15 beautiful beaches on the Camino de Santiago

Guide to the beaches on the Camino de Santiago, highlighting sections and routes where you can enjoy the sea, with recommendations for nearby beaches, which stages allow it, and tips for combining pilgrimage and relaxation in unique coastal settings.

Feeling the cool sand beneath your feet after a stage is one of those pleasures that only the coastal variants of the Camino de Santiago offer. The Atlantic and the Cantabrian gift you iodine for tired muscles, immense horizons for the mind, and sunsets that etch themselves in memory. If you are going to walk the Camino in summer, we have prepared this guide —route by route and beach by beach— so you know where to dive in without straying (too much) from the shell and yellow arrow.

The beach landscapes of the Camino are another ingredient for your journey

The beaches on the Camino de Santiago

The Camino de Santiago has a thousand faces… and many of them with sea views. But beware, not all Jacobean routes gift you sand and salt. The French Way, for example, the most popular of all, goes from inland to inland —¡oh dear, there’s no beach here!— although in return it offers rivers, pools, and even natural swimming holes where a good dip is also appreciated.

However, if your preference is to walk with the sound of the waves nearby, breathe in the Atlantic and Cantabrian breeze, and take a refreshing bath after each stage, then the coast is for you. The repertoire of beaches on the Camino de Santiago is very extensive, as we are talking about hundreds of kilometers of pilgrim coast. Thus, we will provide you with a selection of 3 beaches per route, those that combine scenery and services, and are not too far off the beaten path. Prepare your flip-flops, light towel, and let’s go for that refreshing bath along the coastal Jacobean routes!

Our selection of beaches on the Camino de Santiago

Portuguese Coastal Way

The Portuguese Coastal Way from Porto, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, is a festival of beaches… there are so many to choose from, it is very difficult!

Praia da Apúlia

Praia da Apúlia, arriving in Esposende, is one of the most beautiful beaches of the Portuguese Coastal Way. Its dunes, traditional windmills, and white sand make it a perfect place to rest during the stage. It is ideal for refreshing in the sea, walking barefoot along the shore, or simply sitting and contemplating the waves. Additionally, in the village, you can enjoy good fresh fish and the tranquil, maritime atmosphere. A brief stop… but one that leaves a mark.

Pilgrims enjoying the dune landscape and traditional scenery of northern Portugal on the Portuguese Coastal Way

Praia de Vila Praia de Âncora

Just after finishing the stage that connects Âncora with Caminha, the Portuguese Coastal Way reaches the promenade of Vila Praia de Âncora and merges with its nearly one-kilometer sandy beach. Golden sand, moderate waves thanks to the breakwaters, and a small fishing port that serves as a natural shelter. You can leave your backpack next to the wooden walkway and dive in without detours, as the yellow arrows literally run just a step from the shore. In summer, there are usually lifeguards and a couple of cafés with terraces where you can recharge with a bifana or a natural juice before crossing the Miño towards Galicia. Perfect for those looking for a comfortable swim without disrupting the rhythm of the stage and a maritime postcard that combines nets, boats, and the calm Atlantic.

Pilgrim arriving at Vila Praia de Âncora

Praia América

Once you have crowned the fortress of Baiona and left behind the Virgin of the Rock, the Way merges with a two-kilometer stretch of fine sand that connects Panxón with Nigrán. Praia América has a blue flag and features showers, restaurants, and a shaded promenade perfect for stretching calves. The official route crosses it from side to side, so it is enough to take off your shoes when the sand calls for it.

Pilgrims at Playa América

North Way

The North Way from Irún is also not lacking, with all the beautiful beaches of the Cantabrian Sea.

La Concha Beach

As the Way descends from Igeldo towards San Sebastián, the white railing and the aristocratic promenade of La Concha take over the horizon. It is more than a kilometer of fine sand and calm waters thanks to Santa Clara Island, a luxury for tired legs after the slope of Orio. Just follow the arrows to the Town Hall and turn a few meters: the beach is literally a step away. Showers, lifeguards, and pintxos terraces complete the plan, although it is advisable to wake up early if you want a quiet corner—by the afternoon, La Concha fills with locals sunbathing as if it were an outdoor lounge.

La Concha Beach

Laredo Beach

Nicknamed La Salvé, it is an endless stretch of sand—almost five kilometers—that starts next to the historic center of Laredo and stretches to Punta del Brusco. The Way crosses the old port, and with just two street crossings, you can take off your boots and walk along the shore as the tide slowly rises. Moderate waves, windsurfing schools, showers, and a promenade filled with ice cream shops to regain strength. Ideal for a safe dip and for those pilgrims who enjoy adding kilometers… but barefoot and on sand.

La Salve Beach in Laredo

Cathedrals Beach

Absolute emblem of the Lugo coast, with slate arches reminiscent of Gothic ships. It is ten kilometers from the Ribadeo shelter; the most comfortable option is to share a taxi or take the local bus and plan the visit at low tide. In summer and Holy Week, it is necessary to reserve free access. And indeed, walking under the natural arches at sunset is worth every extra minute.

Cathedrals Beach

Way to Finisterre and Muxía

In the early stages of the Finisterre and Muxía Way, inland, there are no beaches, but upon reaching Cee, Corcubión, Finisterre, Lires, and Muxía, a succession of beautiful beaches along the Costa da Morte begins.

Praia de Estorde

Halfway between Cee and Sardineiro, the very Jacobean route winds parallel to this sheltered beach within the ría of Corcubión. Fine white sand, calm waters, and a gentle swell that contrasts with the roughness of other nearby beaches such as Mar de Fóra or Rostro: here you can safely take a bath to relax your legs after the stage. There are public showers, a couple of taverns where you can savor seafood from the ría, and if you arrive at sunset, the light reflects on the bay like a golden mirror.

Estorde Beach, from where the cape and lighthouse of Finisterre can already be seen in the background of the image

Praia de Langosteira

Two kilometers before reaching the Fisterra lighthouse, the Camino opens up onto this stretch of white sand nearly two kilometers long. Calm water thanks to the protection of the cape, restaurants and hostels at the beach, and the Jacobean ritual of immersing oneself to "reborn" before arriving at kilometer 0 at Cape Finisterre, which makes it one of the most legendary beaches on the Camino de Santiago.

Langosteira Beach, on the way to Finisterre

Praia de Lires

The intermediate stage towards Muxía descends to this serene estuary where the Castro River meets the sea. Fine sand, warm waters, and a bar on the beach. The Camino crosses the village, and in five minutes of sandy path, you are on the shore watching the sun hide behind the cliffs.

Between Finisterre and Muxía, in the heart of the Costa da Morte, the views of the beaches are a constant

English Way

On the English Way, especially from Ferrol, although also from A Coruña, we can enjoy some beaches of the Rías Altas.

Praia da Magdalena

Before crossing the medieval bridge of Pontedeume, the route runs near this family-friendly beach with shady pines, a beach, and beach bars where one can relax. In fact, at one end, dogs are allowed, in case you are doing the Camino with your dog.

View of the Ría de Pontedeume and the beginning of Praia da Madalena

Praia de Miño

On the outskirts of the urban center, we find this wide beach with calm waters. It features showers, supermarkets, and a new promenade that connects back with the yellow arrows over the marshland.

Praia de Miño

Beaches of Riazor and Orzán

Those who choose the variant that departs from A Coruña begin the first stage with the waves crashing along their path. More than a thousand meters of urban sand, abundant services, and the Tower of Hercules in the background.

Beach of Orzán

Spiritual Variant of the Portuguese Way

On the Spiritual Variant of the Portuguese Way, between Combarro and Vilanova de Arousa, you can splash around or take a bath between two of the Rías Baixas, the one of Pontevedra and the one of Arousa.

Praia do Padrón

In the heart of the historic center of Combarro, right where the hórreos almost touch the water, this tiny beach of sand and pebbles is hidden. At high tide, there is barely a handful of meters to lie down; at low tide, a strip of sand appears, perfect for soaking feet and photographing the hórreos reflected in the ría. The bathing is calm thanks to the protection of the nearby port and dock, so a microfiber towel is enough to enjoy a short rest before getting lost in the cobbled alleyways and resuming the Spiritual Variant.

Port of Combarro

Praia de O Terrón

After descending from the Monastery of Armenteira and before embarking on the fluvial "Traslatio" through the Ría de Arousa, the stage runs along this tranquil cove of three kilometers connected to the village by a walkway and bike lane. It is a perfect area for kayaking or paddle surfing at sunset, with Monte da Curota outlined in the distance.

Pilgrims arriving in Vilanova de Arousa

Praia de As Sinas

This is a sandy beach with white sand and calm waters within the ría. It stretches for almost two kilometers of shallow beach, perfect for diving in without worrying about the waves and for strolling among shaded pine groves when the sun gets too hot. There are showers, a wooden promenade, and some beach bars where you can order a scallop pie before continuing towards Pontevedra. Ideal for relaxing your legs and contemplating the mussel rafts that dot the horizon.

Beaches of the Ría de Arousa

Take a dip and enjoy the beaches on the Camino de Santiago!

Always keep a microfiber towel and flip-flops in your backpack: they are lightweight and open the doors to a natural "spa" when you least expect it. Moreover, can you imagine finding a scallop shell, the shell of the pilgrim, in its natural state? That would be a great souvenir and a golden touch to your pilgrimage experience! So now you know: if you need us to organize everything you need for your beach Camino in summer, we are here to help you.