A while back, when researching Surf Nation, I met Chris Tomson, the 2007 UK Pro Longboard champion and founder of Errant Surf Travel. Chris is a top man and, as I know from one trip with Errant to the Algarve, he runs a pretty fine surf travel business, too. But what's his operation in Spain like? One man who knows is A1surf's David Somerville, just back from La Hosteria in Northern Spain. Read on for what David found there - you might just fancy a trip yourself...
What to do when a rare free weekend presents itself at the same time as the opportunity to go and stay in Northern Spain with Errant Surf Travel?
Deciding whether to opt for a long drive followed by crowded Croyde, as against a short flight and uncrowded Spanish waves, was as easy for me as it was for fellow South Coast surfer James Onslow. James runs Brighton surf community site Sharkbait.co.uk and we're both Surfers With Kids. Love them as we do, having young kids has made overseas surf trips a rarity over the past few years. So when - to adopt Johnny Wilkinson's line - preparation (too long without a surf trip) met opportunity (a free weekend), we were off to Spain before you could say 'Dos San Miguel, por favor.'
We left Brighton on a Friday afternoon, whizzed up to Stanstead, left the car in long stay then hopped on a Ryanair flight to Santander. Less than two hours later we touched down in Spain and were met at the airport by Chris Thomson, the owner of Errant Surf Travel and one of most stylish longboarders in the UK.
A 20 minute drive later and we arrived at our home for the next few days – La Hosteria de Latas (or La Hosteria as it is more commonly known). A former restaurant, La Hosteria has retained its original bar and also has a dining area, table football, TV, Playstation, DVD player, PC and Wi-Fi, all of which are available for guests. The rooms are really comfortable, clean and with loads of nice touches.
Saturday morning should have seen an early start, but too much San Miguel the night before meant our surf check was a little later than planned. But after just five minute stroll down to the beach, up the genius wooden boardwalk and over the dunes, we saw the surf for the first time. It was a sight for sore, San Miguelish eyes - around 3-4ft and clean.
The beach of Somo is a curving stretch of sand which runs for about three miles in total, with numerous peaks all the way along. ‘Main Peak’ is straight out in front and was the most consistent and biggest during our stay. To the eastern end of the beach there is 'Amy’s corner', where the waves are smaller. Definitely an easier paddle out if it’s big but note that also at the eastern end, about a 15 minute paddle away, is the island of Santa Marina, which has a heavy, sucky, right-hand point wave. We didn’t see anyone surfing it during our stay, but a few days before it had been going-off at 8ft plus.
With the tide dropping the waves were closing out a little, but it was sunny, clean and the only other people out were four girls having a lesson in the whitewater.
After a couple of hours we headed back for a quick lunch and a relax in the sun, then at about 3pm we headed back to the beach. With the tide now on the push it felt like a completely different wave, with head-high lefts and rights breaking all the way along the beach.
By Sunday morning the weather had changed for the worse, but the swell had increased so we headed out for a surf with most of the people staying at La Hosteria.
We checked the surf again after lunch, but a combination of an onshore wind and the tide being low meant we opted to find a bar showing the Brazilian Grand Prix. This just happened to be the GP at which Lewis Hamilton took his first World Title, making for another slightly San Miguelish Monday for James and me.
And in accordance with time-honoured surfing lore, our hungover surf check on Monday morning revealed that the waves were looking big, mean and hard work. Did we really want to paddle out, feeling as we did? Yes, not least because it was our last day there. We HAD to go out.
Eventually we made it out back then paddled up to the main peak. Huge lines were rolling into the bay, many of which were closing out in a way that made me question how on earth I was going to get back into the beach without being absolutely battered. It proved to be a dodgems session for a couple of hours but was well worth it, not least thanks to the food on offer back at La Hosteria and a lift to the airport from Chris and his wife Theresa.
It was a short, sweet and really enjoyable trip. We returned fully stoked and are already making plans for a return to La Hosteria this coming Spring. If, that is, we're lucky enough to have another free weekend...
To find out more about staying at La Hosteria and the surfing holidays Errant Surf Travel have to offer visit www.errantsurftravel.co.uk.
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