Spain and Portugal for Visitors

Posted by : John Ross on Jul 10, 2008 - 10:34 AM Beaches

El Viajero, the travel supplement of Spanish newspaperEl País, inaugurated its new design with an article on "The 10 best beaches of summer." I have been to many of them, but there are a few I have missed, especially its number one beach (more later). As I'm not really in a position to argue, I have simply put all 10 and a couple more on a Google Map so you can see where they are. And to add a bit of suspense to the whole thing, here is the ranking of El Viajero - in reverse order (cha chan!):

10 - Playa Victoria

Where it is:
Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain.

What it is:
A town beach if ever there was one, of which the citizens of Cádiz are enormously proud. It is impeccably maintained, and has all the quality ratings a beach can acquire - blue flag, quality Q, etc.

9 - Cala del Senyor Ramón

Where it is:
Santa Cristina d'Aro, Girona, Spain

What it is:
There are fine beaches on the Costa Brava north of Tossa de Mar up to Sant Feliu de Guixols, but the Cala del Senyor Ramón is outstanding, one of the most perfect coves imaginable. Unfortunately, a rockfall in 2003 caused two deaths, and the beach was closed until nearly the end of 2007, but it is now open again.

To continue this countdown of the top beaches in Spain from 8 to 1, click here and read the rest of this news item. Or go straight to the Map of Top Beaches in Spain.

8 - Langre

Where it is:
Ribamontán del Mar, Cantabria, Spain

What it is:
There are tremendous beaches on the Cantabrian coast from Santander to Laredo, but Langre stands out because of its dramatic, cliff-surrounded setting. The beach used to be almost completely inaccessible by land, until locals dynamited a way down through the rocks.

7 - Es Caragol

Where it is:
Santanyi, Majorca, Spain

What it is:
Santanyi is best known for its moderately upmarket developments like Cala d'Or on the east-facing coast of Mallorca. But just a few kilometres west from there across Ses Salines is this unspoilt bay, almost more easily visited by boat than by car.

6 - Bahia de los Genoveses

Where it is:
San José, Nijar, Almería, Spain

What it is:
Wonderful bay and beach running south from the village of San José down to the Cabo de Gata. I have read that it is "a completely safe spot, as the wind pushes you back into the bay," which I think is a reference to windsurfing.

5 - Playa de Figueiras

Where it is:
Islas Cies, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain

What it is:
The Islas Cíes are an important nature reserve in the Ría de Vigo, but their beaches are also alluring. So much so that As Rosas was put at the top of The Guardian's Top Ten Beaches in the World in 2008, while El País put Figueira on its own list of Top Ten Beaches in Spain, the one I am referring to in this article.

How to get there:
The islands are reached by the Mar de Ons ferry lines from Vigo, Balona or Cangas de Morraza - reserve seats for return trip.

4 - Playa Torimbia

Where it is:
Niembro, Llanes, Asturias, Spain

What it is:
Off-the-beaten-track naturist beach in Green Spain.

3 - Sotavento de Jandia

Where it is:
Pájara, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain

What it is:
The leeward (eastern) side of the Jandia Peninsula. Beach stretching for ever, or at least seeming to - 26 incredible kilometres of it.

2 - Cala Macaralleta

Where it is:
Ciutadella, Minorca, Spain

What it is:
A fabulous cove in the south-east of Minorca, fringed by pine woods.

How to get there:
By ferry from Ciutadella or by road, leaving your car in a car park a few minutes walk uphill from neighbour Cala Macareta. You can also reach it on foot from the Cala Galdana.

And the best beach in Spain, according to El País, is... (fumbling-with-envelope sound effects, readers cry "Get on with it, man!"):

1 - S'Alga

Where it is:
S'Espalmador, Formentera, Balearic Islands, Spain

What it is:
A paradisiacal beach on a private island (with unrestricted access, except for the number of yachts).

How to get there:
The island of S'Espalmador is reached by the ferry boat the Bahia, or from the popular Ses Illetes beach on Formentera, swimming or even walking when the sea is calm - it is said to be waist high. Take lots of water and food, says El País (I've never been there, unfortunately, but it's only common sense). Anchorage in the bay is free but restricted because of the island's popularity, there being around fifty mooring buoys.

 

Well, that's it. As I say, I know most of these beaches, not all, and I wouldn't dispute the right of those on the list to be on it. I do have preferences, though, and I think El País has been a bit negligent or biased in not including a single beach in the Spanish mainland Mediterranean south of the Costa Brava - most of Catalonia, the Valencia region and Murcia are unrepresented. True, much of this coast has been overdeveloped, but there are still some great beaches - I have chosen a picture of the beach at Oliva, Valencia, to illustrate the story. Then there is the Devesa, the nature reserve of sand dunes south of the city of Valencia itself. Even Valencia's urban beaches, the Malvarrosa and the Playa Levante, are broad and well kept and in my opinion compare very favourably to Cadíz's Playa Victoria, not that there is anything wrong with the latter. What do you think? Drop me a comment about your favourite (or least favourite) beaches, I'd love to hear from you.