Camping Playa La Arena

If you've any sense, you'll spend most of your time on the splendid sands slap bang next to the site, but do carve out some time too for other excellent spots on the Cantabrian coast, along the river estuary and into the scenic countryside. For watersports, paddleboarding is available within a kilometre and snorkelling, canoeing and surfing within 10 at Noja. A must-do day is to be spent among the old buildings and the Magdalena Palace (and beaches) of Santander, 45 minutes' drive away, then zipping on if poss to see the medieval buildings of Comillas, about an hour and 10 minutes from the site. The nearby Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes Nature Park is a well-known Cantabrian coast habitat for spotting marine wildlife and migrating birds. About 40 minutes away, the Cabárceno Nature Park, 17 kilometres from Santander, is home to beasties such as cobras, rattlesnakes, bears, ostriches and elephants, in a safari park setting for animal and environmental protection.