Map › Spain › Cantabria — Playa de la Concha to El Sardinero › Playa de Valdearenas
Cantabria · Pielagos - Dunas de Liencres · Liencres
Playa de Valdearenas
also known as Liencres, Playa de Liencres, Valdearenas de Liencres
Nearby Playa de la Concha 6 km · El Sardinero 16 km · Playa de Somo 19 km · Oyambre 31 km · Playa de Meron 32 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
The wind
locals call it Viento gallego for dominant west wind; a separate summer NE thermal also occurs.
Direction
Character
mixed
Thermal or synoptic
summer NE thermal side-off reported
Strength
Direction to shore
The beach faces roughly NW. E blows cross-shore and is the cleanest kite direction here. SE is the land wind, offshore.NW and W come straight in, gusty and heavy on the ocean side in autumn and winter. The NE summer thermal is described both as side-on and as side-off, so treat its angle as unconfirmed until you have watched it.
Dominant direction
NE summer thermal for kitesurfing; S, SE and E come up for Valdearenas surf and wave quality; the dominant sand-moving wind behind the dunes is from the west.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan29
- Feb26
- Mar39
- Apr, riders' month33
- May, riders' month29
- Jun, riders' month22
- Jul, riders' month27
- Aug, riders' month27
- Sep, riders' month25
- Oct23
- Nov40
- Dec35
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 29%Jan14°
- 26%Feb14°
- 39%Mar14°
- 33%Apr15°
- 29%May16°
- 22%Jun19°
- 27%Jul22°
- 27%Aug23°
- 25%Sep21°
- 23%Oct19°
- 40%Nov17°
- 35%Dec15°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29% | 48% | 45% | 12.7 kt | S | 13:00 | 9.6°C | 14.4°C | 62 |
| Feb | 26% | 42% | 40% | 14 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 10.2°C | 13.8°C | 57 |
| Mar | 39% | 58% | 50% | 14 kt | NE | 16:00 | 12.3°C | 13.8°C | 62 |
| Apr | 33% | 52% | 48% | 13.5 kt | WNW | 15:00 | 12.8°C | 14.5°C | 60 |
| May | 29% | 60% | 50% | 12.3 kt | WNW | 15:00 | 15.3°C | 16.3°C | 62 |
| Jun | 22% | 48% | 40% | 11.5 kt | NE | 15:00 | 18.6°C | 19.3°C | 60 |
| Jul | 27% | 37% | 31% | 10.9 kt | NE | 15:00 | 20.5°C | 21.7°C | 62 |
| Aug | 27% | 53% | 47% | 12 kt | NE | 14:00 | 21.2°C | 22.5°C | 62 |
| Sep | 25% | 47% | 35% | 12.1 kt | NE | 15:00 | 18.9°C | 21.4°C | 60 |
| Oct | 23% | 52% | 37% | 12.4 kt | WNW | 15:00 | 18.2°C | 19.2°C | 62 |
| Nov | 40% | 60% | 57% | 14.5 kt | WNW | 15:00 | 14.2°C | 16.9°C | 60 |
| Dec | 35% | 56% | 45% | 13.6 kt | W | 12:00 | 11.4°C | 15.2°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
ocean beach break
Standing depth
No dependable standing area on the ocean beach. The bottom is sand, but this is a beach break with currents running through it and the depth changes with the bank. The flat-water alternative sits behind the dunes, on the estuary toward the Mogro ria: it fills at high tide, is standing depth over sand throughout, and drains at low.
Tides
Cantabrian tides are very pronounced. Low to mid tide is the working state on the ocean beach and the state the wave behaviour is described at. Behind the dunes the estuary fills at high tide into flat, standing-depth water and large parts of it run dry at low, with rocks showing as it empties.
Temperature
Summer 19-23 peak depending on source, with late-summer water commonly around 19-21
Winter 12-14°C
Wetsuit
2/2 mm, a shorty or 3/2 mm in July-September depending on the wind chill; 4/3 mm with hood, boots and gloves for November-February.
Currents
Currents and rip positions can be hazardous when the sea is large and can change after strong winter storms; the beach is also beside the Pas/Mogro river mouth.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
6 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: large, though effective space depends on tide, surf zone and summer beach use
Somewhere else
Playa de la Concha, 6 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Large natural sandy beach inside the Liencres dune system, sand bottom, with dune-backed access on established paths. The car park is signposted from the Liencres road and is large, but it saturates in summer and finding a space becomes the first problem of the day. Grass areas for rigging on the estuary side.Low to mid tide opens up the most beach on the ocean side.
Space
large, though effective space depends on tide, surf zone and summer beach use
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Treat NE thermal days as advanced. The wind is side-off, so work out the downwind exit before you launch.
- Ride low to mid tide: more beach, and the wave behaviour is better documented at that state.
- Stay on the established paths through the Dunas de Liencres and keep gear off the dune vegetation.
- Sort out parking before you set off in July and August. The summer bus to Valdearenas was restored for July-August 2025 because the car parks saturate.
- Ask the local schools where the rips and banks are sitting after a winter of storms.
- Lifeguard cover runs 11:30-19:30 in season; outside those hours nobody is watching the water.
- Treat NE thermal days as advanced. Its angle to the beach is not agreed on, so work out the downwind exit before you launch.
- E wind is the one to travel for: cross-shore, stable, and the direction the beach is shaped for.
- Ride low to mid tide on the ocean side. More beach, and the banks work better at that state.
- If the ocean is unrideable, look behind the dunes: the estuary fills at high tide into flat standing-depth water, and drains again at low.
Getting there
Airport
Santander Airport (SDR)
Route
Liencres is west of Santander and north of Mogro. Car access is straightforward via the Santander/Liencres road network, and a summer bus service to Valdearenas was restored for July-August 2025 to reduce parking pressure.
Transfer
About 12-20 minutes by car from Santander Airport/Liencres area depending on exact start point and traffic.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Stay in Liencres, Mogro, Santander or the nearby Cantabrian surf towns. There are hotels close to Liencres and rooms around the beach itself.
No-wind days
Surfing at Valdearenas/Canallave, walking the Dunas de Liencres and Costa Quebrada, Santander, Santillana del Mar, Castro Urdiales and Cantabrian coast sightseeing.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Valdearenas?
The best months are April through September, when the beach sees good waves and a signature NE summer thermal.
Is Valdearenas suitable for beginners?
No, not for independent beginners. Powerful waves, currents, pronounced tides and a side-off thermal call for a local school and mild conditions.
What is the wind like?
The characteristic summer wind is a side-off NE thermal, while the surrounding natural park's dominant sand-moving wind is from the west.
Are there access rules?
No current kite-specific ordinance was found, but the beach sits inside the protected Dunas de Liencres natural park, so access should stay on marked paths.
Last updated: August 2026