Oyambre Natural Park covers about 5,700 hectares of coast between San Vicente de la Barquera, Valdáliga and Comillas, with open beaches, marshes, cliffs and the Monte Corona forest. It's a little over an hour's drive from Bareyo and works well as a day trip.
Oyambre is one of those places where the Cantabrian coast changes character. There's no seafront promenade or town centre to organise everything: just dunes, estuaries that fill and empty with the tide, meadows that run right up to the cliff edge and, inland, a forest that looks out to sea.
That mix sets it apart from the more built-up beaches along the coast. In a single day you walk on sand, marsh and oak woodland without leaving the area, so you can shape the visit around the weather.
From Bareyo the trip is worth it if you set off unhurried: take the A-8 towards Oviedo as far as San Vicente de la Barquera, where the park begins. This guide sorts out what's worth seeing and what you should confirm before you go.
What Oyambre Natural Park is and where to find it
The park protects a stretch of coastline with cliffs between 10 and 50 metres high, beaches open to the sea, inner beaches beside the estuaries, marshes, dunes and grassy hills. The exact area varies a little depending on the source, but it's around 5,700 hectares. The Spanish Tourist Office gives a good summary of its ecosystems.
The best place to start is the visitor centre, in the old lighthouse at Punta de la Silla in San Vicente de la Barquera. It has a permanent exhibition on the park, and the cliffs of the headland make a good lookout for seabirds. The published phone number is 942 712 019: call to confirm opening hours, which change with the time of year.
The park's beaches: Merón, Gerra and Oyambre
Guides list, from west to east, the beaches of Fuentes, Liñera, La Maza, Merón, Gerra, Gerruca, Oyambre and La Rabia. They don't all have the same feel. Merón and Oyambre are the busiest in summer, and the San Vicente estuary lies between them.
Oyambre is wide, with a car park, showers and a picnic area according to the guides, and it rarely fills up completely. Gerra is more open and wilder: a good option if you'd rather stretch the day along the coast than settle on the first sand you reach. If you enjoyed this park, the guide to Merón beach is the next one worth reading.
Park only in the designated areas and keep off the dunes, which are fragile. In the estuaries and on the inner beaches the water level changes a lot with the tide, so check the tide table before heading down.
Marshes and estuary: the birdwatchers' corner
The marshes of the San Vicente estuary and La Rabia are the quietest corner of the park. There are boardwalks and paths designed for birdwatching, with migratory species that stop here on their journeys, and peregrine falcons nest on the cliffs. Bring binoculars and patience: first thing in the morning and last thing in the afternoon tend to be the best times.
A word of warning: older documents warned about sand silting up these estuaries, so the look of the estuary and the inner beaches can change from one year to the next. Better to check the current state than rely on old photos.
Monte Corona: the forest with sea views
Monte Corona is the park's great forested area: oaks, ash, holly, hazel and chestnut trees. There's a circular walking route from the Punta de la Silla lighthouse that takes between 2 and 4 hours depending on the route you choose, and you can also drive to the edge of the forest. In autumn, when the woods change colour, it's the part of the park you'll appreciate most.
The guides also mention the San Vicente cliffs, those at Las Tinas, the Llasca de los Moros and the Abaño birdwatching route. Download an up-to-date track before setting out, because sources don't agree on distances.
What you need to know
Distance from Bareyo: a little over an hour by car along the A-8 to San Vicente de la Barquera.
Where to start: the visitor centre at the Punta de la Silla lighthouse; confirm opening hours by phone (942 712 019).
Parking: only in designated areas. Oyambre has its own car park.
Dunes: keep off them.
Tides: check the tide table before going to the estuaries and inner beaches.
Footwear: boots for Monte Corona; the circular route takes between 2 and 4 hours.
Details: distances and opening hours vary from guide to guide, so double-check them before you set out.
At Oyambre, sand, marsh and oak woodland all fit into a single day.
A long outing is all the more welcome when there's a quiet place to come back to. After a day among dunes and oaks, the Ajo estuary and the meadows of Bareyo have exactly that: little noise, plenty of green and the sea always close. From here you can reach the park and head back without rushing.
