And in the end, I returned to Northern Spain, this year too, for my usual late spring/early summer trip. Also because I wanted to take advantage of the newly camperized van. I did windsurfing, surfing, and also some amazing trekking!

Another adventurous trip to Northern Spain - June 2025

This article will not be just a report of windsurfing sessions. A trip to Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia offers much more. I also considered other alternative destinations (Ireland, Morocco, Canary Islands, Oman, ....), but, in the end, the charm of the green landscapes of the northern coast of Spain, the beauty of its beaches, the lack of crowds, the spectacular climate, and the ideal conditions it can offer for waveriding, and for surfing convinced me to return for the fifth time to those parts. And I inaugurated and tested the  Ford Transit Custom, which I camperized last winter. To end the trip in style, I also explored the area of ​​the Picos d'Europa National Park with two beautiful treks, to the Vega de Urriellu Refuge, and along the Ruta del Cares. But let's proceed in order.

I left Monza on Friday, June 6, having noticed an excellent forecast for two beautiful days (June 8 and 9) of windsurfing in San Xurxo, Galicia, a spot that is a real playground for Waveriding . Having easily passed Monginevro, I calmly made my journey by van, also stopping at the spectacular Praia de As Catedrais, at the beginning of Galicia.

At 3:00 pm on June 8, I was already in San Xurxo, which presented itself to my eyes with a wonderful spectacle.

Beyond the incredible beauty of the bay and its emerald sea, San Xurxo had smooth waves of 2-2.5 meters and side off wind, around 20 knots. The photos accompanying the article show the fantastic conditions that the spot offered. 

I rigged the Ezzy Elite 5.3 and the JP Magic Pro Wave 89, set up with stock fins and jumped into the water. And it was a blast.... even if the wind, a bit gusty (as often happens with a side off direction), made the outing a bit physical.

In the water, about fifteen other riders, mostly locals, members of the Ferrolvento club, in addition to the inevitable Germans, already present in Galicia during this period.

On June 9th, San Xurxo gave an encore, with smaller waves (1-1.5 meters) and wind of the same intensity. I went out with the same equipment as the day before. When the conditions are easier, as happened to me during the trips to Platboom, in South Africa, last February, I experiment more, and try some new maneuvers. I started trying the aerial trying to get to the lip with a good speed (easier with side off wind). If I lived around here, or near spots of this level, I would quickly perfect my technique.... On Monday 9th, I also had the opportunity to be on the spot with Sandro Quick, a historic rider from Lake Como, who, being now retired, will be staying in a camper between Spain and Portugal, until July 16th... Sandro went out with a North Sail 4.7 and a Flikka Custom of about 90 liters, resulting almost always planing...

Click here, for photos of the sessions in San Xurxo

The following days, a disturbance in front of Portugal, made the winds rotate from South/Southwest. We then moved to the West coast, of Galicia, in the Rias Baxas, even though we didn't have much experience of how the spots in that area work with that wind direction. We positioned ourselves at Playa Nemina, a crazy spot for wave surfing ( see review of the spots in Galicia ). Other possible spots, considered for the outing: La Lanzada, Carnota, or Rostro. The night between June 10th and 11th, we hit a memorable downpour, which made sleeping in the van a bit difficult due to the noise. Luckily, at a certain point in the night, it stopped raining.

The next day, as forecast, a nice wind from South/South-West entered the bay, without any particular waves, at the beginning. With Sandro, we had a good session with the 4.7 (I inaugurated the new Ezzy Wave 2025, which I will report soon). Bump and jump conditions, with a rising wave, and Sandro (class of '61), who enjoyed doing cheeserolls, and speed loops. Nemina, however, does not work best with this wind orientation, in my opinion, as it enters unstable in direction (but mostly it is side-on) and intensity, and the sea is chaotic. Much better with a swell from the West, and wind from the North East, or wonderful, only with swell, for wave surfing.

In the afternoon, I went to explore Playa Carnota, to understand what conditions it offered, and later Sandro joined me, in a camper. We discovered a great parking lot where we could spend the night, near the beach. And here I took advantage of my ingenious system, developed to take a hot shower in the van, when the weather conditions do not make it pleasant to do it outside.

Carnota, beyond the beauty of the beach, however, did not offer particularly interesting conditions for a windsurfing trip: strong wind of around 20 knots, but substantially flat water. In the evening, before falling asleep, I had an intuition, watching a video by Thomas Traversa. I understood that the big swell forecast for the following days would not be generated by the low pressure in front of Portugal, but by a much bigger one off the coast of Ireland, and I thought that Playa Traba could offer spectacular conditions, with smooth and big waves from NW and side off wind from S/SW.

The next morning (Thursday 12th) I then headed the van towards Traba, and said goodbye to Sandro, who was heading to Viana do Castelo, in view of possible good conditions the following Saturday, in the Portuguese spot.

I arrived in Traba around 11:30, and like an idiot... I missed a ride that could have been memorable. The spot, in fact, offered fantastic conditions, as forecast, with smooth waves, around two meters. No riders, however, in the water (not even TT...). However, I ignored a forecast of a drop in wind around 14:00-14:30, announced by Arome, and instead of immediately entering the water, I started loading and unloading water in the van, and ate something. I entered the water, just before 14:00 with the Goya Guru X Pro 4.2, when the wind started to drop more and more, and some rain showers arrived..... I kicked myself. Lesson learned.

I, however, stayed in Traba, because the next day, Friday the 13th, there was a remote possibility that the spot would offer similar conditions again.

With Oliver, a guy from Zurich, met at the spot, we waited a bit the next morning. But Traba, that day, offered really big waves, but with a lot of bad foam and current, on the inside, and not enough wind, to face such a rough sea. Not wanting to waste the day, in the early afternoon, I left the spot, determined to dedicate the next two days to wave surfing, to take advantage of the big swell, expected for Saturday and Sunday, in the absence of wind.

So I went to see Malpica first, and then Praia de Razo.

Malpica, when I arrived, showed beautiful conditions for wave surfing, with bars of about 2 meters, smooth and spaced for a good period, which constantly arrived in the bay. Small but convenient parking, above the bay. But I did not like the urban context around, with buildings close to the beach. I decided to go to Playa de Razo, a well-known surfing spot, with many rental centers and schools. And Razo turned out to be a fantastic spot, both in terms of surfing conditions, as well as the view and logistics.

After having explored the parking possibilities, and the conditions in the water, I parked on the seafront, at the western end of the bay, near one of the access slopes to the beach, with a magnificent view of the spot and the waves. In fact, I excluded the possibility of surfing the easternmost peak, where, in conjunction with the first day of big swell, the waves reached up to three meters.... Moreover, the clouds of the previous days' disturbance have finally dissolved, and the sun has returned to shine, illuminating and filling the scene with colors.

I quickly entered the water, but, thanks to the rising tide, which made it increasingly difficult to overcome the foam closer to the shore, I didn't catch many waves. You have to know how to accept your limits and gain experience. I got out of the water after about an hour, with the idea of ​​saving energy for the next day, which on paper was less demanding. So I went back to the van, and enjoyed one of the most beautiful evenings of the whole holiday. After a nice regenerating shower, I enjoyed the spectacle of the best surfers in action, as well as the beauty of the waves and the panorama offered by the spot. I prepared a good pasta, inside the van, with the side door wide open on this paradise, and after dinner I enjoyed the sunset in the sea (which in June, in Galicia, occurs around 10:30 pm).

Click here, for photos of the surf sessions at Praia de Razo

The next day, Saturday 14th, I entered the water again early, with low/medium tide conditions, to take advantage of the peak further west and the central one, relatively easier. Waves still consistent, between 1 and 2 meters (and how much the waves push in the ocean....). I managed to catch several, even if I still have to learn to save energy as much as possible when I go to position myself on the peak, to have enough push capacity when I have to catch the wave and do the take off. After almost two hours in the water, I considered myself satisfied. I also tried to enter the water again in the afternoon, even trying to take advantage of the biggest peak, to the east, but the sea did not let me in, and spat me out several times.... Two sessions a day of wave surfing, for me, are too much...

Sunday, June 15, the wind was expected to return, from NE, with residual swell expiring. After some reflection, I decided to focus on quality and I organized myself to make a new outing in San Xurxo, almost staying overnight on the spot the night before. In the morning I went surfing on Fragrata beach, in the same bay, which offered beautiful bars of about 1 meter, and a Sardinia-like sea....

San Xurxo, in the afternoon, rewarded me with another nice outing, with a strong wind and waves still around 1-1.5 meters, with half tide. I entered the water in the early afternoon, with the Goya Guru X Pro 4.2, and the usual JP Magic Wave Pro 89, set as Quad with the central K4 Scorcher 16 (and the standard fins on the sides). I still had a lot of fun, until the rising tide drastically dampened the waves. The only negative note of the day is that I lost the Insta360 in the sea, and with it all the videos of my wonderful surfing sessions painted in the San Xurxo sessions.... Don't listen to Ben Proffitt who says not to use the leash...

In the evening I went to sleep at Doninos Beach, to wake up and have breakfast in front of the incredible panorama offered by this bay too.

The next two days, Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th, the forecast did not predict significant swell. In the afternoon I went out to Santa Comba, after having explored Valdovino. But, contrary to what was expected, the wind did not hold until late afternoon, and dropped shortly after I entered the water. Moreover, in Santa Comba, the wind often comes side on/on shore, and therefore offers conditions more for kitesurfing than windsurfing. On Monday and Tuesday, I should have perhaps returned to Traba, where there are some waves even without swell, but the wind forecast was uncertain. And I did not want to risk it, and I wanted to focus on trekking in the Picos de Europa National Park, which I had in mind for the days of Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th June.

On Monday evening, I went to spend the night in Pantin, another spectacular spot for wave surfing.

Entering the Park, leaving the coast, was spectacular in itself. A pleasant countryside of hills was replaced first by a wide valley, from which at a certain point I could admire the rocky monolith of Naranjo de Bulnes, the iconic peak of the park; then, from Arenas de Cabrales to Poncebos, a deep rocky gorge, crossed only by the road and the Cares stream, and then an increasingly wild and typically high-altitude panorama, with a dolomitic appearance (the rock here also emerged from the sea millions of years ago, and is of calcareous nature).

I was supposed to arrive and sleep at Collado Pandèbano, from where I would begin the hike to the refuge the following day, but the ruts on the initial stretch of the dirt road (and my love for my camper van) made me give up.

So I stationed myself with the van, alone, in one of the first clearings at the beginning of the road, in a wild environment, and I started cooking, in the last light of the evening, consulting the internet to find out what animals are present in the park..... (there are wolves, bears, as well as chamois, deer, eagles, etc.). In reality, I later discovered that I was not so alone... In addition to some boys camped in a tent in a meadow on the banks of the stream, near me, to whom I gave a lighter for the fire, the next morning, I discovered that along the dirt road up to Collado Pandebano, there were many vans and vans camped, whose owners had fewer problems traveling the bumpy road.

The next morning, I woke up around 6:30, and at 8 I set off, still in the cool air, to cover the 3.5 km to Collado, and then take the path to the Vega de Urriellu refuge.

Click here, for photos of the excursion to Rifugio Vega de Urriellu 

The lower part of these valleys and mountains immediately struck me as fascinating. They are less populated and wilder mountains than those I am usually used to seeing in Italy. And they are incredibly green: the rains poured here by the ocean air make lush vegetation grow. The rest is done by warm and sunny days like the one on my hike. Part of the woods, in fact, have been cut down to make room for pastures, occupied by numerous herds of cows and bulls.

Following the dirt road I easily reached Collado Pandebano, in about 30-40 minutes. From here, I took the path to the refuge, following the signs. After passing, shortly after, the pretty Rifugio de la Terenosa, I continued to climb, on a slope exposed to the North, up to a small rocky saddle (Collado Valleju), from which you can see the Vega de Urriellu refuge in the distance, and not see it again until the arrival.

From here, the trail makes a long loop, first to the South, and then to the South-West, entering the head of the valley that descends from the Naranjo de Bulnes (or Pico de Urriellu, 2518 m), and all the other towers of the Picos de Europa massif. The Naranjo is an imposing rocky monolith that can be glimpsed from the Collado Pandèbano, but which then appears increasingly evident near the refuge. Wisely, I made the excursion taking advantage of the early hours of the morning, because, as already mentioned, the altitude only partially mitigated the intense heat of the summer day. How I have missed, in these parts, the refreshment guaranteed by the ocean, on the coast.

The last part of the trail climbs steeply through scree, without the destination in sight, which finally appears behind a last rocky bastion. I arrived at the Refuge after 3 hours and 40 minutes of walking, and about 1100 meters of altitude difference. I immediately enjoyed a good Cerveza, and then lay down on a flat meadow near the refuge, to eat, relax, and contemplate the wall of Naranjo in front of me. The area is worth exploring. From the Refuge, the paths continue towards the other peaks and passes that lead to the other refuges.

Click here, for photos of the hike along the Ruta del Cares

At around 1:00 pm, I set off again to go down, meeting many other hot hikers on my way, who were climbing in the central hours, including a group of Asians (Japanese?), who, probably attracted by the usual Instagram, were trying to reach the refuge in 32 degrees.... I saw them, later, retracing their steps, without having reached their destination..... On the way back, I also met an Iberian Viper, which I didn't have time to photograph.

I returned to the van after almost 3 hours of descent, and had the immense pleasure of taking a nice cool shower, on the spot, to bring down the temperature a bit. The pleasures of vanlife......

The next day, I did the second and last trek planned for this vacation, in the Picos de Europa National Park. I walked the famous Ruta del Cares, from Poncebos, towards Cain. It is a service road, built in the last century, to allow for the maintenance of the power channel of the Poncebos hydroelectric plant. The Ruta enters the Rio Cares valley, with several sections dug into the walls overlooking the gorges carved by the torrent, with tunnels, walkways and suspension bridges. It was another beautiful excursion, characterized by another warm day, despite the partial cloud cover.

Due to time constraints, and also the fatigue accumulated the day before, I did not complete the entire 13 km route to Cain (26 km round trip). I stopped 4 km before, at Paserela de Los Martinez, probably missing the last stretch down in the gorges, probably the most spectacular. Maybe, one day, I will return.

Thus began, on Thursday 19th, my journey of about 1500 km, returning to Italy, with the usual intermediate stop in France, near Othez (200 km north of Toulouse). Southern France gave me 39 degrees, and the passage from Monginevro the usual summer storm (13 degrees, at the pass).

In conclusion, it was another beautiful trip, full of discoveries and experiences, which will now be difficult to give up when the good weather arrives.

Hasta lluego. Fabio 

Click here, for photos of the sessions in San Xurxo

Click here, for photos of the surf sessions at Praia de Razo

Click here, for photos of the excursion to Rifugio Vega de Urriellu

Click here, for photos of the hike along the Ruta del Cares