenarios will always be different, just as every "real" rescue is different. Only constant repetition and practice – also in difficult places and situations – will make you really fit and safe for an emergency.
The sea and the weather will ultimately determine where our focus will be on this advanced course. But no matter what we do, the "Challenge by Choice" principle applies as always: It's you who ultimately decides what is okay for you and what is not. Even on an advanced course, which will certainly be about pushing your limits, we will never force you to do something that doesn't feel good for you.
Programme Day 6
On our last day of paddling we will make sure we get off the water by 16:00 at the latest and end the course with a feedback session. You have enough time to take care of your equipment or preparing for your departure. We recommend planning this for Friday evening at the earliest, or even better Saturday.

If you have borrowed gear from us, we ask that you rinse everything with fresh water and return it to us clean and salt-free by Friday evening.
Paddle UK Awards and ISKGA Modules
Coastal Sea Kayak Award
In this course you can do the Paddle UK Coastal Sea Kayak Award. Please let us know ahead of time when you are interested.
Cost: 40 CHF
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ISKGA Sea Kayak Safety & Rescue Module
Starting with the 2025 season, we have integrated the International Sea Kayak Guide Alliance Sea Kayak Safety & Rescue module into this course as standard – at no extra cost.
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More Info
Participant Numbers: Minimum 4, Maximum 8
Languages: German and English

TYPICAL CONDITIONS

This is what you may hope for

Weather
In October, anything is possible in the Basque Country... sunshine, rain, storms. But you can certainly expect pleasantly warm temperatures without being an overtly incorrigible optimist.

Wind
Anything is possible and windy days are not uncommon. Northwest and northeast are the most common wind directions. When a large low pressure system moves over the Atlantic, it can be stormy. But likewise we could also have a completely calm week.

Waves
Northwest winds or storms far out on the Atlantic, somewhere between here and southern Greenland, can bring large, long-wave swells. Basically, the entire Basque coast, in the southeasternmost corner of the capricious Bay of Biscay, is an area notorious in shipping for demanding sea conditions. But there are almost always places where you can do something with a sea kayak, even if it's "just" a great surf session in a relatively sheltered bay.

ACTIVITIES

This is what you may expect

Click on the pictures to learn more about the activities.

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Discover Europe's Most Beautiful Coastlines With Us

There are paddlers for whom sea kayaking primarily means making distance. Often these people paddle purposefully in a straight line past the most beautiful coasts – and overlook all the small and large things that there are to discover. So many beautiful things, so many incredible things, so many spontaneous adventures – if you take the time for them. That's exactly what we mean by "exploring the coast": taking advantage of every opportunity for experiences and fascinating discoveries. The lines between “touring” and “play” blur depending on what presents itself to us. Depending on the tide, swell, wind and weather, a coastline is always different.

We don't measure the success of a paddle-day in kilometers, but in the number of "Wows"! And believe us: there are a lot of them where we go sea kayaking with you.
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Fantastic Day Trips

Touring doesn't always mean that you have to paddle for several days with a lot of luggage: Exciting day trips let you enjoy the juicy bits of a coast and you're back at the base camp in the evening. And at the same time, a "day trip" doesn't always have to be synonymous with touring: Just as often as we undertake an excursion-style day trip, we go on paddle-strolls "just around the corner" to a particularly cool rock garden, a tide race or Surf beach and see what happens there. This way, without paddling many kilometers, we also make great, fulfilling and exciting days of sea kayaking.
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Dynamic Water: Widen Your Comfort Zone

Paddling in dynamic water – whether generated by wind, tide or swell – provides variety and excitement. And it makes you a better paddler.

It is part of our course structure to accompany you step by step from the calm lake to increasingly challenging conditions. What is “challenging” on this journey and what is specifically understood as “dynamic water” – that is highly subjective and is ultimately determined by you, your skills and, above all, your comfort zone, which we will try to carefully expand together. That's why we work with you to find conditions that challenge you without overwhelming you or generating bad experiences. Because we want you to have new experiences, become a safer paddler and walk away from the water with a good feeling and a big grin after each day with us.
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Surfing – of Course in a Sea Kayak

At Salty Cosmos we agree: there is almost nothing more addictive than surfing with a sea kayak! No matter whether forward, backward or a reverse start with a turn (like Ella in the picture above), steep pirouettes, spectacular "bongo slides" and fast rolls in the breaking wave – surfing a sea kayak is an absolutely fantastic thing. It is not only extremely fun, but it sharpens your boat control and technique like nothing else. Being able to paddle in the surf zone also means a huge increase in safety: Here you will quickly find out whether you can really intuitively edge and brace, whether your roll works effectively without a setup and whether you understand what your kayak is doing in such a dynamic environment.

You alone decide what conditions are right for you when going sea kayak surfing. It's not about who surfs the biggest waves. It's not (just) about adrenaline rushes or about who can pull off the most spectacular stunts, but simply about having maximum fun and learning while playing. And yes: capsizing is part of it and is neither dangerous nor something to feel ashamed of.
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Rockhopping: Big Fun, Also in Smaller Waves

Next to surfing, rock hopping is certainly the most playful activity in the vast cosmos of sea kayaking. Paddling with the waves at exactly the right moment over a washed-over granite rock, through narrow passages and into bubbling rock features – always in the rhythm of the waves – that's rock hopping. It takes timing, skill, good observation skills, confident control strokes and a bit of boat control, which fortunately grows with each session.

Rock hopping is an activity that quickly becomes addictive and is a lot of fun. There is no need for big waves. On the contrary: the best rock hopping sessions take place in generally rather calm conditions. Even small waves can create turbulence, suction and very dynamic conditions between the rocks. You have to accept scratches and dents in your kayak before involving in this activity, otherwise it definitely won't be fun. Even a small hole in the boat can happen from time to time, which is why we always have repair materials with us. And to ensure that no injuries occur, we always exercise caution. A good rule for rock hopping is: never play where you don't want to swim.
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Safety & Rescue: Absolutely Essential for All of Us

If you really want to be safe on the sea in a kayak, you have to practice rescues regularly. By the way, this also applies to paddlers who go on guided tours! The stronger and safer a group, the more your guide can do with you. And the feeling is even better.

That's why our courses include rescue training: from simple and common to difficult and complex. We always practice first in calm water, but eventually in places that are a little more realistic and challenging.

In addition to training on the water, other things are also very important to us in this context: Above all, essential knowledge about topics such as radio, signaling devices and emergency equipment, first aid, sea survival and hypothermia.
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Caves: Discover Fascinating Worlds

In addition to paddling in rock gardens and under cliffs, caves are the highlights of excursions along many Atlantic or Mediterranean coasts. It is absolutely fascinating to marvel at what nature has created there over millions of years. It goes without saying that we too always venture into the belly of the coast to discover other worlds there. Our sea kayaks are particularly suitable for this purpose like no other type of boat.

The cliffs of Cantabria and Asturias in the north of Spain or the north coast of Jersey each have a particularly large number of spectacular caves. These include narrow and long caves that can only be explored on very quiet days, but also huge cathedrals, some of which consist of several connected rooms or have different entrances and exits. Some caves on the Asturian coast even have small openings to the sky where light shines in on sunny days. On stormy days, the so-called "bufones" develop here: the water pressed into the cave by the huge waves then shoots out of the openings in high fountains. An impressive example of the fact that it is better to only paddle into caves on calm days…
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Tideraces: Play Spots in the Rhythm of the Tides

Tidal races are very similar to rapids found in a river. With two fundamental differences: The water is salty and every six hours it stops and changes direction of flow – slowly at first, then faster and faster until it reaches its maximum speed again after three hours, at mid-tide.

It goes without saying that such rapids are the icing on the cake for many advanced paddlers, which is why places like Jersey, where there are a particularly large number of great tide races, enjoy a special reputation. The island is essentially a rock in the huge river of the English Channel, through which gigantic amounts of water are sucked back and forth twice daily, in the eternal rhythm dictated by the moon.

We also love playing in the current: paddling in and out of eddies, traversing or surfing standing waves. The dynamics and power of flowing water are fascinating, especially when you consider that they are not caused by a gradient, but solely by the gravitational forces of the moon and sun and are absolutely predictable: When planning a camp months in advance, with one look into the tide table we know on which day and at which hour the current in our favorite tide races will be optimal for playing and learning.
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Seriously Fun Stuff…

Land on a cliff just to make espresso... Open your spraydeck and go for a swim in a bubbling gully… Get up in your kayak and do some "stand up paddling"… Go backwards through the tide race... Surf without a paddle... Or what about a rodeo with a person on the back deck? Or would you rather try a roll with a “koala” on your bow? Why? Just because you can do it. And because it's fun. There are a thousand ways to have fun and learn in sea kayaking (and a million more that we haven't invented yet)! At least for everyone who doesn't take themselves too seriously and who hasn't stopped being curious.
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What is this?
What is this?

Our Skill-o-meter is intended to give you a quick, rough guide to the approximate level of experience and paddling skills we require to take part in this programme.

It says NOTHING about what conditions we will encounter on site.

To find out exactly what skills we expect from you to take part in this programme, please be sure to read the specifications below ("What we expect from you").

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SKILLS

This is what we expect from you

You can swim

Minimum two weeks experience on the sea

Experience in waves of 1 m and F4 winds

Launching and landing on a suitable beach in waves of ca. 1m

You can tow another paddler

When capsized, you can perform a self-rescue or roll

You can effect a simple partner rescue in deep water

SAFETY PARAMETERS

This is what you can rely on

The sea does what it does. With our safety parameters we determine the maximum environmental conditions up to which we will go on the water* during this programme:
Wind
Offshore wind:
  • Up to 21 knots (wind force 5) in areas with predominantly steep banks that offer enough protection
  • Up to 21 knots (wind force 5) in bays with sandy beaches

Onshore wind:
  • Up to 15 knots (wind force 4) in areas with predominantly steep, rocky shores
  • Up to 21 knots (wind force 5) in areas with flat, sandy shores with easy landing options
Waves
  • Swell of up to 1.0m and a maximum of 15 seconds period on predominantly rocky shores, especially on Flysch or areas with few or difficult landings.
  • Swell of up to 1.5m and a maximum of 15 seconds period on sections with plenty of safe landing options, max. 2 nautical miles away.
  • Surf sessions of up to 2m and a maximum of 15 seconds period (Challenge by Choice)
The sea weather report or swell forecast serves as the basis for assessment. In the case of short, steep wind waves, cross seas, etc., the situation is assessed individually.
If it is not possible to find these (or easier) conditions in our paddling area, we will stay on land. Other safety parameters (extreme gusts, rapidly falling air pressure, thunderstorms, etc.) also apply.

* For more information on this topic, see our FAQs

EVERYTHING ELSE

This is what you need to organise by yourself

For all of our programs, arrival and departure as well as all transport and on-site accommodation are the responsibility of the participants. This means that you have to take care of these things yourself. Below you will find all the information you need:
Meeting point & arrival
GETTING THERE

Meeting point:
Camping Arrien de Gorliz
Uresarantze Bidea 15
48630 Gorliz
Bizkaya
España
Website: https://www.campinggorliz.com

Time:
For a quieter and relaxed start to the week, we recommend arriving the day before (Saturday). When exactly you arrive is completely your choice. Please prepare to be self-sufficient on the day of arrival and note that your Salty Cosmos team is also busy preparing and will not be available before the programme begins.

Our holiday week starts on Sunday morning (Oct. 5th) at 10:00.

Getting there:

By car: If you're coming from Switzerland, Austria or Germany, it's probably best to travel via Bordeaux and Donostia or San Sebastian. Shortly before Bilbao, at the Gumuzio exit, leave the AP-8 motorway onto the N-637 towards Aeropuerto Bilbao, Mungia, Gorliz. The campsite is located in the north of the town, not far from the large beach and the hospital.

When making travel arrangements, please don't forget to ask the other participants whether they are looking for or offering a ride.

Unfortunately, getting to Bilbao by public transport is not easy, but it is possible. There is an unbeatably cheap Flixbus from Zurich to Bilbao, but it takes almost 22 hours. Train connections from CH take the detour via Paris and from there by TGV to the Spanish border in Hendaye in just under 5 hours. From here there are various options for continuing the journey via Donostia / San Sebastián and Bilbao. From Bilbao, the subway goes towards Plentzia, from where the A3499 bus leaves at very short intervals to the Kiroldegia/polideportivo stop (4214), right in front of the campsite entrance.

Flying: Certainly the easiest and fastest means of transport to Bilbao is by plane. There are cheap and direct connections from Zurich or Munich, for example.

If you are joining us from the UK or Ireland, we recommend taking the ferry from Plymouth to Santander or from Roslare directly to Bilbao.
Accommodation
Our base camp for this week is at the relatively “urban” but very friendly campsite Arrien in Gorliz. From here you can walk across the park to the sea in five minutes. And it's not far to the pintxo bars and shops of the nice little twin town of Gorliz/Plentzia, with subway connections to Bilbao city center. Despite the proximity to the city, we can reach gorgeous nature in just a few minutes – both on foot and by kayak.

If you don't want to stay at the campsite, you can of course also look for an alternative nearby (holiday apartment, AirBnB, hotel, etc.). However, it is important that you are able to get to the agreed meeting point on time, independently and without any problems.
Please remember that either way you are responsible for organising, booking and paying your accommodation.
Rations
In all Salty Cosmos programmes, food and drinks are generally the responsibility of the participants. Please consider whether you would like to cook for yourself or eat in a privately organised communal group.
Insurance
Accident insurance, travel health insurance, rescue and recovery insurance
In all Salty Cosmos programs, accident insurance, travel health insurance and rescue and recovery insurance are the responsibility of the participants. Please take care of these things early.

Cancellation cost insurance
Please take out cancellation insurance when you complete your booking. If you were to become sick ahead of the programme, it would be a pity if you were not only missing out, but also losing money.

More questions? See our FAQs

This is what Silvy Seal says

An advanced course on the Basque coast! I've been waiting for this for so long! Playing in the surf and riding long waves - hopefully even in Mundaka, which I love especially! But no matter whether there, in the bay of Gorliz and Plentzia or somewhere on the Flysch coast in between: we will have incredible fun, mess around and learn a lot in the process.

I also think it's great that the Basque Country isn't that far away for you and is also relatively easy to get to by public transport.

And finally, something very important, guys: an advanced course doesn't mean paddling in completely crazy conditions, but rather learning completely crazy things. There's a difference!

Normal price
1250 CHF*

Price including use of our gear

This price includes a kayak, paddle and all the gear you need for participating. You need to order this gear separately after booking, ahead the programme.

Arrival and departure, accommodation and meals are the responsibility of the participants and are therefore not included in the price.

Reduced Price
1100 CHF*

Price with your own material

Price if you participate with your own equipment. You are responsible for bringing your kayak and equipment and, if necessary, transporting them during the programme.

Arrival and departure, accommodation and meals are the responsibility of the participants and are therefore not included in the price.

Make two weeks out of one and save a lot of money!

Book the Course Week Basque Country and the Sea Kayak Holidays Basque Country together for the special package price of only 1900 CHF* (reduced price with your own material) or 2200 CHF* (normal price with material from us).

*Net price plus Spanish VAT (21%)

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