Sopela, formerly known as Sopelana, is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.
It was at first a primarily tourist destination, where the properties and house owners only moved to spend summer holidays but it has turned into a residential town.
Sopela belongs to a region called Uribe that is composed by 15 municipalities that are: Arrieta, Bakio, Barrika, Gámiz-Fica, Gatika, Górliz, Laukiniz, Lemoniz, Maruri-Jatabe, Meñaka, Mungia, Plencia, Sopelana and Urduliz.
It borders with the Cantabrian sea in the north, what makes Sopelana have spectacular cliffs and beaches (Barinatxe, Arrietara, Atxabiribil and Meñakoz).
Northern winds often bring the winter temperature to just above the freezing point, but summers are usually comfortable from late May to early September.
A fourth beach, Meñakoz is of less appeal for sun worshippers and more for the surfer crowd due to the pebble bed ground.
The shopping centres are located a short car ride away in nearby towns like Getxo, Leioa, Barakaldo, or Bilbao.