Arenal de Morís, the beach at Caravia
A shell-shaped sweep of golden sand between green hillsides, open to the Cantabrian Sea. We see it from the house every morning, a three-minute walk down the Camino de Santiago.
What it’s like
Arenal de Morís is Caravia’s big beach: around 700 metres of fine golden sand in a shell-shaped bay, with meadows and cliffs on either side. It faces the open sea, so there’s nearly always some swell, and on many days you’ll see people surfing.
In summer the sea is usually fairly calm. There are some waves, just enough to play in at the water’s edge, and in season lifeguards watch over the beach, so it’s a lovely place for a swim, children included.
High tide, low tide
At high tide the water comes up a fair way and there’s less sand, but it’s still a lovely spot: up at the top there’s a beach bar and a couple of picnic tables where you can have a drink while the tide goes out.
At low tide the beach opens right out and you can walk from one end to the other. If you’d like plenty of sand all afternoon, check the tide table and go down as the tide is going out.
When to go
Even in July and August there’s always room on the sand: it’s one of the least crowded beaches around. The hard part in summer is parking, but if you’re staying at Hola Asturias you don’t need to: it’s a three-minute walk down.
Outside summer you’ll have it almost to yourself, and that’s when a walk there is at its best.
Getting there
By car, the road comes down very close to the sand and there’s a car park, though in August it fills up early. There’s no bus to the beach.
What’s there in summer
In season there are lifeguards, showers, toilets and somewhere to get a drink. There are usually no sunloungers or parasols for hire, so bring your own.
Near Morís
If you fancy trying surfing, Caravia Surf School is right there on the beach, and it’s a very good school. And a coastal path links Morís with La Isla and La Griega beach in Colunga: a lovely walk with the sea beside you.