San Vicente de la Barquera, the town of the long bridge and the surf beach.

San Vicente de la Barquera is the last seafaring town in Cantabria before Asturias. It has the best-known postcard on the coast: a walled old town on top of a promontory, with the castle and a Gothic church, a 28-arch bridge crossing the estuary and, behind, the Picos de Europa. Below, the fishing harbour and a row of fish restaurants. To the east, the Sable de Merón, more than three kilometres of open sand where you can learn to surf all year round, and the Oyambre Natural Park.

How to get there from Santander

Take the A-8 towards Oviedo, exit 264, and the N-634 to the centre. Allow about 55 minutes and a little over 60 km. From Oviedo, on the same motorway in the opposite direction, around an hour and twenty; from Bilbao, an hour and three quarters. Comillas is a quarter of an hour away along the coast road, so the two towns combine well. Without a car, there is a bus from Santander to the station on avenida Miramar, in the centre, and Renfe's narrow-gauge train line stops at La Acebosa, on the outskirts, with two trains a day in each direction.

Where to park

The Puebla Vieja is all slopes and narrow streets: don't drive in. Park in the port area and on avenida Miramar, beside the estuary, and walk up. For the beach, the Sable de Merón has a large car park next to the sand, and there is another opposite El Rosal beach, next to the campsite and the surf school. In August and during La Folía festival everything fills up early.

How long do you need?

A day is enough for the town in the morning and the beach in the afternoon. The tourist office suggests a route in four stops: the Puebla Vieja, from the Puerta del Mar and the Castillo del Rey along the Calle Alta; the viewpoint at the Santa María de los Ángeles churchyard; the alleys back to the harbour; and the Maza bridge, finishing at the lighthouse at sunset. It takes about three hours without hurrying, plus lunch. With a night, the second day is for Oyambre: a surf lesson at Merón, the Pájaro Amarillo route at low tide or the Rubín marsh for birdwatching.

When to go

San Vicente is alive all year, and it is one of the few places on the coast where winter also has something to offer: the surf schools teach at Merón in every season, and the marsh receives migratory birds in autumn and winter. From June to September the beach has lifeguards and the town fills up; May, June, September and October offer the best balance. On the second Sunday after Easter La Folía is held, the maritime procession of the Virgen de la Barquera with the Cofradía de Mareantes, the town's big festival. The tourist office is open 365 days a year.

What to do

The walk around the Puebla Vieja climbs from the Puerta del Mar to the church of Santa María de los Ángeles, Cantabrian Gothic with the tomb of the inquisitor Corro and the best view of the town; the Camino Lebaniego to Santo Toribio sets out from there. Halfway up is the Castillo del Rey, with a small museum and battlements over the estuary. Below, cross the 500-metre Maza bridge. For the water, a surf lesson at Merón from €35, or paddle surfing on the estuary when there is too much swell. For walking, the Pájaro Amarillo route along the Oyambre coast.

Where to eat

The town is about fish and seafood. Las Redes, next to the old quay, serves wild fish from the fish market, rice dishes and sorropotún, the tuna stew; Augusto, opposite the market, is the seafood restaurant for rice with lobster; Sotavento, small and open at midday only, has queen scallops and sea urchins. All three open on Sunday lunchtimes; Las Redes closes on Wednesdays, Augusto on Tuesdays and Sotavento on Wednesdays.

Where to sleep

In the centre, the Hotel Luzón, a 1905 stately house with a garden over the estuary, from €80 for a double in low season. On the beach, the Hotel Playa de Merón, open all year, with studios for four. And in season, the Camping El Rosal, among pines and on the front line, which reopens at Easter 2027.