The best beaches in Cantabria for surfing.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SURF IN CANTABRIA

Is it true that Cantabria is not very welcoming? It’s difficult for it to be so in a land where the weather doesn’t always cooperate. However, one always comes back to it. The endless green meadows, the valleys and villages anchored in an almost indecipherable past, the eternal snows of the Picos de Europa… And of course, the beaches and surfing! Cantabria is one of the epicenters of surfing on the Iberian Peninsula. Today, we talk about the best beaches and the best waves in this beautiful part of Spain, formerly known as The Mountain. Happy reading and happy waves.

Cantabria has always been known as The Mountain. The nickname referred to its mountainous profile, truly superb, a fierce topography that undoubtedly made Romans and Arabs think: ‘This is not good’. And some claim that it is in the four cuts that cross the region (the Picos de Europa, the valleys of Cabuérniga and Iguña, and the Vega del Paso) where its most genuine face is hidden. A land anchored in the past, magical in essence. But, truly, the coast is no less seductive. Cantabria boasts one of the most beautiful coastlines in Spain. Pure Cantabrian, and of course, pure surf.

Beaches like Somo and Langre, or like those of Berria, Laredo, Trengandín, Liencres , Suances and San Vicente de la Barquera , with its collegiate church and the impressive wall of the Picos de Europa as a backdrop, are enough to catch the attention of those of us who opt for a rough sea, with always powerful and fascinating waves.

And without further ado, here we leave you a small guide with the best places to surf in Cantabria. Ready? Let’s begin.

LAREDO BEACH

It is one of the queen beaches of Cantabria: an impressive five-kilometer sandy beach, well-known and crowded. And undoubtedly, one of the favorite surf spots of the Single Quiver team in winter, suitable for all levels. Laredo can boast of having very good waves both right and left. Highlights include El Espigón, powerful right-hander; La Playa, with variable peaks; and Los Pinos, a good right-hander.

Don’t miss our guide on where to surf in Laredo and when to go.

BERRIA BEACH IN SANTOÑA

Wild and beautiful beach. Located at the foot of Mount Buciero, in the municipality of Santoña, it has over 2 kilometers of white sands and right and left peaks for all types of surfers. If conditions are good, you will find fast and tubular waves. On calm days, it is a perfect place to start surfing.

If you are planning to stay in Berria during your next surf trip, don’t miss our recommendations on the best surf camps in Cantabria to stay.

LA FORTALEZA, IN SANTOÑA

La Fortaleza is one of the most amazing spots in Cantabria, but also one of the most capricious and demanding from a physical point of view. It is located in the bay of Santoña, next to the mouth of the Asón River and in front of the San Carlos fort, from which it takes its name. You have to be in very good shape to reach the peak: sometimes, more than forty minutes of paddling. However, when the conditions are perfect, the effort is worth it. La Fortaleza is an extremely long and fast left-hander, perfect for maneuvers and having a great time.

TRENGANDÍN BEACH, NOJA

In Noja, the good part begins when you leave behind the small urban hive and reach Trengandín Beach. At low tide, you are presented with a landscape of fine golden sand, dotted with black rocks, a postcard completed by Mount Mijedo falling gently towards the shore, like a vegetal carpet of pine trees.

Trengandín holds one of the best waves on the Cantabrian coast: El Brusco . It lights up in autumn and winter, and when conditions are good it is capable of giving you the surf of your life, a powerful and tubular session.

CUBERRIS BEACH, AJO

Located in Bareyo, less than forty kilometers from Santander. Surrounded by endless green tones that dye valleys and meadows, with fine and golden sand, this beach stands out for the consistency of its waves, which change according to the sand bottoms. The west part receives more sea and usually offers fast and tubular lefts. In the east, La Cala stands out, a fast wave, perfect for sparking your repertoire of maneuvers.

LANGRE BEACH, RIBAMONTÁN AL MAR

One of the most beautiful beaches in Cantabria. And that’s saying a lot. It is an imposing sandy and wild amphitheater surrounded by beautiful cliffs almost thirty meters high, where cows graze peacefully. Before, you had to descend to the sand by a steep path. Today there is a staircase that facilitates access.

Some say that Langre Beach is a bite that the Cantabrian Sea took from the meadows. And indeed, it seems so. Its waves and landscape make an ideal setting to start surfing.

SANTA MARINA ISLAND, NEAR LOREDO

Santa Marina Island is a world-class spot only for experts. It is one of the most mythical waves of the Cantabrian Sea, a monumental, long and powerful right that breaks over sand and rock and can reach five meters. Pure adrenaline.

SOMO BEACH, RIBAMONTÁN AL MAR

And we arrive at Somo, a perfect example of a beach with views. In the background, on the horizon, you can see the Magdalena Peninsula in Santander, where the majestic palace where Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia de Battenberg spent their summers stands. You can also see Mouro Island with its lighthouse. And in the vicinity of Loredo, Santa Marina Island.

But Somo beach , which at low tide becomes an almost infinite sandbank that extends from Loredo to El Puntal, is not just a landscape. Somo is surfing, the cradle of surfing in Cantabria, one of the most beloved places by surfers in the region, an idyllic beachbreak. And this for a simple reason: waves every day of the year, suitable for all levels. Three peaks stand out: La Curva, long lefts and rights; El Camping, long and powerful left; and El Barco, the most variable.

SARDINERO BEACHES

Who hasn’t heard of Sardinero beaches? The sandy beaches of this evocative neighborhood of Santander are undoubtedly among the most elegant and beautiful in Spain. There are two beaches, Grande and Pequeña, separated, at high tide, by Los Jardines del Piquío. Their waves are suitable for all levels. La Concha’s left stands out; the powerful and hollow right of El Azucarillo; and El Piquio, with powerful lefts and rights. Of course, it is a very crowded spot, but here the locals are quite peaceful.

LA VACA, SANTANDER

Big deal. La Vaca is an XXL spot only for experts, a beastly wave that reaches sessions of up to 5 meters and until recently an important event on the competitive Big Surf calendar. Some compare it to Sunset Beach, but La Vaca has its own personality. Pure adrenaline, like walking on the moon.

CANALLAVE AND VALDEARENAS, LIENCRES BEACHES

Very close to Santander, Canallave, in the heart of the Natural Park of the Liencres Dunes, is the beach to go to when there are no waves in the rest of the Cantabrian areas. Along with its neighbor Valdearenas, with which it joins at low tide, it is one of the most consistent spots along the entire northern coast of the peninsula, an ideal beach for surfing at any time of the year. It has different peaks, but also many rocks. So be especially careful with them not to hurt yourselves. Standouts include El Madero, a very fast right; La Lastra, powerful right and left tubes; and «Entreplayas», long rights and lefts with hollow sections.

PLAYA DE LOS LOCOS, EN SUANCES

Suances has excellent beaches for surfing, but its most famous spot is located in the beach of Los Locos. This is another hot spot for surfing in Cantabria. A beach that enjoys very good waves, but with a somewhat stressful atmosphere. It is very typical to see several surfers on the same wave and the locals jumping waves over each other. Thanks to its orientation, it has waves throughout the year. And indeed, almost any swell enters Los Locos, no matter how small it may be.

OYAMBRE BEACH

This is the only beach in Valdáliga, a municipality nestled between San Vicente de la Barquera and Comillas. But what a beach! It is adorned with small cliffs, forests, green meadows, a dune field… And of course, its open position to the Cantabrian Sea makes it a perfect sandy beach for surfing, a spot suitable for all levels and ideal for beginners. Standouts include El Pájaro Amarillo, a long left, very good for maneuvering; and El Golf, with variable peaks.

SAN VICENTE DE LA BARQUERA

If Laredo was our favorite spot for winter, San Vicente is for any time of the year. It’s a pity that it requires very specific conditions to enjoy its long rights. Stands out El Farolillo, a very good right, long and perfect for maneuvering.

WHEN TO GO TO CANTABRIA FOR SURFING

The wide variety of beaches in Cantabria makes surfing possible throughout the year. Our recommendation: Winter with a good forecast Laredo. In spring Somo and in summer Liencres and very specific days in San Vicente de la Barquera. Throughout the year, Playa de Berria.

WHAT WETSUIT SHOULD I WEAR FOR SURFING IN CANTABRIA

The choice of wetsuit will depend on the time of year you travel. From January to February, the water temperature is around 12 degrees. Therefore, we recommend using a 5mm thick wetsuit during this time. That is, a 5/4/3 or a 4/3 with hood, booties, and gloves.

If you travel to Cantabria from March to April, the water temperature is somewhat more pleasant, reaching up to 13 degrees. Even so, if you don’t want to feel cold, we continue with the same wetsuit recommendation. 4/3 or even 5/4 depending on the outside temperature.

From May to June, the water reaches 15 degrees. This allows us to switch from the 4/3 mm to a 3/2. The best 3/2 wetsuit we have had the opportunity to try is the Oneill Hyperfreak Comp 3/2 mm . A wetsuit that has captivated us after testing it, and you can read its full review on our Wetsuits section or by clicking here .

From July to August, it is the time of the year with the warmest water. Around 19 – 21 degrees. Here we recommend a 2/2 mm like the Oneill Hammer . or even surfing in boardshorts on sunny days.

Between September and October, you can continue with the 2/2 or if you are colder, switch to a 3/2 mm wetsuit.

And finally, November and December is time to bring out the 4/3 once again . This is our wetsuit recommendation for a Surftrip to Cantabria in Autumn:

✓ Hurley Advantage Plus 4/3mm

The advantage plus It is a super comfortable and warm suit. Incorporates a zipper on the chest that can be opened from both ends. With a soft and airtight design, it is easy to put on and take off. In addition, its innovative closure system allows you to use only one hand to secure the chest opening.

WETSUIT OUTLET

✓ Hurley Advantage Plus Women

For girls, our recommendation for price, warmth, elasticity and comfort is the Hurley Advantage Plus 4/3mm.

✓ Premium Supercomp 4/3.5mm

The model Supercomp 4/3.5 by Premium Wetsuits is an affordable high-end surfing suit. A good suit for those who feel the cold. Comfortable, warm and with 100% sealed seams. More comfortable than the Hurley, warmer than the Premium.

WHAT SURFBOARDS TO BRING FOR SURFING IN CANTABRIA

It will all depend on the month you travel. If you travel to Cantabria between September and December, it will be best to get a board suitable for the most demanding conditions. This time of year, besides being the most consistent in waves, requires a certain level to be able to paddle out.

✓ Ghost Pyzel

The Ghost by Pyzel Surfboards is a high performance board designed for surfing hollow and powerful waves. Like the ones we have in the Cantabrian Sea during autumn.

PYZEL CATALOG

✓ Hot Knife Chilli

The Chilli Hot Knife is the board I usually use to surf in Laredo. You can read our complete review here .

CHILLI SURFBOARDS OFFERS

✓ Maguro Sharp Eye

If you are into the twinfin vibe and more retro surfing, the Maguro by Sharp Eye is your board. This twinfin has captivated us this summer with its paddling power and acceleration ability.

SHARPEYE CATALOG

In any case, before traveling, we advise you to check the wave forecasts for those days and based on the report, choose the most suitable board.

These are for us the 5 best wave forecast apps where you can check the wave forecasts in Cantabria.

WHAT TO SEE ON THE CANTABRIAN COAST

Some say that the greatest beauty of Cantabria lies in its interior. And it is true that the inland regions, with those seas of fog enveloping the valleys and those winters that last nearly ten months, are perhaps the most authentic in Cantabria. But the coast and the seaside towns are no less beautiful and seductive. Think, for example, of the capital, Santander, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. And what about San Vicente de la Barquera? There, from the very beach, one can gaze into the distance at the snowy Picos de Europa for most of the year.

Yes, the charm of the interior extends to the coast. Cliffs, beaches, crags… Such is the magic of the Cantabrian coast that a stone’s throw from Santander are the Altamira Caves to remind us of the way the Paleolithic hunter-gatherer peoples viewed the world, or Santillana del Mar, an astonishing sprout from the Middle Ages.

Our friends from viajarenautocaravana.pro advise us on the following route, that starts in Santander and ends in San Vicente de la Barquera. Along the way, Santillana del Mar, Comillas, the Natural Park of Oyambre and two villages with a clear mountain flavor, Barcena Mayor and Tudanca. A route, therefore, that combines the sea and the mountains. From east to west. It is also a route with religious roots, linked to the first Camino de Santiago; the one that skirted the Cantabrian coast and guarded the pilgrim’s steps in the times when the Reconquest had not yet extended the Christian limits to the south of the Ebro valley.

To discover all the most beautiful places to visit on the Cantabrian coast and beaches where you can stay overnight in Cantabria we advise you to follow the advice of this blog. Cantabria, Asturias and the Basque Country have become quite restrictive when it comes to overnight stays for this type of motorhome tourism.

Views from the Caballo Lighthouse, Santoña – Photo: Carlos Fernández

SANTANDER

Capital of the green Mountain, friendly, cosmopolitan and elegant city, Santander overlooks the fierce Cantabrian Sea from the gray cliffs and sandy beaches.

Josefina Molina said that if she were the mayor, she would close its land entrances and would require entry into Santander from the sea: “The boats would arrive full of people and a decree would dictate that they sail at night, when its beauty impacts and overwhelms you.” I agree Santander is a beautiful city day and night, but its true charm is at dusk.

What to see in Santander

The Cathedral, the Plaza Porticada, Calle de los Azogues, Paseo de Pereda, Avenida de la Reina Victoria, Sardinero Beaches, Peninsula of La Magdalena and the Piquío Gardens are, by themselves, essential reference points that endorse the beauty of the capital of Cantabria.

The Cathedral. From the 13th century in Gothic style. Azorín adored the simplicity of this temple. “The cathedral of Santander,” he wrote, “is simple and small; but in its very smallness and austerity it has a powerful attraction that those other sumptuous and wide ones do not possess.” It’s true. Down in the crypt of Christ, you can also see the remnants of the Roman baths.

Plaza Porticada. It was built after the dreadful fire that, in 1941, razed most of the old town. Terraces, old and modern shops, the clock of the Town Hall, which more than giving the time seems to sing…

Paseo Pereda. It is named in memory of the 19th century novelist José María Pereda. It is a top-notch promenade that runs parallel to the bay. There is the Casino, built in 1913 to compete with the great European casinos, and also the headquarters of Banco Santander, a cathedral-like building, with a triumphal arch in the middle that surpasses those of Rome.

Queen Victoria Promenade follows Pereda towards La Magdalena. Strolling here leisurely, as the evening falls, is one of the main highlights of Santander.

And we reach the Peninsula of La Magdalena . As García de Cortázar says, La Magdalena is many things. It is a beach; it is a tiny peninsula that calmly enters the sea; a garden with memorable views; and an English-style palace that summarizes an entire era, the era of the summers of Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg. Today the palace is the headquarters of the Menéndez Pelayo International University.

El Sardinero and Piquío Gardens. The Sardinero beaches are among the most prestigious urban beaches in Spain. There we also find one of the most evocative places in Santander: the Piquío Gardens, with its towering palm trees and centuries-old elms.

And since we are talking about landmarks, it is impossible not to mention the path that leads from Sardinero to the Cabo Mayor Lighthouse , a walk between beaches and cliffs hard to forget. Next to the Lighthouse, a fabulous natural breakwater, there is a bar to say goodbye to the day with a drink and sea views.

COVACHOS BEACH AND ARNÍA BEACH, THE BROKEN COAST

The Geological Park of Costa Quebrada starts at Magdalena Beach in Santander and ends at Cuchía Beach in Miengo. Along the way, a marvel of landscapes where the sea has created a set of structures and shapes that no one should miss. Just the name, Costa Quebrada, already announces the treasure that awaits the traveler: cliffs, dunes, islets, beaches with crystal clear waters … We recommend two stops: Covachos and Arnía.

Covachos Beach. Ten kilometers from Santander. It is a unique place, a splendid half moon of just 50 meters, with a stream that cascades down from the surrounding cliff and an island, Castro, that appears and disappears with the tide, as it is connected to the beach during low tide. Surrounding it are meadows where cattle graze freely. And very close by, the spectacular Natural Park of the Dunas de Liencres, a landscape half wooded half sandy, flanked by the rugged coast and the mouth of the Pas River.

Arnía Beach. It is a stone’s throw from Covachos Beach, following the CA 231 road. Cliffs battered by the waves, a small sandy area of 100 meters crossed by magnificent cliffs, crystal clear waters… There are few places in Europe like this beach. Especially when evening falls and the colors of twilight emphasize the mythical halo that surrounds the sharp and vertical rocks that jut out of the sea.

SANTILLANA DEL MAR

Any adjective falls short of the beauty of this town popularly known as the village of the three lies, because Santillana del Mar is neither ‘saintly’ nor ‘flat’ nor does it have the sea. Regarding it, Jean Paul Sartre wrote: ‘A true relic of human life’.

And it’s true. Santillana del Mar envelops the traveler like a mist from the time of the Crusades. Its medieval layout, its palaces and manor houses with old noble shields, its cobbled streets, the Gil Blas inn, the Merino Tower, the Collegiate Church, the Borja Palace, with its magnificent ogival arch… Yes, one could think that they are truly in the Middle Ages if it weren’t for the fact that the town is clean, doesn’t smell of manure and dozens of shops display their goods at the ancient doors to attract tourists’ attention.

What to see in Santillana del Mar

The best thing about Santillana del Mar is to lazily stroll through the main street and its uneven fork-shaped branches, the longest of which leads to the Collegiate Church square. Collegiate Church And of course, the walk must be completed with a visit to this beautiful temple that preserves its original Romanesque structure.

Even the exterior is dazzling. But the jewel of this old abbey is in the cloister, an enchanted space of poetry, art, and meditation. The gaze must be inexorably drawn to the wonderful capitals of the columns that support the round arches. They are a wonder: scenes of the Calvary, martyrdoms, celebrations and hunts, religious and profane matters, flowers, birds, steeds, friars, and warriors… A profound life escapes from them, as the poet and novelist Ricardo León said. The entire cloister, a magical place where death seems to have an expression of eternal life.

ALTAMIRA CAVES

But the journey continues. Just two kilometers from Santillana, another surprise awaits us, another tunnel of time: the Sistine Chapel of the Paleolithic, a cave where the bison, deer, and wild boar of fifteen thousand years ago continue to graze, the cave paintings of Altamira.

Access to the original cave is restricted to scholars to avoid deterioration of the paintings, but the visit to the Neocueva, a faithful reproduction that can be seen in the National Museum and Research Center of Altamira, is worth the detour.

Like in some novels, there you are immersed in two very distant temporal planes that end up constituting a single plot. The first of them lasts, amazingly, about fifteen thousand years, and corresponds to the moment when those vigorously drawn bisons on the rocky wall were painted. The second story is much closer: it begins in 1789, when a girl accompanying her father exploring a cave looks at the ceiling and sees something that the father has not noticed, some figures of reddish bisons. «Look, cows!», they say she exclaimed.

QUOTATIONS

Very close to Santillana del Mar, less than 20 kilometers away, is the beautiful and stately Comillas. Known as the «archbishops’ town», for having up to five prelates born in it, However, Comillas owes its fame to the whim of an «indiano», Mr. Antonio Lopez y Lopez, who dedicated his fortune amassed in Cuba to beautify it.

What is to see in Comillas

Sobrellano Palace, the Chapel-Mausoleum of the Marquis of Comillas and the Pontifical University are the most representative places of the effort of the first Marquis to beautify his hometown.

To these modernist lineage buildings, of course, one must add the Whim , a colorful mansion built by Gaudi for Mr. Maximo Diaz de Quijano, whose love for the piano inspired the name of the residence.

To finish the modernist route that Comillas proposes, one must visit the cemetery , beautiful as few, guarded by a sculpture of the Exterminating Angel, work of Josep Llimona, with views of the sea.

THE GREEN RAY AND OYAMBRE CURVE

Before deviating inland, towards the Cabuérniga valley, there are two unavoidable visits. The first, the Green Ray, a hill located in Comillas, unique for its views of the Oyambre Natural Park and the beaches of San Vicente de la Barquera, with its castle and the Picos de Europa as a backdrop. The second, the famous Oyambre Curve, at the mouth of the sinuous Rabia estuary.

CABUÉRNIGA VALLEY AND BARCENA LA MAYOR

Cabrón de la Sal, Carrejo and Ruente are the endearing prelude to one of the most famous villages in Cantabria, Barcena Mayor, a place that sheltered Carlos V and his entourage in 1517. Rare is the list of the most beautiful villages in Spain where this historical site of neat mountain knowledge does not appear. Cobbled streets, balconies full of flowers, wide stone porches… Yes, Barcena Mayor is a rural architecture wonder where time seems to have stopped.

TUDANCA

Less than fifty kilometers separate Barcena Mayor from another village in the Mountain declared a historical site, Tudanca, hidden among green meadows, full of literary memories. And there is the house of Mr. Celso, the character from Peñas Arriba , the novel by José María Pereda: an 18th century mansion that belonged to José María Cossío in real life and that, in the first half of the 20th century, was visited by the great writers of ’98 and ’27.

Here, in Tudanca, the Mountain is, more than ever, elusive and beautiful. The meadows wake up between static sea of fog. And dusk comes, like dawn, in the middle of a symphony of cowbells that the cows shake when going up and down all kinds of slopes.

SAN VICENTE DE LA BARQUERA

The route we chose to go from Tudanca to San Vicente de la Barquera passes through some of the most beautiful landscapes of the Nansa River Basin. Cossío, adorned with noble stories and Indian houses; Puentenansa, a crossroads from where you can access the Carmona valley; the Soplao Cave, cave and mine accessed by an evocative mining train; and Pesués, with the extraordinary view of the Tina Menor estuary, the mouth of the Nansa.

What to see in San Vicente de la Barquera

San Vicente de la Barquera is less than 10 kilometers from Pesués. San Vicente de la Barquera is a delightful fishing village that is hard to leave, such is the charm of its streets and its magnificent arcaded square, the spell of its beaches and marshes, the quality of its restaurants, the majestic shadow of its castle, and the beauty of the Church of Our Lady of the Angels . There is one of the most impressive tombs in Spain, the tomb of the inquisitor Don Antonio del Corro, in Renaissance style.

EATING IN CANTABRIA

The cuisine of this land is already mentioned in the Book of Good Love, by the famous Archpriest of Hita: ‘From Santander came the red lobsters’. Sure enough, fish is one of the main dishes on this route: hake in green sauce, anchovies in casserole, baked bream or sea bass, seafood… But of course, we are in the Mountain, and here there are no shortage of meats and garden products, with a special preference for beans, white or colored. And for dessert, two delights at odds with the diet: cheesecake and butter cakes.

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