HAVE you noticed anything strange about the beach in this picture?
At first glance, the more observant of you may have thought it was a lake, or inland beach, perhaps man-made.
But no – it's actually right on the coast.
We'll give you a clue: It's unlikely you'll get carried off by the 'current', or if you did, you wouldn't get washed away far, and you wouldn't make much progress if you decided to set off from it by boat.
That's right – Gulpiyuri beach in Llanes, Asturias is backwards. The usual mountain-sand-sea landscape is the wrong way round, and the sea stops at the mountain on the 'horizon'.
It's also largely thought to be the smallest beach in the world.
At just 50 metres long, it would take you less time to walk around a small flat than to stroll from one end of Gulpiyuri beach to the other.
And by the way, it does indeed have tides.
How does this happen?
Well, the sea – the main body of it, that is; the Cantabrian Sea along the northern strip of Spain, 'fed' by the Atlantic Ocean – filters into this 100-metre circle through a hole in the rock, so even though the sea off the actual Gulpiyuri beach is bordered entirely by mountains along its horizon, it still gets waves and something of a current.
Just that even at high tides and on a choppy, windy day, it's a bit too small to practise kite-surfing in, given that it's only double the length of a standard swimming pool.
The sea comes through a complex labyrinth of channels and caves in the mountain from the beach on the opposite side, landing in a dip in the sand, deepened over time and the action of the waves to form a permanent pool, complete with tides.
And picture two (by Franciaio on Wikimedia Commons) shows the Gulpiyuri beach at high tide, just in case you were curious.
Declared official natural heritage in 2001 – meaning it's completely safe from building development or any other actions that may spoil its unique essence – Gulpiyuri beach is one of northern Spain's most-visited, although with this summer's social distancing needs, only a handful of people at a time would have been allowed on it.
In other years, just a dozen or two of bathers would have left it crowded, with towel-space at a premium.
Based in the village of Naves, in the larger town of Llanes, Gulpiyuri beach can only be reached on foot from the nearby San Antolín beach in the village of the same name.
This is not easy, although anecdotal evidence says you don't have to be an expert rock-climber to do it, just to be of normal fitness with sensible footwear and a lot of patience, and apparently – as you no doubt suspect from the photographs – very much worth it.
And its awkward access is what has guaranteed the Gulpiyuri beach's conservation, before and after the natural heritage declaration, since not everyone is able, or can be bothered, to make the hike.
Completely sheltered from the wind and with the waves having 'softened' en route through the mountain, the water is always still enough for bathing – not completely current-free, but weather and sea conditions will never cause a red flag to fly, preventing sunseekers from entering.
It's also perfect for those who are a bit nervous about swimming in open waters, since the sea off the Gulpiyuri beach is only just about deep enough to sit in – barely knee-deep when standing.
Tempted? You'll find it on the eastern shores of Asturias, northern Spain, close to the Cantabria border.
First photograph by Ramón Díaz on Wikimedia Commons
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