Coastal relief
The coast is the area of land next to the sea. Spain´s coasts are divided into three areas: Cantabrian, Atlantic and
Mediterranean.
The type of coastal relief is the result of many factors: erosion by waves,
wind and rain, etc.
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The Cantabrian coast:
The coastline is predominantly straight, with occasional areas where the sea enters inland. It is characterized by a rocky coastline with many cliffs.
The Atlantic Coast:
- The Galician Atlantic coast is predominantly rocky, with high cliffs.
- The Andalusian Atlantic coast is straight, low lying and sandy and has numerous beaches, wetlands (low areas of land flooded with water) and dunes.
- The Canary Islands have sheer cliffs, ascending to 100-400 metres, as a result of their volcanic origins.
The Mediterranean coast
- The Catalan and Balearic coasts are characterised by a combination of high, rocky areas and low-lying, sandy zones.
- Valencia and Murcia have mostly low-lying and sandy beaches.
- The Mediterranean coast in Andalucía has stretches of flat areas, followed by coastline formed by cliffs.
