Plentzia Beach is apparently one of the most visited beaches in Biscay.
It’s known for being a quiet beach.
It’s 356 m long and located very close to the mouth Estuary of Bilbao.Despite the lack of parking attesting to the popularity of this beach, it was not crowded.There were many facilities, bathrooms, showers, footbaths, and hondartzainas (helpers to take those in wheelchairs down to the water etc).
Playa Salve is the longest beach in Cantabria with 4 km of fine soft sand.
It’s known for having very low swells – great for kids.Despite the a major rainfall followed by drizzle, the kids went for a quick dip. They weren’t the only ones in the water.Our favourite turns out to be Aizkorri Beach, the beach where the kids and Neil had their paragliding experience. It’s very quiet when you arrive around 10AM on a Wednesday morning.The green umbrella, courtesy of our airbnb host, marks our spot. Our friends, James and his two boys, joined us for a week and we spent a couple of days enjoying this beach. 10AM the next morning, we returned again to an almost deserted beach.A good portion of the day was spent playing beach ultimate frisbee and lounging about. We did discover later that this is a popular nudist beach.A couple of days later, we were back for a beach day with Neil. This time, we explored the coast beyond the rock barrier.After the sand dunes, there’s a stretch of rock and stone.Then we scramble over this rocky landscape for more views.Then we encounter the flysch – this type of sedimentary rock formation that forms patterned layers.We spent a large chunk of time checking out the flora in these tidal pools.Colourful seaweed, shellfish, shrimp, and crabs.Lots to see in the water and up in the air!About a kilometre later, we arrive at another beach.From this end, we can see the 5-turbine wind farm at the Port of Bilbao. On a windy day, wind turbines around Spain can meet about half of the country’s energy needs.Rest of the afternoon was spent building a hot tub on the beach.Overhead view of our 1.3km exploration. Later in the afternoon, the parking lot and streets were jammed with parked vehicles.
