In Villaverde de Pontones (municipality of Ribamontán al Monte) saw hundreds of people — thousands according to the organisers — demonstrate on Saturday, 31 October 2026, against the project Olucas Surf Center . The regional movement Cantabristas. Its secretary-general Paulu Lobete called it “a turning point” and demanded that the process be halted.
The mobilisation was prompted by the project’s classification as a Proyecto Singular de Interés Regional, which was published in October 2026 in the Boletín Oficial de Cantabria . This category allows accelerated planning procedures and can facilitate interventions in municipal planning. The decision has significantly intensified the debate over land use and infrastructure in Cantabria.
Critics are particularly opposed to the planned rezoning of land outside designated development areas, the expected water demand of an artificial wave facility, and the possible use of private plots. They fear that the special category could make expropriations easier. Supporters, by contrast, point to hoped-for economic benefits and new tourist attractions. The regional government says it is relying on expert reports from its departments.
According to Cantabristas, residents from several nearby towns took part in the march. The organisers stressed that the opposition was not directed at water sports, but at the project's location, scale and legal framework. Speakers called on the Government of Cantabria to withdraw the publication in the Boletín Oficial de Cantabria or suspend the procedure.
Details remain unclear, including the precise boundaries of the affected areas, the number of plots directly affected and reliable calculations of water demand. No final details on financing or possible contractual conditions have been made public either. If the classification as a Proyecto Singular de Interés Regional remains in place, observers expect further objections and possible legal action.
The demonstration in Villaverde de Pontones has brought the dispute over the Olucas Surf Center into greater public view. Whatever the outcome of the administrative process, the debate over the future treatment of land outside designated development areas, the use of scarce water resources and the tourism model in Ribamontán al Monte and beyond, in Cantabria, is likely to continue.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).