A Taste of Castro Urdiales, Cantabria

While visiting Vitoria, my uncle Jose and his wife Maria decided to visit their favourite coastal get-away, Castro Urdiales, and they invited my mum and me to join them. Although I have driven past Castro Urdiales several times, I had never visited it, so we eagerly agreed to join them. Piling into their small car, we set off from Vitoria, and drove about 1.5 hours north.

After searching for free parking, and eventually giving up, we headed to the underground paid parking, changed into swimwear, and walked to their prized spot at a rocky beach near the lighthouse. It had a drop off into the sea, and the best part about this place, tio (uncle) Jose explained, was that they could enjoy a refreshing dip without getting sand everywhere since there was none. Sandy beaches were located elsewhere.

Pretty landscape at the Castro Urdiales coast

Behind us, an intense fitness contest was in progress. I wandered over with tio Jose to see what all the drama was about. There, women with abs clad in lycra outfits worked in teams to endure weight lifting and cardio challenges. I stood there with my mouth hanging open for what must have been twenty minutes. The audience, which seemed to include muscular friends and boyfriends, cheered competitors on and yelled instructions to pace themselves. It was fascinating. I felt like I had discovered a whole new world!

Uncle Jose and Maria intermittently took refreshing dips in the sea, and after unsuccessfully convincing mama and me to join them, we wandered up the coast in search of the Castle of Santa Ana with an attached faro (light house) and neighbouring gothic church of Santa María de la Asunción. We took photos beside some ancient Roman ruins which i’m always delighted to come across.

Maria loved my Canon Rebel DSLR and took charge of documenting the rest of our walk while I recorded video footage on my tablet. It felt so good to enjoy the open spaces with people I love and have cared about me for a long time. It felt so peaceful. I really enjoyed being with these easy going members of my family.

See the video I recorded at the marina below.

Before heading home, we noted that Spain were playing a match against Russia that afternoon, and skipping the game, we wandered on and found a cute little café where my mum treated us to coffee and pastries. The kind shopkeeper came out and took our group photo. Soon thereafter, we piled in the car to return to Vitoria. What a beautiful afternoon with family.