Paddle surfing on the Nalón estuary to San Esteban

East of Cudillero, the Nalón reaches the sea at San Esteban, a village declared a historic industrial complex. The last stretch of the river is flat water, without waves, and that is why it is the place in the area to stand up on a paddle board for the first time. From Cudillero it is about 14 minutes by car.

The estuary as a practice ground

Mar Oceana SUP & Nature, based in Muros de Nalón, works on the lower Nalón, from the mouth to San Esteban, and on beaches in the council such as Aguilar. Beginner sessions start on still water: first you learn to get on, keep your balance and paddle, with boards chosen according to your level and weight, and then you carry on downriver with the guide, at your own pace. When choosing the beginner experience you can ask for it to be on the estuary or at sea.

There are more formats than the single outing:

• Family routes, adults and children together.
• A big board for up to eight people, used for group baptisms.
• Summer courses for children and young people aged 6 to 16.
• SUP yoga at sunrise or sunset: you paddle to the chosen spot, do the class on the board and end with a floating meditation.
• Routes by level and technical courses for those who already paddle.

Maroceana prices and when they apply

The prices it publishes are season vouchers, with redemption dates:

• Beginner experience for adults, on the estuary or the sea: €35 for one person, €70 for two and €120 for four, to be used before 15 July.
• SUP yoga: €35 a session, from 15 July to 31 August.
• Children's course: five classes, €120; ten, €220, from 10 July to 31 August.

For other dates or for groups, such as birthdays or hen and stag parties, you need to ask for a price. Book by WhatsApp on 617 984 283 or through its form. The website does not say how long each session lasts or whether a wetsuit or life jacket is lent: ask when you book.

Carving: two or three days in a row

Carving Surf School, the school at Aguilar beach, gives beginner, rough-water and touring paddle surf courses: two days, two hours each day, for €70, or three days for €80, with equipment and insurance included. Its instructors hold the qualification of the Spanish Surfing Federation and the International Organization Stand Up Paddle. You can hire a board for the rest of the day.

Which one suits you

For a single day, or going with small children, the estuary with Maroceana. If you are staying several days and want to end up going out to sea, the Carving course. If it is waves you want, the surf lesson at Aguilar is from the same school. For somewhere to sleep nearby and on the flat, the L'Amuravela campsite is in El Pito, on the way.