Playa de la Concha

Playa de la Concha is one of the small urban beaches of Santander, on the Cantabrian coast in northern Spain. The city is unusual in having a string of sandy beaches in the middle of the town, and this one belongs to the Sardinero area, the seaside district that grew in the nineteenth century when Santander became a fashionable summer resort. The Spanish royal family helped make the city popular, and Alfonso XIII spent summers at the Palacio de la Magdalena, a short distance along the coast, so the area acquired casinos, grand hotels and promenades that still shape its character.

The beach faces the open sea, the Mar Cantábrico, which is the southern edge of the Bay of Biscay, so the water is cooler and the waves stronger than on Mediterranean beaches. The sand is golden and fine, and the width of the beach changes with the tide, which in this part of Spain moves a long way. At high tide the dry area can shrink to a narrow strip, so it is worth checking the tide table before settling down. The sea can be rough when the swell is up, and flags show the swimming conditions.

The area around the beach has the facilities expected of a city beach: showers, toilets, sunshade and chair hire, a sports area, and a lifeguard service in the main season. Hotels and restaurants line the promenade behind the sand, and the Gran Casino and other late-nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings give the area its elegant look. To one side the coast climbs towards the headland, and to the other it leads on towards the Mataleñas area, where there are golf courses and coastal paths with sea views. A walk along the cliff paths is a pleasant way to see the shoreline.

To reach the beach from the old centre, buses run along the coast, and the walk from the Palacio de la Magdalena along the shore is also possible. The Marina de Puerto Chico, in the bay, is a couple of kilometres away on the sheltered side of the city, which is a very different setting from this open-sea beach.

The beach suits families and people who like a lively promenade. The best weather is from late June to September, though Cantabria has changeable weather and some days are cool and cloudy. Entry is free, and the beach is close to the Parque de El Sardinero and the other Sardinero beaches, which makes it easy to combine with a longer coastal walk.