The Mediterranean, proving its worth. Photo: Andrea Bianchi
The Mediterranean Sea washes up against 22 countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. It has 28,600 miles of coastline and includes 15 smaller seas, such as the Balearic Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the Levantine Sea and the Ionian Sea. It also has waves. They are fickle, beautiful, wind-generated, short-lived, and inconsistent, but especially in winter, damn surfable. With the Med’s surf season approaching, we look at the famous sea’s best waves.
Cap Merou Lefts, Tabarka, Tunisia
“Cap Merou lefts in Tabarka, Tunisia is one of my favorite waves in the Med,” said legendary surf explorer Anthony” Yep” Colas, who apart from hitting all the well-known spots in the Mediterranean, has surfed Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Malta, Cyprus, and Montenegro. “It’s a long, hollow, left-hand point break and it’s pretty consistent in winter.” The wave is close to the Algerian border, with a wide swell exposure and offshore in prevailing winds. Crowds won’t be an issue, and the U.S. State Department is currently advising U.S. citizens to exercise a high level of caution when traveling to Tunisia due to the threat of terrorism. Tunisia isn’t an easy place to get to, or travel around, but the rewards are incredible.
La Secca, Varazze, Italy
La Secca in Varazze is arguably Italy’s premier break. It is a powerful A-frame peak that comes alive with any localized southwest-to-southeast swell and can handle the winter’s strong mistral NW winds. It is in the province of Savona in the Italian region of Liguria, about 20 miles west of Genoa, towards the French border. The right provides a longer, workable wall, the left punchier and hollower. Breaking over rocks that were dumped in the ocean during a 1960s highway construction, its rare quality attracts a hardcore crew of Italian and French surfers and is crowded every time it breaks. As for size, La Secca can handle it.
Banzai, Ladispoli, Italy
The right-hander, the closest quality wave to Rome, must have been named ironically. The majority of the Med’s storms form off the coast of France and trundle up through the center, fanning swells to the major landmasses along the way. Unfortunately for the coasts near the Italian capital, the major Italian islands of Sardinia, Corsica and Sicily block those swells from hitting the coast. “If it is breaking, by definition, it’s a good day,” Italian surfer and Banzai local Roby D’Amico told The Inertia. “If you see color on the charts, you know you will be surfing, no matter what else you have on.” Roby grew up in Ladispoli, about 10 miles from Banzai. When the swells do reach the scattered rock reef, the right-hander with the odd left provides some of the best shape and quality waves in Italy. “Scoring at home remains the most unique and special surf session that I’ve ever had,” said Roby. “You just have to be patient.”
Salt Pan Lefts, Gozo, Malta
Another one of Yep Colas’ recommendations, Salt Pan Lefts is on Gozo, the small island to the north of Malta. The chain sits in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and is the most southerly European nation, as close to Africa as it is to Sicily. As such, it picks up all the Mistral wind-driven waves and might be the closest to ever being that most rare of Mediterranean unicorns; a swell magnet. Salt Pans near Qbajjar, is the Island’s best wave. Breaking off the distinctive checkerboard of rock-cut salt pans that were first cut by the Phoenicians, it is a left, wally wave that breaks outside and cleans up as it enters the bay. Not world-class by imagination, but given the scenery and history, a must-surf.
Capo and Mini Capo, Sardinia
Sardinia, thanks to its bullseye spot in the Mediterranean Sea, receives more swells than most. Waves are sourced from the cool northwest Mistral, westerly Ponente and more southerly Libeccio winds, and it claims to have a highly debatable 300 days of surfable waves per year. What isn’t up for question is that the island’s best waves are located on Capo Mannu, the headland on the Island’s west coast. Capo is a long, hollow right pointbreak that reels down the south side of the Sinis Peninsula, and so is sheltered from the winter NW gales. Nearby is the reef of Mini Capo, a more technical A-Frame peak that is shorter and punchier. All come with urchins and rocks, both more friendly than the local crowds.
Backdoor, Haifa Israel
Perhaps like Banzai in the list, Backdoor, the reefbreak in Haifa, may have been named with at least one tongue in a cheek. Protected by two jetties, it does provide the country’s hollowest waves, though at a fraction of the size, power or quality range of its Hawaiian namesake. The wave is at Bat Galim beach, just to the north of Tel Aviv, and the small take-off zone is often crowded. On the positive side, the winter southwest winds are offshore, the reef’s mossy layer is soft, and it remains one of Israel’s surf culture hubs.
