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By Gabe Hiatt

Mentioned in this newsletter: Cantabria, Spain; street food safety; the new Acela train; “flight pathers” and photo winners.

A wide shot of sunbathers on Berria beach on the north coast of Spain.

(Gabe Hiatt/The Washington Post)

The prettiest beach you’ve never heard of

Hi!

I’m Travel editor Gabe Hiatt. Starting this week, you’ll be hearing more from our staff in this newsletter. We’ll be sharing highlights from our trips, where we’re planning to go next and anything else that’s exciting us in our corner of the internet. The goal is to inspire you to plan your next trip, or just give you a mini vacay from the workday.

I’m still thinking about an unexpected delight that I refuse to gatekeep: Playa de Berria.

As part of a 10-year anniversary trip with my wife, Beth, I planned a couple days of driving along the north coast of Spain. During one night of browsing Google Maps, I had arbitrarily saved a couple of beaches where we could stop and sunbathe.

Within an hour of leaving Santander, we pulled off on a bypass to find a short, straight road lined with cars parked at improvised angles next to houses. We snagged a spot, crossed the street and padded onto a flat yellow beach bookended by two green mountaintops. Kid-size waves leisurely rolled onto the shore as we took in the view and watched the locals relax.

For lunch, we left the car where it was and popped into Alikate, a surfer bar where teens with summer jobs served us salads with the richest, briniest olives. We needed vegetables, but the day also required rabas (fried squid) with a spritz-it-yourself lemon wedge and a tall glass of kalimotxo, the Basque cocktail of red wine and Coke. Stops like this make a convincing case for renting a car.

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Tips

(The Washington Post illustration; iStock)

Buy the food tour

Wherever you go around the world, you’ll probably find the street food that locals consume for fast and affordable sustenance. Vendors work from stands, stalls, carts and food trucks, setting up at bus stops, markets, plazas and subway stations.

Street food can also be a risky proposition. Some stomachs are not built for certain spices, ingredients or recipes. The food may also be contaminated.

Travelers who want to skip the research should consider a guided street food tour or tagging along with a local who knows the scene well.

Andrea Sachs has more advice from health and travel experts.