Across the Urumea river from the old town, Playa de la Zurriola is where the surfers go. The beach faces more directly into the Atlantic swells than the sheltered La Concha, and its waves are consistent enough to have made it the home beach of some of Spain's best surfers. The Gros neighbourhood that backs it has a younger, more local feel than the centro; pintxo bars here are excellent and cheaper than in the Parte Vieja.
The surf school on the beach rents boards and gives lessons for beginners from April through October. Even in summer the waves can be substantial — not always comfortable for swimming but mesmerizing to watch from the beach. In September, during the film festival, the beach fills with film industry people escaping the formality of the Kursaal, which sits at the beach's western end. Zurriola is the beach to come to if the crowds at La Concha feel oppressive.