Playa de Gulpiyuri is a flooded

sinkhole A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...

with an inland beach located near

Llanes Llanes (the ''Concejo de Llanes'', ''Conceyu de Llanes'' in Asturian language) is a municipality of the province of Asturias, in northern Spain. Stretching for about 30 km along the coast at the extreme east of the province, Llanes is bound ...

, in Asturias Northern Spain, around 100 m from the

Cantabrian Sea The Cantabrian Sea; french: Mer Cantabrique, gl, Mar Cantábrico, ast, Mar Cantábricu, eu, Kantauri. is the term used mostly in Spain to describe the coastal sea of the Atlantic Ocean that borders the northern coast of Spain and the southwe ...

. It is the shortest beach in the world. Roughly 40 meters in length, it is fully tidal due to a series of tunnels carved by the

salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish wat ...

of the Cantabrian Sea, which allows water from the Bay of Biscay to create small waves. The word ‘Gulpiyuri’ means ‘water circle’. Unlike many other hidden beaches around the world, Playa de Gulpiyuri is actually fully tidal and even has waves bathing the small strip of sand. The crystal clear water may be a little cold after remaining underground for a while before getting to Gulpiyuri Beach. It is a popular tourist destination,

natural monument A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance. Under World Commission on Protected Areas guidelines, na ...

, and part of Spain's Regional Network of Protected Natural Areas.

References

Sinkholes of Europe Landforms of Spain Natural monuments Beaches of Spain {{Spain-geo-stub

See also

References