It was in 1962 that two Asturians, Amador Rodríguez and Felix Cueto, began practicing surfing on Salinas beach , becoming the main promoters of the sport in the Principality. The Peñarrubia club and a surfing section within the Covadonga Cultural Group, both in Gijón, were then founded. In 1967, two Australian surfers, Peter and Robert Gulley, trained in Tapia de Casariego and sparked interest among local athletes. In 1969, the Bajamar Club was founded in this town. In 1971, a competition counting towards the Spanish Championship was held in Tapia de Casariego. In 1972, further qualifying events for this national competition were held, one in Gijón and another in Tapia de Casariego.
Today, it's common to see surfers gathering at "Staircase 10" on San Lorenzo beach. And in recent years, Asturias has hosted world, European, national, and regional championships. All disciplines are catered for, from the most contemporary—shortboard—to the original longboard, with its extra-long boards that are more popular than ever.
Asturias best beaches for surfing
Of the more than 200 beaches that dot the Asturian landscape, perhaps the most suitable for this sport , those that are most renowned, those with a strong local tradition, where the legend of the waves generates the most excitement, or where various championships have established a surfing history, are the following:
Rodiles (Villaviciosa) . One of the best beaches in northern Spain for surfing. It offers a variety of options. At low tide, strong, long left-hand waves break at the western end of the beach. At high tide, excellent peaks appear to the east. The beach is located within a beautiful nature reserve. It is popularly said that some of the best waves on the Iberian Peninsula can be found here, a barrel at the mouth of the estuary often compared to Mundaka.
La Grande Beach (Tapia de Casariego) . Located at the westernmost tip of the Asturian coast, this beach is one of the first in the Principality dedicated to surfing. A regular venue for European championships, this Blue Flag beach boasts two spots: one with a sandbar break producing waves from right to left, and another with a rocky break and a left-hand wave ideal at mid-tide. The beach is small but offers unbeatable conditions for riding the waves.
San Lorenzo (Gijón) . A busy urban beach, one of the largest in Asturias at 1,5 km long. Several peaks break along its length, from right to left. On favorable days, it works at all tides, although at high tide it creates backwash. At low tide, a long, fun wave breaks on the eastern side of the beach, with sections. Staircases 9 and 10 are a legendary meeting point for surfers. One of the most traditional and established spots in the entire Principality, it even has its own surf club.
Salinas and El Espartal (Castrillón) . Facing northwest, like most of the best surfing beaches in Asturias, it's considered one of the most suitable for surfing. Being a long beach, you can find all kinds of waves along its length. There are countless right and left peaks, and on the western side of El Espartal, there's a very good right-hand break. Waves range from 2 to 12 feet. It handles a lot of swell. It's usually crowded with surfers because of its proximity to densely populated areas.
Playa España (Villaviciosa) . It faces north, so its favorable winds are southwest-southeast. Its seabed is sandy with flat rocks. The best time to surf it is at mid-tide. The waves break very close to the shore and produce excellent surf.
Verdicio (Gozón) . Facing Northwest. In good conditions it produces very powerful left-hand waves with hollow sections.
Xagó (Gozón) . It doesn't need much swell, so you can catch waves both in summer and winter. Being very open, it works even with small swells. Excellent waves form on both sides of the beach at low tide, although it also works at high tide. It tends to be quite busy due to its proximity to surfing hotspots like Avilés and Salinas.
San Antolín (Llanes) . A very open beach facing northwest. It handles strong swells and you can surf at both high and low tide. Southwest and southeast winds are favorable. It's not common to see many people surfing at this beach. But when conditions are good, you can have a great time.
Santa Marina (Ribadesella) . This urban beach faces northeast, sheltering it from all winds except the north. It handles strong waves, with several peaks forming. It has a surfing tradition; you'll always find people in the water, especially in summer (in winter, only the traditional surfers).
Vega (Ribadesella) . A very open beach facing northwest. When conditions are favorable, it offers good right and left waves. It doesn't handle large swells well, so it could be considered a summer beach.
· Peñarrubia (Gijón) . Good waves depending on the tides, although it can handle a lot of swell. It's a beach with a sandy and pebbly bottom. There's a flat reef that produces good, not very dangerous waves.
· El Mongol (Gijón) . A good right-hand wave breaks here with different sections that can be caught as long as the swell is high. The bottom is rocky, which makes it dangerous because, depending on the tides, you have to navigate around the rocks.
· Cueva Beach (Valdés) . Northeast facing. Good right and left waves, especially at low and mid-tide. It is an open beach with a sandy bottom. Favorable winds are from the Northeast and South.
Otur Beach (Valdés) . Also known as "Brutal Beach". It's a small beach with right and left waves breaking on sandy bottoms. It doesn't handle large swells well. The best wind is from the southwest.
Frexulfe (Navia) . Like all the beaches with the best breaks, it faces northwest. It creates powerful, strong waves with sections.
Navia Beach (Navia) . North-facing. A long beach with diverse surfing options and strong swells. A sandbar forms in the middle of the beach, producing excellent quality waves, both lefts and rights. On its eastern side, there's a point break called "El Moro" which, when sea conditions are right, offers good right-handers. It works at all tides.
Peñarronda (Castropol) . North facing. It produces high-quality waves, with right and left breaks or peaks. It works at high and low tide, but mid-tide is best.
Surf schools in Asturias
Ribadesella Surf School
Its courses and surfcamps are taught on the beach of Santa Marina, Ribadesella, using the Playa de Vega located five kilometers away as an occasional alternative. They offer Surf Camps of 2, 5 and 7 days with accommodation in our Surf House combining surfing with a multitude of activities on the beach, paddle board, skate classes, video corrections, barbecues and many surprises for all our campers. Ask them!
Ribadesella Surf School
Surf Camp Ribadesella as a surf school… Read more
Llanes Surf School & Camp
They have been teaching surf and paddle surf classes in Llanes since 1998. The surf school is directed by Fernando Padilla with more than 30 years of experience, a lifetime dedicated to surfing and with exceptional knowledge of Asturian beaches (tides, wind, currents...)
They offer classes, equipment rental, surfcamps and camps for children and adults...
Llanes Surf Paradise
The Surf School of… Read more
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
