Every July we take a group of boys and girls aged 12 to 16 to Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain, to learn to surf or to get better at it. This is our Santander camp, a surf camp for teenagers: a fortnight next to Loredo beach. When you sign up you choose one of three programs, and here we explain each one so you know which suits your child before you decide.
The beach: Loredo, on the Bay of Santander
We are 200 metres from Loredo beach, on the Bay of Santander. This is where surfing in Spain began, and it is eight kilometres of sand with waves both for those standing up for the first time and for those who have already spent a summer or two on a board and want to improve. On some maps you will see this beach called Somo: it is the same one.
What the surf lessons are like
Lessons are taught by Plea Surf School, a surf school in Loredo with which we have a signed agreement guaranteeing safety protocols, equipment in good condition and current qualifications for everyone who teaches. Equipment is included, so your child does not need to bring a board.
The waves here suit beginners and improvers alike, so there is no need to have surfed before. If there is an activity you prefer your child not to do, just let the office know by email.
Three programs: you choose one when you sign up
The surf program is 10 two-hour lessons over the fortnight and is included in the price. It works both for beginners and for those who have already caught a few waves.
If your child would rather not surf, there is the multi-activity program, also included: mornings and afternoons rotating through every camp activity except surfing.
And for those who already surf and want to step up, there is advanced surf with video coaching. It is those 10 lessons plus 12 hours of advanced-level surfing in 6 sessions, three a week, with at least one TD2-qualified coach and an instructor who speaks English. One session a week is filmed and reviewed with them, and each camper goes home with their waves on video and knowing what to work on. There are 12 places, and it is charged on top of the camp price.
Beyond surfing
On top of surfing there is bodyboarding, and out of the water there are team sports such as football, rugby, baseball and volleyball, padel, tennis, dance, music, theatre, relay games and tie-dye and, new for 2027, a rope park. The excursions include a stretch of the Camino de Santiago, a boat trip around the bay, a visit to Santander with a stop at the Magdalena Palace and a walk to the beaches of Langre and El Puntal. And there are the group challenges, which we use to work on teamwork and perseverance. Surfing teaches both of those too, because before you stand up on a board you fall off it a good many times.
Where they sleep and what they eat
We stay at Plea Beach House in Loredo, a house designed for athletes, which we book exclusively for LayosCamp for the session: for those fifteen days we do not share the house with any other guests. Each camper has their own light-wood pod, built into the wall, with an opaque curtain, their own light and space for their things: a corner of their own to rest in after a day at the beach, inside a shared, air-conditioned room. Campers are split into groups of 8, with two counsellors per group. There are modern bathrooms and a terrace with views.
The food is home-cooked with fresh produce, and the campers lend a hand in the kitchen: they help with some of the tasks and learn to cook, which is no bad thing at this age. If your child has an allergy or an intolerance, there are options for them: you just need to tell us when you register.
If anything health-related comes up, there is a medical centre five minutes away that is available to us 24 hours a day, and every camper is covered by the camp's insurance.
What to pack
With daily laundry, a small suitcase or a rucksack is enough, and there is no need to bring sports equipment. What they cannot do without on the coast: several swimsuits, sun cream, a cap, flip-flops, a raincoat, because it can rain on the Cantabrian coast even in July, and a photocopy of their health card. The uniform is compulsory; it is handed out on the first day and the counsellors label it.
The journey: from Madrid, with their counsellors
The return journey from Madrid is included. The coach leaves from the Hipercor car park in Pozuelo on the first day and comes back to the same place on the last, always with their counsellors. We send you the times and the exact meeting point after registration.
If you live outside Madrid, we can also pick your child up at Santander or Bilbao airport. That transfer is charged on top of the session price and is arranged with the office, which needs to see the flights first.
Phones and calls
On the first day each camper hands their phone to their counsellor, who keeps it. From the fourth day there is one hour of calls a day, at a time we will give you, and during that hour you can call their mobile or the camp phone. You can speak to their counsellor from day one. The rule is the same at all our camps, because the first few days are when the group comes together, and with a phone to hand it is harder to settle in.
Dates and ages for summer 2027
The Santander camp is for boys and girls aged 12 to 16 and has a single session, from 1 to 15 July 2027. Registration for summer 2027 is now open.
The Santander camp page has all the details of the session. If your child is between 14 and 16 and the south appeals more, there is surfing in Tarifa too. And our summer camps page lists the ages and dates for every location. If you would rather ask us, call +34 91 357 25 64 or email info@layoscamp.com.