Cantabria has 220 kilometers of coastline and 80 beaches. The Cantabrian Sea and its rugged sand and rock bottoms are in charge of doing the rest, until placing it in a privileged region for surfing.
Spring tides and gentle winds have fostered the development of this sport, which each year attracts a greater number of visitors and fans. Cantabria, which until recently held the record for the highest wave in the history of Spain (26,13 meters), thus stands as one of the most outstanding surfing destinations on the peninsula.
spots like Somo, Liencres, Los Locos o The Brusque They are visited by surfers from other countries throughout the year.
Origins
Cantabria is part of the history of national surfing. the santanderino Jesus Fiochi He opened the season, in 1963, when he surfed for the first time on the beach of El Sardinero (Santander) with a board he bought in France through his sister. Until then, the Cantabrians had only slipped through the waves with "plankings".
He is also from Santander Juan Giribet, for his part, was the first who dared to make a surfboard (1964). In 1969, the first board brand was born: MB Surfboards, from the hands of José Manuel Merodio and Carlos Beraza. The latter is credited with the creation of the "Beraza Coraza", the first surf suit made in Spain (1970).
The “surfer movement” was gaining strength. In 1973, several local surfers settled in "Casa Lola" (Loredo), giving rise to the first surfboard manufacturing workshop in Spain. Later, in 1979 Zalo Campa and Laura Revuelta they found Xpeedin, the first surf shop in Somo.
Surfing Nature Reserve
This pioneering character extends to the present day, since, in 2012, Ribamontán al Mar declared its beaches and breakers Surfing Nature Reserve, becoming the first municipality in Spain to have this figure of protection. His example has been followed by other Cantabrian municipalities such as Suances, Noja and San Vicente de la Barquera before making the leap to other national territories.