This is my favorite part of our summer trip planning - deciding which beach to visit and where to stay. We try to visit a different town each summer to get to know different areas. We really like Cantabria but have been to Galicia once, Asturias once and Cullera (Valencia) once. We know that the Northern weather is iffy, but we don't mind. We're driving from Salamanca, so the south coast always seemed so very far away when we have kids in the car! So I thought I'd start a discussion about this. Anyone have any suggestions for their favorite beaches? Pls include links if you can. Here are the criteria that we usually look for:
*near a surf beach if possible
*small town, not into big cities, but still have stores/restaurants etc.
*apartments for rent, not just hotel rooms

Last year we went to Suances and it was ok. The town was cute, but the apt/hotel was on a hill with a killer walk up. And the surf beach (Los Locos) was really small with 3 surf schools in town -made it real crowded. They had a nice paseo maritimo along the beach and decent places to eat with lots of variety! There was also a tour boat that went out on the ocean, I think that was our favorite part.

Also, after trying real had to find a place to stay, we got there to discover that there were private apartments on the beach with For Rent signs in them. They appeared empty. I would have rented it last minute for 4 days. Anyone know where people advertise their apartments like this? Or is it just locally with a sign in the window?

My favorite beach in all of Spain is Sardinero, at the foot of Avda. de los Castros in Santander, Cantabria. Once, it was stormy and swimmers were not allowed, but surfers were.
Several blocks south on Avda.de los Castros is Universidad Internaciónal Menendez Pelayo (UIMP, pronounced 'wimp'). But Santander isn't a small town - for a small town, go 45km east to Laredo.

As Eddie says, Santander City is not a small town - far from it - and appears a HUGE CITY in the summer. Wow, there are A LOT of people in that city and on the beach in the summer.

In fact, MOST of the small seaside villages of Cantábria are quickly converted into temporary cities, busting with (Spanish) tourism.

Two summers ago I was cruising the coast in Cantábria for a few days and was nearly impossible to find hotel availability. Finally did, in Comillas, but not even in the village. In fact, it was in a "backside village" of Comillas called "Trasvia" - and it's not even ON the beach but up in the hills in a nice "countryside" setting. Found a nice, (even) cheap, sizable new hotel called Hotel Dunas de Oyambre (2-stars, no air conditioning but it was cool at night) back in the middle of nowhere, but a good, winding drive to the beach. I went NOT to the city beach but to another one called Playa Oyambre, part of el Parque Natural de Oyambre which had very very few people on it - and no hotels around it.

But regarding your question, I'd say the vast majority of those signs you see in windows are put there by the owners and they aren't doing any additional advertising. Others have those signs in their windows all-year-round, inviting callers to ask if the place is available in the summer, charging incredibly high prices. Yet others contract management companies to rent their houses for them. A small few have websites and the owners do their own marketing.

I would imagine it to be EXTREMELY difficult to find a rental property available, ON THE BEACH, in Cantabria. But at least you're starting your search early so there's a chance.

Try the following:

http://www.cantabria.com/
http://es.rentalia.com/casas/cantabria/v38.htm

Ohhh, I love those beaches! I don't have time to write much just now, but can recommend a company called Casas Cantabricas that we have used in the past. They have a section on properties to rent near beaches in Cantabrica:

Properties to rent near beaches

MM - I didn't realise you had been up there .. Oyambre and Comillas etc. We stayed in a tiny village called Pando, near Ruilloba which is just about walkable from Oyambre if I remember correctly.

Jo

DOH ... I see you have already mentioned Casas Cantanbricas - silly me! But I have written about them before if you want to do a search on here.

While I do not surf I am not able address that area.My favorite beach is Laxe in Galicia(Costa Muerte) There a protective beach for swimming and on the ocean side there is suppose to be surfing.There is houses and apts for rent but it takes a little work to find them The larger cities have pushed out the smaller towns off the internet .Restuarants and shopping are available,you may have to go serveral shops to get what you want. Nearby there is Roman ruins that date back to Juluis Ceasar when he was govenor of the area in 57 BC also some ancient buiral grounds Dolmans I think they are called In nearby Baio they have Linen Museum,a large ranch house that is built like fotress dating back 400yrs Malpica is also a possible little town with a good beach.They have a lot of hotels but I can't find them on the internet Hotel Bar Nova is where I have stayed.On saturday night this where you find all the locals partying .there is probably 100's of villages come to the towns along the coast www.playadelaze.com www.galinor.es/galicia www.turismo.rural.com

I love Cullera (Valencia). I see you have been there already! My in'laws have a piso there and there are relatives that live there, so it is more intimate for me....but that said, it is a quaint old town with an old castle atop the seaside mountain with a little tram that takes you from the beach below to the top! Great for kids, kilometers of beautiful sand and a wonderful boardwalk! Best of all...not many (if at all) Americans, seems to be a summer retreat (and really crowded from late July through all of August) for French and Spanish...I also like the proximity to Valencia for day trips!
We are going in July!!!!!! Can't wait.... :jump: