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While we all know that “costa” is simply the Spanish word for “coast”, for most of us it has a much wider meaning, evoking all sorts of images, both positive and negative. It may be beaches, fun, cold beers and tapas at a chiringuito (beach bar) with your feet in the sand. Perhaps you’re thinking of childhood holidays in a thrillingly huge hotel, where you happily stuffed yourself with ice-cream and chips for a fortnight. More recent memories might revolve around showy beach clubs with exorbitant prices. If you’ve been to the costas of eastern or southern Spain in the past few years, however, you may have reluctantly concluded that your favourite resorts are now a bit too hot for comfort.
This year, there has been a lot of buzz about “la España fresca”, or cool Spain, but, in reality, Spaniards have been thronging the northern coast in summer for decades, decamping to Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country. This is particularly true for residents of Madrid and other cities in central Spain that are stifling in July and August.
Along the north coast, temperatures are usually more like those of Cornwall on a good summer’s day. But be warned: you do get blisteringly hot spells, too, not to mention a greater risk of wet weather. I have trudged along beaches in driving rain in June, but enjoyed glorious sunshine and delicious swims well into September.
One of my favourite chunks of northern Spain is the Costa Trasmiera in Cantabria. If you are trying to cut down on flying, it has the advantage of being easy to reach by Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander, the regional capital, or from Portsmouth to Bilbao, an hour’s drive away.
Anchovies and tuna for sale in Santoña. Photograph: Tim Graham/Alamy
Sailing into the Bay of Santander, your eyes are drawn to the city, framed by its string of beaches, rising up on your right. Look left, however, and the view is rural rather than urban. A long spit of glittering sand, El Puntal, protrudes into the bay, with a green landscape stretching out behind it to the east. This is the Costa Trasmiera, a stretch of about 30 miles (50km) between Santander and the fishing town of Santoña.
A car is really useful to get to different beaches along the coast, but there are buses from Santander to the main places, such as Somo, Noja and Santoña. With a car, you are only likely to be travelling short distances each day, so using an EV is no problem.
If you liked the look of El Puntal as you were arriving, you can jump on a little ferry across the bay. I love doing this when I’m staying in Santander, as within a quarter of an hour I’m running into the sea, shrieking as the cold water hits my body. If you’re used to wallowing in the tepid soup of the Mediterranean in summer, it might come as a bit of a shock.
The view across the bay from Santander. Photograph: Juanma Aparicio/Alamy
Back on the sand, a chopped seafood salad and glass of rosé at Chiringuito El Puntal Tricio always hits the spot. Walking along the beach brings you to Somo, a hub for surfers from all over the world, where you’ll find lots of cafes, bars and places offering surfing and paddleboarding tuition. Hotel Bemon Playa (doubles from €90 room-only) is in the thick of things if you fancy staying for a few days.
Heading east along the coast, it’s one superb beach after another: Loredo, Langre, Galizano, Antuerta, Cuberris. Book a table for a lobster lunch or a seafood platter overlooking the sea at Hotel Astuy (doubles from €60 room-only) in Isla, where the crustaceans served in the restaurant are kept in seawater pools in caves below the building. The hotel is a good base for exploring the area, but just beyond Isla, right next to Playa de Ris, Camping Playa Joyel (pitches from €19.50) is one of several good campsites on the Costa Trasmiera, with lots of facilities to keep kids happy.
From the campsite, it’s an easy walk into Noja, the main holiday town on the coast. Practical rather than pretty, for most of the year it is a sleepy place with a population of about 2,500. In summer, however, the number rises to an astounding 80,000-plus, mostly in second homes and holiday apartments – a much higher ratio of tourists and second-home owners to residents than in resorts on the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol. Families from other parts of Spain, especially the adjacent Basque Country, install themselves for the entire school holidays, which can stretch from late June until the second week of September.
Joyel salt marshes. Photograph: Mikel Bilbao/Gorostiaga Travels/Alamy
Although there are vestiges in Noja of the village it once was – including the church of San Pedro on the main square and a handful of grand mansions – the streets are lined with apartment blocks, with shops, bars and restaurants at ground level. This may not be the most attractive place, but for the thousands who come here year after year, it has everything needed for a relaxing holiday with no delusions of grandeur or attempts at being cool. No one cares what you’re wearing here.
With Playa de Ris on one side of Noja and the equally gorgeous Trengandín stretching away on the other (a path links the two), it’s not hard to see how people while away a summer here with swims, picnics, leisurely walks, long lunches and sunset cocktails. Seafood is, of course, excellent, but the nécoras (velvet crabs) are particularly prized.
Those who can summon the energy to move on from Noja only have to round the El Brusco headland at the end of Trengandín to come upon yet another splendid beach. Berria is bordered by the Santoña, Victoria and Joyel marshlands, a nature reserve that attracts migratory birds from autumn to spring.
Considered a delicacy, Santoña anchovies are served straight from the tin at restaurants and tapas bars. Photograph: Sergio Rojo/Alamy
The adjacent town of Santoña marks the end of the Costa Trasmiera. It’s all about fisheries and canning factories here, which is a lot more interesting than it sounds. As long as you like anchovies, that is. Santoña anchovies are bigger and fleshier than most, with a softer texture and a more delicate flavour, and here they’re expertly filleted and preserved in olive oil. Considered a delicacy throughout Spain, they are served straight out of the tin at top restaurants and tapas bars. Have a look around the anchovy museum – really – before ordering someat a bar, along with a plate of sardines and a beer. Devour the lot while standing at a high table on the pavement outside, then quaff another beer. You may find yourself ordering more anchovies as well.
By now you should have tuned into the laid-back Costa Trasmiera vibe. All you have to do, at some point, is make your way back to Santander. It only takes about half an hour by car, but you may be tempted to stop at some of the inland villages along the way. This is not an area to rush around, which – if you’re doing things properly – you will no doubt have gathered by now.
Spend some time on Rügen, Germany’s largest island, on its Baltic coast. White sandy beaches and darker history await. Visit Lauterbach, by the sea. From there, catch the coastal ferry to the tiny fishing village of Baabe, a near three-mile (5km) walk/cycle through rolling countryside and catch the “Raging Roland” steam train back again. Not far away, you can walk the cliffs that inspired Caspar David Friedrich. For a very different day, visit Prora and its massive beachside concrete apartment blocks, originally planned as a Nazi holiday complex, before becoming a Soviet army barracks, and now a part ruin, part reunification commercial and residential redevelopment. Richard
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Deserted beaches on the Danish Riviera
Gilleleje fishing harbour, Denmark. Photograph: Robert Harding/Alamy
Who needs the scorching Med when you have the Danish Riviera. The water is clean and refreshing. No wetsuits allowed – you’ll be laughed off the beach. Danish summer hols are in July so you’ll have the beach to yourself in August. Book a summer cottage near Gilleleje, a charming fishing village about an hour from Copenhagen. Denmark is expensive, so self-catering is best. Ice-cream at Hansens. Lunch in Gilleleje harbour. Culture at Louisiana modern art museum and Hamlet’s Castle in Helsingør. And day trips to Copenhagen. Christina
To Hel and back in Poland
Sunset on the Hel peninsula. Photograph: Patryk Kosmider/Getty Images
Hel is a tiny spit of land north of Gdańsk. Guys selling hot smoked fish meet you as you get off the ferry. Getting there is an adventure in itself, as the ferry takes you past the colossal cranes of Gdańsk’s shipyards. Long sandy beaches, pine forests and a small picturesque village make Hel a fantastic place to spend a few days. Famous for its seals, as well as its seaside, it really is the opposite of its fiery namesake. Lucy Moore
Swimming and seafood in Sweden
Björkö island in the Gothenburg archipelago. Photograph: Amazing Aerial/Alamy
We’ve just returned from a Scandi road trip and had four fantastic, chilled nights on Björkö. It’s only 30 minutes from central Gothenburg by (free!) car ferry and regular buses. Great swimming and beaches; micro breweries and fresh fish; sunsets and sunrises to die for; days out in Gothenburg, including the excellent Liseberg theme park, with no queues for proper scary rides – highly recommended. James
Rowing in Finland’s Åland archipelago
Kayaking at Kobba Klintar island in Åland. Photograph: Olivier Goujon/Alamy
Fuelled by our kids’ love of flags and a craving for quiet, we chose Åland, thousands of islands scattered between Sweden and Finland like granite gods wept there. We cycled between clouds and old boat sheds, stopping for smoked herring and cardamom pancakes with stewed prunes (sexier than it sounds). By the time Ivar lent us ancient alder oars to row to the next island, knowing they’d be returned by a friend, we’d learned that Åland doesn’t welcome visitors – it absorbs them. Eliza Ainley
Cliff-edge drama in north-west Spain
The coastal town of Ribadesella in Asturias. Photograph: Joaquin Ossorio-Castillo/Alamy
Based in Oviedo (the ideal compact city), in Asturias, we would explore the coast one day, mountains the next, finding unexpected Gaudí buildings, gingerbread houses in Ribadesella, amazing cemeteries on cliff edges, enjoyable easy driving on perfect roads, gorgeous unspoilt beaches and great weather! Few tourists, thousands of Camino pilgrims along the way and (very weak) cider! Cannot wait to return and yes, we’d love to live there. Annie Hargreaves
Camping Panorama du Rohou, near Paimpol in northern Brittany, has excellent views over to the beautiful Île de Bréhat. Walk down through the forest behind the campsite to take a short ferry ride to the island. Hire a bike or walk to explore its rocky coves and quaint villages. A lighthouse at the far end of the island has great views and is a good spot for a picnic, or to have a Breton galette or crepe at nearby Paradise Rose. Les Scènes de Bréhat is an annual festival with live music at the beginning of July; late-running ferries get you back to the mainland. Stella
Arctic beach holiday, Norway
View from Bjornskinntinden on Andøya, Norway. Photograph: Jasper Stenger/Alamy
When we booked a trip to northern Norway’s stunning Lofoten Islands and Andøya we didn’t expect a beach holiday, but blessed with August temperatures in the high 20s we spent days swimming in the Arctic Ocean. Bleik beach on Andøya is one of the longest in Norway – “bleik” means “white” or “pale” in Norwegian, and the almost empty white sand, coupled with refreshing blue sea and the towering cliffs behind the beach, made for a perfect end to a day’s hiking. Puffins abound here, and whale watching trips are available from Andenes, just a few miles to the north. Rachel
Seafood and sailing in Hanko, Finland
Camping at Gustavsvarn island, Hanko. Photograph: Markus Thomenius/Alamy
Hanko, Finland’s southernmost seaside gem, sits on a sandy dune that stretches out into the Baltic Sea. The town comes alive in early July during the celebrated Hanko Regatta, a sailing festival that draws about 200 yachts. To reach Hanko from Helsinki, take the VR train from Helsinki Central for about €15. Rent a bike once you arrive to explore the sandy beaches bordered by an ancient pine forest, historic villas and nature reserve. In the evening, enjoy fresh seafood with Baltic views and sit down for a pint of Lonkero. Don’t miss the spa scene and wild swimming! Liina
Winning tip: Bike to the beach in North Holland
Crossing from Texel to the neighbouring island of Vlieland. Photograph: Ton Koene/Alamy
Aan Noordzee campsite, on the North Holland coast, has a simple, tranquil feel and no entertainment facilities. With separate cycleways everywhere, you can explore the beautiful coastline up to Den Helder and, by ferry, Texel island (sandy beaches, pretty towns and robust Texel sheep). An unspoilt beach walkable from the campsite awaits, with dune footpaths that lead to restaurants built on stilts. The sunsets over the North Sea are stunning. Alkmaar is accessible via a regular bus service. Nicola Hull
The trend for ‘coolcations’ has seen holidaymakers shun beach resorts in favour of destinations with less tourists this time of year
‘Coolcation’ holidays on the rise as travellers seek cooler summer getaways(Image: Craig Hastings via Getty Images)
As the summer holidays approach, folks are gearing up to flock to sunny coastal resorts or enjoy a UK seaside staycation. But, some are bucking the trend and opting for chillier locales as soon as the British heat kicks in.
The travel scene’s seen a real shake-up recently with ‘coolcation’ destinations gaining steam among Europeans looking to dodge the scorching sun. Google’s been ablaze with a whopping 624% surge in searches for these cooler getaways this year.
Inghams Walking has delved deep, scrutinising almost 100 spots across Europe to reveal where the cool crowd will head come 2025.
Inghams Walking’s Head of rambling, Laura Mason, chimed in: “While countries like Greece and Spain have offered holidaymakers a chance to soak up the sun and get some much-needed Vitamin D, the heatwaves rippling across Europe in the past couple of years have undoubtedly shifted travellers to alternative travel for their summer breaks.
Iceland’s Akureyri has had a massive increase in popularity(Image: Getty)
“Coolcations allow holidaymakers to foster a deeper connection with nature, often prioritising exploring the outdoors and personal wellbeing, and we hope our findings inspire those looking to mix up their typical travel this summer.”
Iceland’s Akureyri, fondly referred to as the ‘Capital of the North’, tops the chart as the most popular ‘coolcation’ hotspot. Inghams experts have revealed a staggering 264.13% surge in interest for Akureyri as travellers seek cooler climes for their summer holidays.
This idyllic city, with its mild summer temperatures of 10-12°C, boasts the northernmost botanical garden in the world, an eye-catching church by the architect of Reykjavik’s famed Hallgrímskirkja, and some of Iceland’s finest whale-watching excursions,” reports the Express.
Akureyri is Iceland’s second largest city(Image: Getty)
Tisvilde, known as the ‘Danish Riviera’, is next on the list, offering tourists the perfect mix of urban exploration and relaxed coastal vibes.
Experts at Inghams extol Tisvilde’s virtues: “Tisvilde is rich in culture and has several palaces and castles, charming colourful beach houses, miles of sandy beaches, and restaurants serving fresh catches from the surrounding waters.”
With average summer temperatures ranging from 19 to 21°C, Tisvilde provides a warm yet comfortable beach experience, avoiding the intense heat found in more traditional European destinations.
Tisvilde is another popular ‘coolcation’ spot(Image: Getty)
From seaside towns on Iceland’s ‘Arctic Coast Way’ to unspoilt and rugged landscapes in the Scottish Highlands, there are plenty of choices for those looking for the perfectly cool getaway.
The Grand Tour was hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond for Prime Video but there’s now speculation over their potential replacements on the show
22:42, 29 May 2025Updated 23:18, 29 May 2025
There’s speculation over Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond’s potential replacements as hosts of the Grand Tour(Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
There’s speculation over the line-up for the Grand Tour, with news hosts said to have signed up. It’s been teased that Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond‘s apparent replacements are “younger” and “cooler”.
Jeremy, 65, James, 62, and Richard, 55, hosted the Prime Video show together from 2016 until it ended last year. They are looking back over it in four special episodes though. One has aired so far and it was previously announced that the others will be released “later this year and into 2026”. It has now been reported that their replacements for the Grand Tour have been decided. It’s claimed that Thomas Holland and James Engelsman – who run the Throttle House channel on YouTube – will front the motoring TV show with viral trainspotter Francis Bourgeois, 24, moving forward.
It’s been reported that TikTok star Francis Bourgeois is lined up as a new host for the Grand Tour(Image: Katielee Arrowsmith/PinPep)
A source has told the Sun: “Thomas and James are as knowledgeable about motors as Jeremy, Richard and James – the only difference is they’re younger, cooler and a lot more social media savvy. Francis became famous for his love of trainspotting and will be bringing his humour to the show.”
Thomas and James are behind the brand Throttle House, which has more than 3 million subscribers on YouTube. Through the channel, the pals post “everything from car reviews to track tests, to epic adventures”. Launched by Thomas, the channel dates back to 2013 and James later joined as a presenter in 2018.
Francis – whose real name is Luke Nicolson – instead rose to fame through TikTok in 2021. He’s known for posting content about trains, including footage of himself trainspotting, and has more than 3 million followers on the platform.
It’s claimed that he will front the show alongside the duo behind Throttle House, which includes Thomas Holland(Image: Instagram/thomasholland_th)
It was reported earlier this year that he was being considered for the Grand Tour. A source previously told the Sun: “Francis is a big noise online and Amazon producers are hoping to bring him into the mainstream. […] Francis is not just a social media sensation but trained as a mechanical engineer so knows his stuff.”
The latest speculation about the line-up comes after former host James May suggested that a younger generation should take the helm of motoring shows like the Grand Tour. He spoke about stepping back on Australia‘s ABC News in March.
After suggesting that he wouldn’t reunite with Jeremy and Richard in such a role, he said: “It was probably time for us to stop because we always said we would land it … we would land it with dignity not fly it into the cliffs. That’s the way we used to talk about it. We have come close to flying it into the cliffs a few times so it was probably the right time to stop.”
Thomas’ presenting partner James Engelsman is said to be the third new host of the Prime Video show(Image: Instagram/jamesengelsman)
Discussing the future, he suggested that the former Top Gear presenters are “getting on a bit”. He then proposed that a “younger generation” should find a “new way” of discussing motoring, as opposed to their potentially “dated” view.
He said at the time: “We’re getting on a bit. Our view of the subject is probably becoming a bit dated. It’s time for a younger generation to reevaluate it and think of a new way of talking about things like cars and transport generally.”
James expressed hope that “somebody out there” will be able to, though said he wasn’t sure “exactly” how. He said in the interview: “I don’t know how they’re going to do it exactly but I feel sure there must be somebody out there.”
The Mirror has reached out to Amazon Prime Video for comment.
Eye up Oviedo – Northern Spain offers cultural gems, tasty morsels and history in spades, says Tim Bond, who took a trip to one of the lusher, lesser visited parts of the country
