After a full day catching waves, playing volleyball and relaxing on the beach, let’s face it, a half hour walk up some Spanish mountains is probably the last thing you want to do.  But, despite this, every Monday evening at our Oyambre surf camp the night’s entertainment comes in the form of a walk to the hills overlooking the bay of San Vincenzia and the mountains beyond as the sun sinks into the sea… And this week was no exception.

With the majority of the surf camp buzzing from a rejuvenating pre-dinner yoga session with Louisa, the camp’s resident instructor, the group set off on the stroll to the Gerra Hotel in Oyambre village. Younger members of the group quickly found entertainment playing in the fields along the route, while parents and adults could enjoy the view of the sun slowly sinking as they strolled through some of the region’s most breath-taking scenery.  

The route saw the group pass the beach where everyone had been, in the words of the surf camp’s resident surf instructors Lewis, Parry and Daragh, “absolutely ripping”, with the best wave of the day having gone to 5 year old Gabriel, who successfully caught his first wave all the way into the beach, before beginning the climb to the hotel.  As the group got higher, guests got a clearer and clearer view of Oyambre bay and its picturesque scenery, all the while climbing closer to a sky that was already ablaze with a watercolour mix of oranges, links and purples illuminating what little cloud there was in the azure blue sky.

Yet although view’s like this easily made the half hour trek worth the effort, they had nothing on the panoramic scene awaiting the group at the summit.  Awe-inspiring mountains provided the background to rolling hills that sunk into the sparkling lights of San Vincenzia while, in the sea below, sunset surfers made the most of the fading light, riding in towards the beach on the last waves of the day.

On the hill, the group recollected to enjoy the sunset together over a few hard-earned cold beers and glasses of local wine, trading stories of what was, for many, only their second day surfing into a week-long surfing trip. With everyone agreed that the day’s conditions had been perfect for beginners just getting used to riding their first waves, attentions were soon transfixed on the horizon as the sun sank below the clouds, lighting up the ocean and gradually increasing its descent into the waves until all that remained was a warm glow on the horizon. A special surfing holiday memory.

For Star Surf however, naturally, the evening wasn’t over until the final traces of light had completely faded. This done, the group was left to wander back through the Spanish countryside, all unanimously agreeing that it had been the best day of the week so far, and eagerly anticipating what the rest of their surf holiday had in store…