La Salvé beach

Laredo's beach: a shell-shaped bay 4,250 metres long and 120 wide, from the harbour to El Puntal, with a promenade from end to end and one of Cantabria's largest dune systems behind it. Monte Buciero shelters it, so the water is calm and not very dangerous, good with children. Walking along the sand you reach the Santoña ferry.

What the beach is like

La Salvé is an urban beach of fine, white and golden sand, set in a wide bay closed off on the far side by Santoña's Monte Buciero. That shelter keeps the currents weak most of the year and even more so in summer; Laredo Tourism presents it as one of the safest beaches in Spain for swimming. In season it is very busy, especially in the central stretch, in front of the buildings; if you want more space, walk towards El Puntal, away from the most built-up area.

The promenade runs all the way round the beach, so outside summer it is a flat walk of more than four kilometres, good for walking, running or going with a pushchair. From the end by the fishing and sports harbour to the tip of El Puntal takes about an hour on foot at an easy pace.

Facilities

The beach has held the Q for Tourism Quality since 2008 and environmental management certified by AENOR since 2007. In season there are lifeguards and rescue services with a coordination centre, 8 watchtowers and 7 first-aid posts, as well as police surveillance and information points on sea conditions. It has 33 access points, two of them adapted for people with disabilities, and has showers, foot washes, fountains, toilets, wooden walkways and bike racks.

For children there are play areas and sports areas, and in summer a beach library opens. There are also kiosks selling ice cream and drinks. The tourist office does not give the rule on dogs or on sports such as surfing in its information sheet, so ask at the Laredo Tourist Office, on Alameda Miramar, before going with a pet.

Getting there and what to combine it with

Vehicles on the sand are for authorised staff only; there is parking near the promenade and public transport to the beach, though in August finding a space in the centre is hard. Behind the front line begins the Old Town, with its medieval streets and the church of Santa María.

At the other end, at El Puntal, the ferry to Santoña leaves, a crossing of about ten minutes from March to October, and next to the landing stage is the Asador El Tiburón. If you go in late August, you will coincide with the Battle of Flowers, which parades along Alameda Miramar, a few steps from the promenade. And to see the bay from the water, the boat trip to the Caballo lighthouse passes in front of La Salvé.