I'm traveling to Northern Spain at the end of June with my family (two children ages 5 and 8) and would like beach recommendations. We're thinking of San Sebastian and one other--staying at each for three to five days.

Try Santander, with very good beaches right in the city like El Sardinero or La Magdalena, and some other wonderful ones in a 20 kms. radius, like Liencres:

Ive not traveled that extensively, but I spent a summer in Santander and really enjoyed the beaches there. If youre in San Sebastian I strongly recommend paying Santander a visit. Liencres as well was very nice.

bpfox writes: I, personally, don't care for (la Concha & Ondarreta) San Sebastian's beaches. My favorite on el mar Cantabrico is playa Sardinero in Santander (Cantabria). It's what you would call a Family environment.

I have heard a lot about Llanes (in Asturias) but haven't been there.

Going west from Oviedo, which I would definitely recommend this (Santiago) Jubilee Year, Vigo, in the Province of Pontevedra, Autonomous Community (Xunta) of Galicia is my next recommendation. Vigo's playa Samil is very nice as is Baiona, at the mouth of the ria de Vigo. There are other beach resorts in the area: Cangas and Moanha across the ria from Vigo and Islas Cies.

I would go that far west to visit Santiago de Compostela.

bpfox: I trust Eddie's judgment on this one. Although I always find myself visiting San Sebastián, I never do in the summer.

I recommend the Asturian coastline [Llanes is great, Eddie], but echo the sentiment on Santander. Well worth the trip.

If you do plan to go to Galicia instead, you may want to make sure you've got lodging locked up, as we're in pleno Xacobeo as was mentioned.

Thanks for the geat advice! Why wouldn't you recommend the beaches in SanSebatian? Too crowded? Should I save this city for another trip during another season of the year? We're actually starting in Santiago and traveling east.