Surf Holidays Santander & Somo The first surfing reserve in Spain

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Santander & Somo

In 1963 Jesús Fiochi of Santander became the first Spanish surfer when he rode a wave on Santanders El Sardinero beach. Since then the region in the state of Cantabria in Northern Spain has become rich in surfing history and has a tradition of producing some of Spain's best surfers.

Santander is the capital of Cantabria, and has a population of approximately 175,000. It has its own airport and ferry service to the UK. Across the bay is the surf town of Somo, a small town that has grown to become a thriving surf centre full of surf schools, surf shops, surf camps & surf cafés and other facilities such as the skate park opened in 2012.

Somo is on the beach so everything is within easy walking distance. It is a laid back place so just imagine yourself with sand in your shoes for your entire surf holiday in Somo!

In 2012, the 12km wave-rich stretch of coastline from Somo to Galizano, known as Ribamontán al Mar, was officially declared the first Surfing Reserve in Spain. This recognised the importance of surfing in the region and put it on the world map as one of the best surf holiday locations in Europe.

It is estimated the Santander and Somo coastline receives 300 days of waves a year! The long white sandy beaches are perfect for beginners learning how to surf or intermediates wanting to progress. For advanced there are reefs off the cliffs further East of Somo.

The main surf beaches in the area are: El Puntal, Somo, Loredo, Galizano y Langre. As well as surf they offer spectacular scenery and beauty. Langre beach regularly features in the top 10 beaches in Spain. A surf holiday in Somo is a great place to stay as a base. It offers a variety of different accommodation types, surf schools and Somo surf camps. The beach in Somo stretches for 6kms and off the beach there are cafés, restaurants, bars, In 2011 a skatepark was added, facing out onto the beach.

The cuisine of Ribamontán al Mar is one of its hallmarks. Thanks to its excellent location on the coast and its proximity to rural farming land the region offers a great choice with plenty of its own natural products. You can choose from local rural restaurants in Somo or head to Santander for a much larger choice.

As well as surfing in Somo, the surrounding area offers a lot of natural beauty. Small forests, country roads, interesting paths that take you from meadow land down to the beach. Great for exploring on foot, car or on a bike - most surf camps in Somo have bike rental.

The region gets mixed weather, it reaches 25°C in summer and 13°C in winter, and it gets it fair share of rain, giving it a lovely green landscape.
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Weather Conditions

J/F M/A M/J J/A S/O N/D
Air Temp (°C)
12°
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Wetsuits
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Surf conditions for Beginners:

Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon JAN for BEG level
J
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon FEB for BEG level
F
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon MAR for BEG level
M
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon APR for BEG level
A
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon MAY for BEG level
M
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon JUN for BEG level
J
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon JUL for BEG level
J
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon AUG for BEG level
A
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon SEP for BEG level
S
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon OCT for BEG level
O
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon NOV for BEG level
N
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon DEC for BEG level
D

Surf conditions for Intermediates:

Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon JAN for INT level
J
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon FEB for INT level
F
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon MAR for INT level
M
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon APR for INT level
A
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon MAY for INT level
M
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon JUN for INT level
J
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon JUL for INT level
J
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon AUG for INT level
A
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon SEP for INT level
S
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon OCT for INT level
O
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon NOV for INT level
N
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon DEC for INT level
D

Surf conditions for Advanced:

Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon JAN for ADV level
J
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon FEB for ADV level
F
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon MAR for ADV level
M
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon APR for ADV level
A
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon MAY for ADV level
M
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon JUN for ADV level
J
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon JUL for ADV level
J
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon AUG for ADV level
A
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon SEP for ADV level
S
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon OCT for ADV level
O
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon NOV for ADV level
N
Surf Conditions in Santander & Somoon DEC for ADV level
D

Rain

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Surf Lessons / Guide available on site
Suitable for: Beg/Int/Adv
Surf Lessons / Guide available on site
Suitable for: Beg/Int/Adv
Add Surf Lessons / Guide in the booking steps
Suitable for: Beg/Int/Adv
Surf Lessons / Guide available on site
Suitable for: Beg/Int/Adv
Surf Lessons / Guide available on site
Suitable for: Beg/Int/Adv
Surf Lessons / Guide available on site
Suitable for: Beg/Int/Adv
Surf Lessons / Guide available on site
Suitable for: Beg/Int/Adv
Surf Lessons / Guide available on site
Suitable for: Beg/Int/Adv
Surf Lessons / Guide available on site
Suitable for: Beg/Int/Adv
Surf Lessons / Guide available on site
Suitable for: Beg/Int/Adv

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Lessons from

$30

Reviews (1)

     

5 out of 5

Escuela de Surf La Curva
  • Surf School
  • Spain
  • Santander & Somo
  • Main Surf Beach: Somo-Loredo
  • Pick up from Accommodation
  • Surf lessons available in Escuela de Surf La Curva Lessons: Kids Surf , Beginner Surf , Intermediate Surf & Advanced Surf
  • Children & Adult surf lessons
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  •   Escuela Cantabra de Surf
Lessons from

$35

Reviews (5)

     

5 out of 5

Escuela Cantabra de surf Quiksilver Roxy
  • Surf School
  • Spain
  • Santander & Somo
  • Main Surf Beach: Playa de Somo, Cantabria
  • Pick up from Central Meeting Point
  • Surf lessons available in Escuela Cantabra de surf Quiksilver Roxy Lessons: Kids Surf , Beginner Surf , Intermediate Surf , Advanced Surf , Private Surf & SUP
  • Children & Adult surf lessons
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Santander

What great surroundings for a city – striking cliffs and superb beaches! Santander is an important Spanish port with a very relaxed vibe. The town has 3 beautiful beaches (2 surf-able) and an old quarter with an excellent collection of restaurants and bars - the old wine warehouses have been converted into some of the region’s best tapas venues.

Somo

Just a ferry ride or a 15 min bus journey away from Santander the beautiful beach town of Somo and its beach Playa de Somo is the main surf hub in the area. Offering great waves and local food, Somo is a must travel surf destination in Spain and Europe.

Amazingly a third of Cantabria belong to a park or a reserve – with dense forests, beaches surrounded by meadows, cliffs of outstanding beauty, and hills and snowcapped mountains. The Picos de Europa National Park represents one of the most beautiful mountain ranges on the Spanish peninsula – just watch out for the bears!

Both Santander and Bilboa airport have very helpful tourist boards that will fill you in on the whole region – so grab some of their literature while you are there.

Bilbao

Bilbao is less than an hour away and is a buzzing cultural capital. The flagship of the town is the Guggenheim Museum. The Museum sits on the riverbank and has rejuvenated the entire area. What's great is the contrast between old and new; the old town and its attractive streets house designer clothing stores, while the new town has an elegant European feel to it.

There are lots of bars in the old town and it’s undoubtedly the place for a few drinks and an evening meal

Athletico Bilbao is the city’s much loved football team – they are one of the top teams and have won the Spanish league 8 times. Fixtures can be found here www.soccer-spain.com/

If you are planning a surf trip to Santander the city has its own airport and is also less than an hour from Bilbao airport. This allows easy access to both Somo and Santander from a huge variety of cities throughout Europe.

Please note to check airports as new routes & airlines may begin operating at any time. Below are just some that fly Northern Spain. www.skysvcanner.com is a website that lets you know who flies where from different cities.

Ferry

Brittany ferries run from Plymouth (UK) to Santander twice a week www.brittanyferries.co.uk
P & O ferries run from Bilbao from Portsmouth (UK) www.poferries.com

How to get to Somo from Santander airport:
It is a short Ferry ride ride or a 15 min bus journey away

Transfers:

Share a taxi or mini bus with our shuttle bus partner here.

Car Hire

We have a discount car hire section on our website where you can rent a car.
Stretching from Santander to Bilbao has an incredible supply of surf breaks: from protected beaches and coves to those directly exposed to the rolling waves of the Cantabrian Sea.

Somo's main surf beach is Playa de Somo . It is a long white sandy beachbreak with many peaks that are perfect for learning how to surf and for intermediates surfers. It is probably place to base your self as Somo Surf camps are some of the best in Spain.

Santander's main surf beach is Santander (El Sardinero). It is also a beach break wave which is great for beginners and for intermediates.

Santa Marina, Breaking off the island of Santa Marina this wave is a world-class righthand reef break. Freight-train walls and barrel sections. Works from about 5 foot upwards meaning it is for the only the very experienced. Best on the rare combination of a large swell and a E or NE wind, usually only a few times a year. OK on all tides but dangerous rocks in front of take-off at low tide.

Langre Average beachbreak sheltered from strong SW and moderate W winds. Needs a reasonable swell to work. Low to mid tide only.

20 mins East is the surf town of Noja with Ris and Ajo surf beaches. Great for learning how to surf

Explore to the west and east and you will find incredible surf at Spain's most famous wave, the World Class wave Mundaka.

Come Surf Somo and Santander with us…

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