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The resorts of northern mainland Spain, washed by the Atlantic Ocean, are a less popular destination for summer beach holidays than the popular Spanish resorts on the Mediterranean Sea. But the section of the Atlantic coast of Spain is inferior to the Mediterranean only in length, but the ocean beaches of Spain are in some ways even superior to the sea beaches: there are fewer people here, therefore lower prices for holidays, and it’s also incredible Beautiful places. This is probably why the Spaniards themselves prefer to relax at resorts Atlantic Ocean.

The western and northern coasts of Spain are washed by the waters of the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean. These places are incredibly picturesque: they are cut by cozy bays, and proud rocky capes go far into the ocean; there are many completely deserted snow-white sandy beaches. The most popular resort regions of northern Spain on the Atlantic Ocean: Galicia, Costa Verde or Asturias and Cantabria, we will tell you in more detail about each of them.

Region Galicia– is the most western region Spain, whose shores are washed by the Atlantic Ocean from the west, and the Bay of Biscay from the north. Since the region is very remote from the most visited places in Spain, and any foreign influence culture was excluded, so Galicia remained “the most Spanish province” in the country. The nature of this region is extremely beautiful; it has managed to remain virtually untouched, again, thanks to the underdevelopment of the tourism industry. There are truly virgin corners here. The most popular Galician resorts: Ribadeo, Baiona, Vigo, Vivera, Grove, Pontevedra, Cariño, Ortigueira, Minho, Santa Eugenia de Riviera, Sanxenxo - they stretch along the coast for one thousand three hundred kilometers and are famous for seven hundred beaches. However, the main center of beach tourism in Galicia is located in the town of Sanxenxo, not far from the ancient port city of Pontevedra. No less popular among tourists is the resort town of Baiona. Tourists come here not so much for a “vegetable” holiday on the beaches and not at all for the sake of having fun at discos or festivals, but to get acquainted with the rich culture of this Spanish region, with its excellent gastronomy, and only when there is time left, they spend it in sparsely populated and quiet, but no less wonderful beaches.

Sanxenxo Resort– “Sanxenxo” is a small and very modest town, famous for its wonderful beaches, with white sand and very clean ocean waters. The Atlantic Ocean in this part almost never warms up more than twenty-two degrees, and you’ll be lucky, mostly the water has a temperature of twenty degrees, which is quite invigorating, but those who don’t really like the heat or come to relax in cold regions will like it. The air temperature in summer does not rise above twenty-five degrees. The local city beach “Sanxenxo” has the necessary infrastructure, there is good and clean sand. Another wonderful and long city beach is “Playa De La Lanzada” - with good, white sand, the water here is so clean that it’s easy to see schools of fish swimming at a depth of ten meters.

Resort Pontevedra– “Pontevedra” - main city coast of "Rias Baixas", washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Many centuries ago there was a huge and very important port for the country. The most picturesque historical part of the city is located on the left bank of the Leres River. There are a lot of interesting attractions here, so it’s easy to combine a beach holiday with exciting excursions. In Pontevedra there is a wonderful three-hundred-meter long sandy beach called Pinela, which offers an excellent view of the city; nearby there is another beach with golden sand, Playa do Polvorin, stretching for seven hundred meters. It is framed by piers that go far into the ocean.

Baiona Resort- a small town in the northwestern part of Spain, washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, founded in one hundred and forty BC. It was the first European city to learn of Columbus's great discovery of the New World. The fact is that his ship entered the port of Baiona on March 1, 1493, in honor of which, in the local harbor you can see an exact copy of his ship “Pinta” - which is the main historical attraction of the city. It is open to tourists. Another attraction of the city is the Monterreal Castle - “Castillo de Monterreal”, built by order of the Queen of Spain, Isabella of Castile, to protect the major port Galicia, in those days, suffered from frequent pirate raids. As for local beaches, you should not look for them west of the city Bayona, since that part of the coast is rocky, and in the east, this is where there are magnificent sandy beaches. We especially recommend the excellent sandy beach “Playa Ladeira”, more than a kilometer long, with the purest white sand. A couple of kilometers from the center of the Baiona resort, there is a good beach called Playa America, stretching for two and a half kilometers. You don’t have to walk to get there; take the Baiona Vigo bus. Of course, there is a beach in the city itself, but due to the fact that it is adjacent to a large yacht anchorage, it would be a stretch to call it an ideal beach holiday destination.

Region Asturias– it is often called “Costa Verde”, which means “Green Coast”. Tourists come here in search of a measured and quiet holiday. The resort region stretches for three hundred and forty-five kilometers, there are a lot of small and cozy coves, small resort towns, with numerous historical and natural attractions, and everywhere there are excellent conditions for fishing. On the Costa Verde coast it will be a good place to relax for those who cannot stand extreme heat. Summer temperatures do not exceed twenty-six degrees, but the water in the ocean does not get warmer than twenty-one degrees. The main resorts of the Costa Verde are: Gijon, Llanes, Villaviciosa, Perlora, Celorio, Luanco, Cavedo, Aviles, Barro.

Gijon Resort- probably the most popular resort on this coast. This is a fairly large city with a rich, centuries-old history, providing tourists with excellent conditions for a beach, youth, excursion or family holiday. The city is incredibly beautiful: it has a smooth curve coastline, along which stretch picturesque rocky cliffs, huge boulders and cute coves nestled between them, with cozy beaches. Near the center of Gijon, there is an absolutely amazing central beach “San Lorenzo”, famous for its soft and clean sand. There are others: La Cagonera y La Nora beach, Serin beach, Penarrubia beach, El Rinconin beach, El Arbeyal beach, Poniente beach and many small beaches among the rocks. Families with children choose a holiday on the Arbeyal beach, because from high waves it is reliably protected by a huge breakwater, so the water here is always calm, the bottom is flat, the sand is clean and soft. The length of this beach is two hundred and fifty meters.

Villaviciosa Resort– “Villaviciosa” - the whole city is completely buried in apple orchards, stretching for many hectares. It’s not for nothing that the town is called the “Apple Capital of Asturias.” This old City country, with numerous historical attractions: churches, monasteries, castles, with ancient water mills, which tourists from all over the world come to see. You can relax in Villaviciosa in different ways, for example, in addition to environmental and historical tourism, beach tourism is very developed here. Surfers especially love this resort; there are a lot of surfing schools here. The city is famous for its magnificent sandy beaches. The main one is Rodiles Beach - the most beautiful in Asturias, it is a kilometer-long sandy area, picturesquely framed by dunes, and surrounded on both sides by cliffs, which are overgrown with dense forest. The territory has all the infrastructure necessary for vacationers: rescue service, cafe, bar, toilet, showers, rental of sports equipment, sun loungers and umbrellas. But, besides it, there are also very good beaches.

Aviles Resort– “Aviles” - Big City, located twenty-three kilometers from Gijon. More recently, this port resort city was considered one of the most polluted European cities, but the city authorities, through tremendous efforts, have qualitatively changed the situation. Now it has become very clean and very attractive for tourists. The coast is washed by the waters of the Bay of Biscay, it is quite mountainous, which is not always popular with ordinary vacationers, but this city attracts hundreds of surfers. But there are good beaches here too. Near Aviles there are the most favorite surfing beaches - Arnao and Xago. To find “Arnao”, you need to go down to it along the stairs going between two high rocks. By the way, from the stone terrace stretching above the beach there are stunning views of the ocean and surrounding area. The sand and pebble beach of Xago is surrounded by beautiful mountain cliffs and sand dunes. It has a rescue service. To the south of the city, stretches the long sandy beach “Salinas” - “Salinas” is a favorite vacation spot of the Spaniards themselves and resort guests, where life does not calm down around the clock from the beginning of the beach season until its end in October, however, then it is not quiet here either, because that instead of vacationers, the beach is filled with numerous fishermen. North of Aviles, there is another half-kilometer Aguilera beach - Aguilera, it is the widest in this resort, but nudists traditionally choose it for their holiday. From the local Concha de Artedo beach, you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the ocean, shady green valleys and flowering meadows.

Region Cantabria– is located in the northern part of mainland Spain, near the border with France, its coastline is washed by the waters of the Bay of Biscay. The region is famous for its absolutely stunning mountain scenery, numerous caves, natural parks and beautiful beaches. The weather here is also never hot: summer temperatures do not exceed twenty-seven degrees. Spaniards prefer to relax in this region; tourists are rare here. Resort centers of Cantabria: Castro-Urdiales, Santander, Laredo, Suances, Santony, Alto Campo.

Santander Resort– capital and beautiful city autonomy. This is the most favorite resort of the Spanish royal family, who comes here every year in the summer. The city is proud of its magnificent beach area - "El Sardinero", which consists of a beautiful promenade and a very wide strip of sand, framed by green palm trees. There are a huge number of comfortable hotels here. In the eastern part of the city there is the Magdalena Peninsula - a cultural and entertainment area with a picturesque amusement park, children's playgrounds, and a mini zoo. It will be very interesting for fans here too. gambling, so there is a casino on the peninsula. The beaches of the Magdalena Peninsula are magnificent, they are sandy and washed by pure water. For lovers of beauty, we recommend getting acquainted with the royal palace “Palacio Real” located here.

Resort Castro Urdiales is a small fishing village known for its mild climate and magnificent beaches, as well as numerous historical buildings. On the streets of the resort you can see old houses of various eras and styles. The symbol of the town is an old lighthouse, which can be seen from any street. In that locality there are several interesting caves decorated with ancient rock paintings. The most famous of them is the Peña del Cuco cave; its walls are decorated with numerous drawings of ancient people who lived during the Paleolithic period: deer, horses, goats.

Laredo Resort– the pearl of Cantabria, one of the best Spanish resorts on the Atlantic Ocean. There are amazing beaches, a beautiful historical part of the city, and guests of the resort will... high level service. Holidays in Laredo are chosen by lovers of new and untrodden places where there is no mass tourism. Laredo's beaches are some of the best in . The leader among these beaches is “La Salve”, delighting vacationers with snow-white sand. Windsurfers love it. In general, this is a paradise for lovers of outdoor activities. As elsewhere, nudists relax at the end of this long beach. This beach is well equipped: there are changing cabins, it is possible to rent sports equipment, and there is a lifeguard service on duty. Along the beach there is a promenade with a bunch of souvenir shops, restaurants and bars. The next beach, “Regaton”, will delight you with the fact that here you can rent a yacht, other watercraft and even go horseback riding along it.

City of San Sebastian- by far the most popular resort center on the north-west coast. This is a fashionable and aristocratic resort located in the Basque Country. San Sebastian is known for its magnificent sandy beaches; there are three of them in the city: the quietest and cleanest beach “Playa de Ondaretta”, Grosse beach and “Playa de la Concha” beach - located next to the Miramar Palace. The structure of all beaches is sandy, they are washed by the cleanest and clear waters of the Bay of Biscay. But a holiday here is incredibly expensive!

As you understand, the resorts of continental Spain are not limited to the Mediterranean coast; on the Atlantic coast there are also a lot of interesting and worthy places for a beach holiday. True, you need to be prepared that the water there, even at the height of the beach season, will be quite invigorating, but there will be many times fewer people.

Hidden away in the South Pacific Ocean, they have the purest beaches and the quietest corners for solitude. It’s not for nothing that this region is called a paradise on Earth. Blue lagoons, beautiful mountains covered with lush greenery, and sunny islands attract the eyes of tourists, inspire artists, and attract romantics and lovers.

Holidays on the Pacific Islands

Here you can enjoy summer all year round, the idyll never leaves such places, it allows you to get rid of stress and anxiety, insomnia and bad mood. Numerous archipelagos are scattered throughout the vast territory of the South Pacific, but the easiest to reach are Fiji, the Cook Islands and, of course, the famous Tahiti.

What adventures await the traveler in these parts? You should start by getting to know the island where you came to relax. To do this, you can organize an introductory tour on an SUV, or go on a hiking trip.

Fans of water adventures will be able to enjoy scuba diving (), snorkeling, sailing, hiking (hiking), sailing (conquering the wind on sea sailing yachts), parasailing - parachute flights (using a boat or motor boat) above water surface seas.

In addition, these islands in the South Pacific are famous for their excellent deep-sea marlin fishing, thrill-seekers can feed predatory sharks with their own hands, and intellectual connoisseurs can play and swim with dolphins.

To make your vacation a success, book an unusual hotel in advance, for example, an overwater bungalow (see " "). Colorful sea life will swim under the glass floor right in your room, while you can either relax on the deck (or terrace) or enjoy a delicious tropical breakfast brought by a personal chef on a canoe.

Plan an itinerary for such an exotic journey, following in the footsteps of Captain James Cook, who discovered the southeastern Hawaiian Islands, or Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of the most famous adventure novels and stories, and perhaps Paul Gauguin, a famous French painter who served as a sailor in his youth...

The beaches of Palolem in Goa are at your service. Comes here great amount youth from all over the world. Palolem Beach is a piece of paradise and at the same time one of the most popular and desirable tourist destinations. The beaches here are decorated with palm trees, the sand is soft and the water is warm. The whole atmosphere of Goa is conducive to relaxation and relaxation. The prices are not very high, by world standards they are budget. The best time to visit here is from October to March.

If you don't want to go to Goa, go to the Maldives. The beaches of Nika and Soneva, Cocoa Island, and Banyan Tree are considered excellent here. People who have reached these fabulous places can relax on one of the practically uninhabited small islands of the Indian Ocean. Apart from the amazing beaches, people here enjoy diving and snorkeling. You couldn't imagine a better place for a romantic getaway. It is advisable to come here in the months from November to April.

Another place you should definitely check out is Mauritius. The local shores are famous for their luxurious hotels and coral sand. The island is protected on all sides by coral reefs. The best beaches at your disposal are Paradis, Trou aux Biches and Flic en Flac. April to May is the best time to relax here. From December to March are ideal conditions for diving, and from June to August is the time for surfers.

The Seychelles is ideal for a family holiday. There are wonderful beaches Praslin and Anse Volbert with clean the finest sand. The shores are decorated with branchy takamaka trees and granite rocks. The hotels here are almost all in the form of private boarding houses, designed for a relaxing holiday. The best time to go sailing or windsurfing is from May to October. For diving, choose the time from September to November or from March to May.

Atlantic Ocean

In Portugal, washed by Atlantic waters, you can relax in the Algarve, on the beaches of Lagos, Albuferia and Ilha de Tavira. There are also noisy ones here port cities, and soft coastal sands. The best time for vacation is from May to October. Housing prices here vary, basically everything around is expensive, but if you want you can find not very expensive hotels.

If you want something unusual, choose the Canaries, the island of La Gomera. It is different from many other Canary Islands. Here you can feel peaceful and relaxed. Tourists come here for the coastal black volcanic sand, calm, quiet surf and isolation from the civilized world. November to May is the best time here. Most people come here at Easter and Christmas.

Many people relax on the beaches of South Africa, stretching almost along the entire coast. The most popular holiday destination here is Cape Town Beach, perhaps because it is somewhat reminiscent of the south of France. Vacationers here will see a lot of grass, shady palm trees and amazing light brown sand. There are many restaurants and bars, places for picnics, a fresh and pleasant wind - what else is needed for happiness. The best time to come here on vacation is from October to March.

Pacific Ocean

Another fantastic place on our planet is Fiji. Or rather Yasawa, consisting of a chain of islets that are part of Fiji. Amazingly beautiful coral sands, bright blue water - these are the places people have chosen various kinds directors for their colorful videos and films. Vacationing in Fiji is quite expensive, since in addition to the main trip, you additionally have to sail to the island on a yacht or fly by plane. If funds allow, then you should visit here from May to October.

The best and most expensive beaches in the Pacific Ocean are located in Bora Bora, in French Polynesia. For example, around Matira beach nature has created natural protection in the form of coral reefs, so the water in the bay is very warm and always calm. There are no attractions or excursions here, only beach holidays. At the end of summer it is too crowded, but still the best holiday season is from May to October.

Look at the huge boulders sticking out of the water and Coral reefs possible in Palau, on the beaches of The Rock Islands. All year round there is warm water and soft sand. The aquatic fauna deserves special attention, as it is quite diverse. It is because of this that divers all over the world dream of visiting The Rock Islands at any cost. The local island of Mecherchar is famous for its lake of jellyfish - there are a huge number of them and it looks simply fantastic. The best time Holidays are considered to be the months from February to March.

“Travel teaches more than anything else.
Sometimes one day spent in other places
gives more than ten years of life at home."
A.France

And so, just the other day I returned from a wonderful active holiday on Phi Phi Island and the Railay Peninsula, which are located on the Andaman coast (Indian Ocean) and are considered more expensive resorts

and Koh Samui (located in Pacific Ocean) with its calm and meditative infrastructure conducive to a relaxing, cheap holiday.

Accommodation. We rented mostly small houses (like bungalows), on the shore. Prices ranged from 30 to 50 dollars. Our housing was not super budget, it was quite packed.

There is a refrigerator, air conditioning, its own veranda, TV (what is it for?), good breakfast.

Australians lived in a nearby hotel for $13 per night, and a little further on, Canadians stayed for $20 per day. Naturally, there are more luxurious hotels, but this is a matter of opportunity.

Transport. Excellently developed infrastructure, good roads. Availability of joint tickets – that is, a complex ticket “anywhere”. As a rule, this ticket includes 3 types of transport (bus, bus, ferry, long-tail, something else). The prices are quite reasonable: my 45 km journey to the island (bus + ferry) cost $7 per person. Moving from one ocean to another - $13. The method of transportation (ticket sales) is a little funny, but logical. Everyone who buys a ticket is given a sticker on their chest with the name of the area to which the person is traveling.

Stickers are also very useful due to the fact that every second resident does not speak English, and stickers different colors signal where to drop off tourists. On the islands, the method of transportation depends on their size. For example, on Samui we rented a motorbike for $5 per day and happily drove around the island to see/swim at another beach/stop at the local supermarket/food market.

What to do there. The most beautiful beaches, breathtaking. The water is an unrealistically pure beautiful color.

The underwater world is impressive. I immediately fell in love with snorkeling. The fish are purple, blue, yellow-green, it feels like you are swimming in fish soup, such a variety and quantity is breathtaking (the photo with the fish is not mine).

The cost of one-day excursions is about 13-30 dollars. Everything you need for a full excursion is included - transport, equipment, water, food, fruit.

Rock climbing: for $7 you can climb quite a difficult route with insurance and rented equipment.

Those who like to lie on the beach and do nothing - there is paradise, perfect sand and completely free beaches.

Food. A selection of food to suit every budget. From makashnits for 2-3 dollars for a full meal to good restaurants for 10 dollars per person. Pineapple, mango - 1-1.5 dollars on the beach. Everything is freshly prepared and very tasty.

Lots of seafood, grilled fish, stewed vegetables, delicious pineapple and watermelon tails. A serving of rice in a restaurant costs 0.5 dollars, rice with chicken and vegetables costs 2 dollars.

Pancakes with banana or pineapple in chocolate, cooked on makashnitsa, 1-1.5 dollars.

Shopping. Very high quality local fabric and sewing quality. This is the first time I have seen such excellent quality things for pennies. Things from local Thai companies cost about 3-25 dollars. Jeans from a local company cost 15-17 dollars, except for the label, they are no different from wrangler, levis jeans (jeans from these companies cost about 30 dollars, which is also cheaper than in Ukraine).

Overall impression. A safe country for tourism. The people are good-natured, pleasant, and eager to help. Reasonable prices for accommodation and meals. Cheap travel within the country. Wonderful climate (+30 C). Natural delicious food. Almost nothing uses illegal additives (just think, in Thailand there are sausages without toilet paper, sausage with meat, bread with normal ingredients), flavorings, and substitutes. Not necessarily knowledge in English, for those who are afraid of getting lost.

Travel budget. The main part of the trip is air travel (about $750/person, you can, of course, get into a promotion for $500, or take a savage package from Moscow). For other expenses (accommodation, food, excursions, travel, purchase of all unnecessary nonsense) about $700 for two is enough if the vacation is planned to be relatively modest. We spent about $1,400 in 2 weeks, taking into account the choice of not the cheapest hotels and daily meals in restaurants. The guys we met said that they could fit in $500 for two for 2 weeks, which is generally an insignificant amount for such a period (try living for $18 in a normal room with full meals in the same Crimea).

P.S. Next time I will tell you how to get to Tenerife for 1500 UAH (air) and get ten days of pleasure on the Atlantic Ocean for only $500.