A tiny beach made up of 40 metres of golden sand and crystal clear one-metre deep water is one of, if not the smallest in the world. Gulpiyuri Beach, in Llanes, Spain, bizarrely has no direct exit to the sea, featuring 40 metres of coastline and water that goes no deeper than one metre. The tiny escape was created naturally over time as a result of the erosion created by the Cantabrian Sea on the cliffs in the surrounding area.
This led to a small natural pool being created, which for many years was only known to local residents but now become a sort of tourist attraction. Gulpiyuri is located on the coast about 100 metres inland, surrounded by meadows used for growing corn. When the tide is high, hardly any sand can be seen at Gulpiyuri, giving it the appearance of a pool of sea water.
When at low tide, the beach experiences 'drainage', and the sand reappears. The beach also features many caves, rocks and channels to be explore. The semicircle shape has also led the beach to being named a Natural Monument.
Gulpiyuri is not easy to access and therefore has been quite well preserved over the years. However, if visitors do want to see the smallest beach in the world there is access via a path from San Antolín beach and you descend to it via a staircase from the cliffs. To get there, it is recommended to leave the car near the beach and walk for a few minutes.
Once in Gulpiyuri, you can see, on one side, the rough waters of the Cantabrian Sea and, on the other, meadows, forest.