Ribamontán al Mar, the municipality of Somo y Loredo, was the first in Spain to declare itself a Surf Reserve. It is not a tourist label: it means that the wave and the beach are protected as a resource, with the surfing community included in the equation.
Long swells, sandy bottom and no rocks: La Salvé, Berria, Ris, Somo, Los Locos. They break gently and forgive mistakes, which is exactly what someone taking to a board for the first time needs.
The Cantabrian coast has towns right next to the beaches, so you can walk to class. It sounds like a minor detail, but it isn't: it's the difference between a relaxed weekend and one spent organizing travel.
Here, surfing isn't just a summer business. The schools work from January to December, and championships take place in the middle of winter. A weekend in November with an empty beach is, for many, a better plan than one in August.
An editorial showcase of what the destination offers. Nothing to book here - we shape it when you write to us.
The active side: guided or self-guided activities, no sugar-coating the gradient.
What makes this place different: heritage, crafts, local history.
Eating well without the manual - local product, village pace.
Where you sleep - inns, rural houses, hotels with character in the valley.
Landscape unfiltered: what you see on foot, without the car.
Half-hour side trips if you've time left or it rains.
When: you can surf all year round. To learn, spring and autumn usually offer the best balance between manageable waves and empty beaches; in the middle of summer, the sea tends to be calmer, which isn't bad for beginners either.
The water: always cold. It hovers around thirteen degrees in winter and twenty in the middle of August. Schools provide wetsuits with the lesson, and they are thicker in winter.
The tide dictates the schedule: not the clock or your agenda. That is why schools confirm the class time just a few days in advance, once they know what the sea will be like.
What to bring: swimwear, a towel, and something warm to wear afterwards. The school always provides the board and the wetsuit.
Car: highly recommended. The A-8 runs along the entire coast and connects the towns to each other in minutes.
To surf completely? No. To stand up in a whitewater wave and understand what it's all about? Yes — that is exactly what two beginner lessons cover. Most people are up on the board by the first or second session.
The Cantabrian Sea is cool all year round: about thirteen degrees in winter and around twenty in August. You'll be perfectly fine with the wetsuit provided by the school; in winter, the suit is thicker and booties are added.
Spring and autumn are usually the best times to learn: the sea is calmer than in winter, beaches are less crowded than in summer, and temperatures are reasonable. In July and August, the waves are smaller, which isn't a problem for beginners either.
No. All the equipment is included in these getaways. You only need a swimsuit and a towel.
Because the tide marks it, and the tide changes every day. The schools close their schedules a few days in advance, once they know how the sea is behaving. It is to ensure the class takes place at the best time of the day.
Not for the weekend itself, if the accommodation is right on the beach. But to get around the coast and see more than just one town, yes—the A-8 connects everything, and without a car, you miss out on a lot.
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