Spain's Scenic Atlantic Coast Hides A Relaxing Resort Town With Impeccable Seafood And Historic Charm

Think Spain, think spicy patatas bravas, twirling flamenco dancers, and — of course — beaches. Some of the best darn beaches in the world, in fact. From Spain's beautiful islands to the glimmering Mediterranean shores of the Costa del Sol, there are more sands than you can shake a copy of "Don Quixote" at in these parts. But, while a whopping 14.4 million people flock to the southern coasts, just a fraction of that make for the region of Galicia — which is where you'll find the hidden, happening resort town of Sanxenxo.

To international visitors, the name might not mean all that much. But to Spaniards, this buzzing town is often called "the beach of Madrid," for it draws millions of city slickers from the capital each summer with the promise of not one, not two, but a tan-giving 17 individual Blue Flag-rated beaches. A measure that testifies to the region's clean sands and good water quality.

But Sanxenxo isn't just for beach bums. It's also a chic, snazzy corner of the Spanish coast, with five-star hotels and aperitivo bars aplenty. Together with its next-door neighbor — the salt-washed marina town of Portonovo — it offers a whirlwind of Galician seafood tapas, live music, 17^th-century churches, and wine tasting in the Albariño-growing lands of the surrounding Rías Baixas. Jet into nearby Vigo Airport and then drive north for 40 minutes to arrive in Sanxenxo. Alternatively, take one of the direct high-speed trains from Madrid to swap city for sea in just over four hours.

Before you get distracted by the shimmering sands and turquoise seas that abound around Sanxenxo, be sure to get your fix of culture. Although it comes in many forms, food is one of the standouts. This region is especially famous for its seafood. In fact, the resort you see today actually started life as a humble fishing village, and there are now countless marisquerías (traditional seafood kitchens) peppering the marinas and downtown to get through.

Expect chopped octopus doused in olive oil, fresh-scavenged scallops in lemon brine, and griddled cuttlefish straight from the Atlantic. There's also the cutting-edge gastronomy of Pepe Vieira, one of two Michelin-starred bistros in Sanxenxo, where the menus are inspired by the rich histories of the Galician region.

Speaking of history ... there's plenty of that to help you work up an appetite. On A Lanzada, some 10 minutes north of town, you can wander the ruins of a Bronze Age village that later became a Roman fort. The south end of the same beach is also home to a mighty tower that weathered sieges by the Vikings hundreds of years ago. Then there's the stone-fronted Church of San Xinés, a charming Gothic chapel that was shifted to Sanxenxo from a nearby town in the late 1600s.

No guide to Sanxenxo could possibly ignore the sheer quality and class of the beaches here. The greater region around town, known as the Rías Baixas, is home to the most Blue Flag beaches in Spain. There's something for everyone, from body-packed urban beaches where you can sip sangria while the sun sets, to remote bays fringed by sand dunes and bashed by wild waves.

Silgar Beach is probably the most famous of all. It's the town's main scythe of chalk-hued sand, curving under a bustling promenade where tapas bars and cocktail joints jostle for space. A touch to the east, slender Playa de Areas offers something a bit wilder, with pine woods that tumble down to meet the Atlantic and water that's clear enough for snorkeling.

But to sample that quintessential Galician coastline of gleaming white sands and rolling surf, there's arguably nowhere that can beat A Lanzada. More than 1.5 miles from end to end, it's enfolded by dunes to the east and offers blazing sunset shows come the evening. A Lanzada also happens to be one of the best year-round surf spots in this part of Galicia, though the spring and fall are the standout seasons for wave hunting.