Asturias
5
Day Itinerary •
Spain
Asturias is Spain's best-kept secret. A lush principality between the Cantabrian Sea and the Picos de Europa mountains, with its own cider culture, pre-Romanesque architecture predating anything else in Spain, extraordinary mountain landscapes, and a coastline of over 40 hidden beaches almost entirely unknown internationally. Five days lets you explore Asturias properly. Pre-Romanesque churches in Oviedo, the most dramatic gorge walk in Spain, sacred mountain lakes, the car-free village of Bulnes, the wild western coast, the medieval port of Llanes and its clifftop painted cubes, the apple orchards of Villaviciosa, and the extraordinary dinosaur fossil coast of the Jurassic eastern shore.
Best Time To Visit
June to September (greenest and warmest)
Getting There
Fly into Asturias Airport (OVD)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 65 to 105 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
OVIEDO
MORNING
SANTA MARIA DEL NARANCO, THE CHURCH ON THE MOUNTAIN
Two kilometres above Oviedo, on a green hillside with views over the city and mountains, stand two 9th-century pre-Romanesque buildings that predate virtually everything else in Spain. Santa Maria del Naranco was built as a royal palace in 842 AD. Both buildings are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and almost entirely unknown internationally. Entry approx 3 euros each. Drive: 15 min drive to Oviedo centre
MIDDAY
OVIEDO OLD TOWN AND THE CATHEDRAL
Oviedo's medieval old town is one of the finest in northern Spain. The Gothic cathedral contains the Camara Santa, a pre-Romanesque chapel with the most important collection of early medieval religious art in the world. Wander the Plaza del Fontan, a beautiful arcaded square that has hosted a daily market for 700 years. Drive: 10 min walk to cider bars
AFTERNOON
EL FONTAN CIDER DISTRICT
Asturian cider is poured from above the head in a thin stream to oxygenate it, a tradition unique to this region. The area around the Plaza del Fontan contains the highest density of traditional cider bars in Asturias. Order a bottle and watch the barman perform the pour from height. Eat chorizo cooked in cider and Cabrales blue cheese.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Escultura del Paraguas, a giant bronze umbrella sculpture in Oviedo, was donated by Woody Allen who described Oviedo as a delicious, exotic, and beautiful city. Dozens of bronze sculptures are scattered throughout the old town, forming one of the most extensive free public sculpture collections in Spain.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Rialto, Oviedo Finest historic cafe in Oviedo. Excellent coffee and traditional Asturian pastries in a beautiful tiled room. | Lunch: Sidreria Casa Fermin, Oviedo Traditional Asturian restaurant. Fabada asturiana and natural cider since 1924. | Dinner: Tierra Astur, Oviedo Most beloved sidreria in Oviedo. Enormous portions of Asturian classics and excellent cider.
DAY 2
PICOS DE EUROPA
MORNING
RUTA DEL CARES, THE DIVINE GORGE
A path carved into sheer limestone cliffs above the River Cares, running for 12km through the deepest part of the Picos de Europa. The gorge walls rise 1,000 metres on both sides. The full route takes 4 to 5 hours return from Poncebos. Start early to have the path to yourself in the morning light. Drive: 45 min drive to Covadonga
MIDDAY
COVADONGA AND THE SACRED LAKES
Covadonga is the spiritual birthplace of Spain where the Christian Reconquista began in 722 AD. Above the basilica, a winding mountain road climbs to two glacial lakes at 1,130 metres surrounded by limestone peaks. The Lagos de Covadonga at dusk are among the most beautiful landscapes in northern Spain. Drive: 30 min drive to Bulnes
AFTERNOON
BULNES, THE VILLAGE ONLY REACHABLE BY FUNICULAR
Bulnes is perched in a deep mountain gorge in the heart of the Picos, completely inaccessible by road until 2001 when a funicular tunnel was bored through the mountain. The village has 40 inhabitants and no cars. The 7-minute ride through solid rock emerges into an extraordinary view of a medieval stone village clinging to the gorge wall.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Mirador del Pozo de la Oracion above Poncebos offers the finest aerial view of the Cares Gorge from above, looking straight down into the chasm. A 20-minute walk from the car park, completely free and missed by most visitors who go straight to the gorge path.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Arenas de Cabrales Coffee and tortilla before the Cares Gorge walk. Fuel up before the trail. | Lunch: Restaurante El Texu, Bulnes Simple mountain food, local cheese and cider in Bulnes village with extraordinary views. | Dinner: Sidreria in Cangas de Onis Return to Cangas de Onis for dinner. Famous for its Roman bridge and excellent Asturian sidrerias.
DAY 3
THE WESTERN COAST
MORNING
PLAYA DEL SILENCIO, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HIDDEN BEACH IN SPAIN
Reached only by a 20-minute walk down a steep path through eucalyptus forest, the Playa del Silencio is a perfect horseshoe of white sand backed by layered slate cliffs. There are no facilities, no development and almost no noise except the waves. The name means Beach of Silence and it earns it entirely. Drive: 20 min drive to Cudillero
MIDDAY
CUDILLERO, THE MOST COLOURFUL FISHING VILLAGE IN SPAIN
Cudillero is built in an extraordinary natural amphitheatre with coloured houses stacked up steep valley walls above a tiny harbour. The village can only be entered through a tunnel, emerging suddenly into a bowl of colour that takes the breath away. The harbour is still fully working and the morning fish auction is one of the most vivid local experiences in Asturias. Drive: 25 min drive to Cabo Penas
AFTERNOON
CABO PENAS, THE NORTHERNMOST POINT OF ASTURIAS
The lighthouse at the tip of this dramatic headland has 360-degree views over the Cantabrian Sea and the Asturian coast stretching east and west. The surrounding cliffs are home to enormous seabird colonies. On exceptionally clear days you can see the mountains stretching in both directions along the entire northern coast.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The stretch of coast between Playa del Silencio and Luarca contains several more hidden beaches including the Playa de Arnao and Playa de Artedo, both accessible only on foot via clifftop paths with almost no visitors. The Asturian coast has over 40 beaches of this quality, most completely unknown.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar near Playa del Silencio Small local bar in Castaneras village before the walk down to the beach. | Lunch: Casa Pirula, Cudillero Most celebrated fish restaurant in Cudillero, overlooking the harbour. Fresh catch and excellent local white wine. | Dinner: Restaurante Real Balneario, Salinas One of the finest seafood restaurants in Asturias overlooking the beach. Book ahead.
DAY 4
LLANES
MORNING
LLANES, THE MEDIEVAL PORT TOWN WITH PAINTED CUBES
Llanes is a perfectly preserved medieval port town in eastern Asturias with an extraordinary modern twist. The Los Cubos de la Memoria are 16 enormous painted concrete cubes decorating the old town harbour wall, commissioned in 1992 and painted by the Basque artist Agustin Ibarrola with vivid abstract designs. The contrast between the medieval walls and the extraordinary contemporary art is unlike anything else in Spain. Drive: 15 min drive to Playa de Gulpiyuri
MIDDAY
PLAYA DE GULPIYURI, THE INLAND SEA BEACH
The Playa de Gulpiyuri is one of the most unusual beaches in the world. A small sandy beach sitting in a field 100 metres from the sea, filled with Atlantic water that flows through underground limestone tunnels from the coast. At high tide the waves crash into this entirely landlocked cove with no visible connection to the ocean. One of the strangest and most beautiful natural phenomena in Spain. Drive: 20 min drive to Poo de Llanes
AFTERNOON
THE LLANES CLIFFTOP WALK AND HIDDEN COVES
The cliff walk east of Llanes passes above a succession of extraordinary coves and sea arches accessible by steep paths from the clifftop. The Playa de Cue, Playa de Andrín and Playa de Troenzo are among the finest beaches in Asturias and receive almost no visitors. The clifftop path offers views of the Picos de Europa mountains rising directly from the coast.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Castro de Coaña, a pre-Roman Celtic hill fort 40km west of Llanes, is one of the finest and most complete Celtic settlements in the Iberian Peninsula. Over 80 circular stone dwellings are still visible, inhabited from the 5th century BC to the 2nd century AD. Entry is free and it receives almost no visitors despite being extraordinary.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Llanes old town Several excellent cafes in the medieval centre. The market square on Tuesday and Friday mornings is superb. | Lunch: El Bable, Llanes Beloved local restaurant in the old town serving outstanding fabada, fresh fish and natural cider. | Dinner: Sidreria El Molín, Llanes Traditional sidreria in a converted mill on the edge of town. Local meats, cheese and the finest cider in eastern Asturias.
DAY 5
VILLAVICIOSA AND THE JURASSIC COAST
MORNING
VILLAVICIOSA, THE CIDER CAPITAL OF ASTURIAS
Villaviciosa is the spiritual home of Asturian cider, surrounded by apple orchards that produce the finest natural cider in Spain. The medieval old town has barely changed since the 16th century and contains the church where Carlos I of Spain first set foot on Spanish soil in 1517 after arriving from Flanders. The Wednesday market in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento has operated since the Middle Ages. Drive: 30 min drive to Ribadesella
MIDDAY
RIBADESELLA, THE TOWN SPLIT BY A RIVER
Ribadesella is a beautiful town split between a medieval fishing village on one side of the River Sella and a beach resort on the other, connected by a long bridge. The Cueva de Tito Bustillo contains the most important Palaeolithic cave paintings in Asturias, painted 20,000 years ago and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guided visits must be booked in advance and are limited to 25 people per day. Drive: 30 min drive to La Griega
AFTERNOON
LA GRIEGA, THE JURASSIC COAST DINOSAUR TRACKS
The eastern Asturian coast contains the most extensive collection of dinosaur footprints in Europe, embedded in the rock platforms exposed at low tide. La Griega beach near Colunga has the finest and most accessible prints, including tracks from both sauropods and theropods dating from 152 million years ago. Walk the beach at low tide with the Picos de Europa visible on the skyline. Entry is free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Senda Costera between Ribadesella and Colunga is a 12km clifftop path above the Jurassic Coast that passes directly above the dinosaur track beaches. The path follows the coastline through meadows and coastal forest with views of the Picos de Europa rising behind the coast. Completely free, moderately easy and one of the finest coastal walks in Asturias.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Sidreria in Villaviciosa Start with a traditional cider breakfast in the town that invented the culture. Cider at 9am is perfectly normal here. | Lunch: Restaurante La Guia, Ribadesella The finest restaurant in Ribadesella. Outstanding fresh fish and rice dishes from the estuary. | Dinner: El Retiro, Pancar Michelin-starred restaurant in a farmhouse above Llanes. Exceptional modern Asturian cuisine using only local produce. Book weeks ahead.
Where To Stay
Oviedo, Night 1 Hotel de la Reconquista, a stunning 18th-century baroque palace hotel. Approx 120 to 180 euros per night. Picos area, Night 2 Parador de Cangas de Onis, a converted 8th-century monastery. Approx 110 to 170 euros per night. Llanes or coast, Nights 3 to 5 Rural casa de aldea or boutique hotel on the eastern coast. Approx 60 to 120 euros per night.
Top Tips
1. Start the Cares Gorge walk by 8am to have the path to yourself before the day visitors arrive.
2. Covadonga Lakes road closes to cars July to September. Take the shuttle bus from the village.
3. Asturian cider must be drunk immediately after pouring. Order by the bottle, not by the glass.
4. Playa del Silencio has no facilities. Bring water, food and leave no trace on the beach.
5. Bulnes funicular runs every 30 minutes from Poncebos. Last return is at 8pm in summer.
6. Cabrales blue cheese from the Picos de Europa is one of the strongest cheeses in the world. Try it.
Total Budget
80 to 130 euros/day