Aula· Spain, city by cityCantabria
Suances
«Suances es una villa marinera con playas muy populares para surfistas.»Suances is a seaside village with very popular beaches for surfers.
Suances is on the western coast of Cantabria, where the San Martín ría enters the land. It was the Roman port of the Blendios and in the 19th century, it shipped iron ore from the area; today it lives off its three beaches, one of which is a well-known spot for surfing.
Did you know
Los Locos, where you surf.
Los Locos beach is considered one of the most important natural surfing reserves on the Cantabrian coast.
How they talk in Suances
«Rabas» is the Cantabrian term for fried squid. «Locos» in the beach name does not describe the bathers: it is simply the place name by which everyone identifies the main surf spot.
pindio / pindia
Very steep or inclined. Used especially for an ascent, a road, or terrain with a sharp incline: «una cuesta muy pindia».
Everyday life in Suances
Three beaches, three different seas
La Concha is sheltered, Los Locos catches the waves and La Ribera is inside the ría: you choose based on the wind of the day, and the suancinos know which one works with which.
«Depende del viento, elegimos playa.» — Depending on the wind, we choose the beach.
The lighthouse above the «Dique»
The point with the lighthouse closes the bay and people go there for a walk in the evening: from up there you can see the river Saja entering the sea and the surfers below.
The surfers at Los Locos
The beach has one of the most consistent waves in the north and there are schools open all year round: you can see black wetsuits in the water even in December.
«En Los Locos siempre hay olas.» — At Los Locos there are always waves.
What to eat in Suances
Cocido lebaniego
Small chickpeas from Liébana with cabbage and meats, in three courses.
Rabas
Strips of squid floured and fried, in a paper cone.
Quesada pasiega
Dense cake made of curdled milk, butter and lemon, baked in a low tin.
Festivals in Suances
Fiestas del Carmen
around 16 July
The boats go out in a line from the harbour with the patron saint on board, and those who stay on land watch from the cliff.
What to see in Suances
Faro de Punta del Torco
The lighthouse on the headland, with the cliff dropping sheer and the view over the entire coast.
Playa de los Locos
The beach exposed to the open sea, with waves that have made it a surfing spot.
Ría de San Martín
The estuary that enters the land, with boats and paths on both banks.
Playa de la Concha
The sheltered beach inside the ría, with calm water and the village above.
Where Suances comes from
The harbour of the blendios
Roman era
Portus Blendium
The harbour of the blendios tribe, a stop on the coastal route.
Middle Ages
The village
The village is born on the ría de San Martín, which divides the coast in two.
19th century
The mines
The iron ore from the area leaves from here by sea.
20th century → today
The beaches
The three beaches and surfing transform the village into a tourist centre.
Want to learn Spanish by travelling across Spain?
In Aula every lesson is a city lighting up on the map — Suances is one of them. Two hundred lessons from A1 to C2, free, starting from your level.
Start from Suances →