Surfing Santander & Somo

Beach Break · Best Year-round · 1-6 ft · Crowd 4/5

N-NW swell, SE offshore wind, all tides

Somo is the long beach across the bay from Santander, backed by dunes and a small surf village, and the place most people in Cantabria learn to surf. The bay shelters it a little, so it's usually smaller and cleaner than the open beaches further west.

The waves are peaks over sand along the whole beach, and it works on most tides. On a bigger north-west swell the banks at the eastern end, towards Loredo, get punchier. There are surf schools all along the front, and in summer the line-up is busy with lessons.

You can get there by car, or by the passenger boat from the Santander waterfront, which takes about half an hour.

Beach Break · Best Oct-Mar · 2-6 ft · Crowd 2/5

NW swell, SW offshore wind, low tide

Langre is a beach under high cliffs a few kilometres east of Somo, reached by a path and stairs from the car park above. It's much quieter than Somo, and the setting is one of the prettiest in Cantabria.

It picks up north-west swell and is best around low tide, with peaks over sand and some rocks at the ends. When the tide is high there is little beach left. It's a good option when Somo is crowded, for surfers who can handle a bit more power.

Beach Break · Best Oct-Mar · 2-6 ft · Crowd 4/5

Big NW swell, WSW offshore wind, mid tide

El Sardinero is Santander's city beach, a wide curve of sand below the promenade and the Gran Casino. It sits inside the bay, so it needs a bigger north-west swell than the open coast, but when that arrives it has good peaks, especially at the Segunda playa.

Being in the city, it gets busy with local surfers after work. As on most urban beaches, the water quality can drop after heavy rain.

In summer it's a crowded city beach with flags and lifeguards, and the waves are usually small. If it's too small, Somo, across the bay, or Liencres, to the west, will have more swell.

Beach Break · Best Sep-Apr · 2-8 ft · Crowd 4/5

NW swell, SE offshore wind, low to mid tide

Liencres is the beach at the Dunas de Liencres natural park, west of Santander, where Valdearenas and Canallave run below the dunes and the pine forest. It's open to the north-west and picks up more swell than Somo, so it's often the first place locals check.

The peaks over sand can be powerful, and the currents are strong, especially near the river mouth at the eastern end. It gets crowded when it's good. Out of summer it's one of the most consistent beaches in Cantabria.