Beaches in Spain

One of the nice things about a peninsula is that there is lots of beach to choose from. Unfortunately, the Spanish seem delighted to convert their coast into an uninterrupted string of golf courses and cement buildings. As such, great, cheap beach towns are fast disappearing. What part of the country are you thinking of visiting? The "vibe" is very different, depending on the area. All along the coast one can still find "the real Spain", but to better orient, it would be helpful to have an idea of your itinerary.

We enjoyed the beaches along the north coast, where the Spaniards vacation in August. Don't know what they're like in July, though. Research from Donastia (aka San Sebastian) west.

Oliva. And, anybody who makes it to Oliva must also go to the restaurant "El Pelut".

Check the Costa dela Luz area. This is on the Atlantic side, southwestern coast of Andalucia. There are excellent beaches here and as well as much cheaper than if you go to Costa del Sol (Marbella, along the Mediterranean Sea) area. You can reach Puerto de Santa Maria via train from Madrid (I believe you have to change trains in Sevilla). This is a beachtown as well but if you head westward from here, there are several beach towns like Rota, La Ballena, Chipiona, San Lucar de Barrameda, etc. If you decide to stay in this area, there are also a lot of good places to visit like Sevilla, Granada, Ronda, Gibraltar. etc. Excellent seafood!!! Do your web research of the area for additional information. Buenviaje. -Ramon

If you're going in July, I agree with Ramon about the Costa de la Luz. Less crowded and far less expensive than other coastal areas. Not quite as warm, but in July, it'll be hot enough.
If you do go, and you want a car to get around, try to fly into Malaga and rent a car from the airport there...rates are almost half what you'll find elsewhere. Cadiz and the Costa de la Luz are less than three hours from there, about the same travel time as a trip to Calgary.

Thank you everyone so much. I am going to take all of your suggestions to my fellow travellers and hopefully settled on one.

Thanks again!