Asturias Travel Guide

Asturias is nature in its purest state, astonishing landscapes and a coast full of traditions, an ideal destination to disconnect and recharge your batteries thanks to the fresh mountain air, the coastland villages and its delicious gastronomy. In this Asturias travel guide we talk about what to see and do, the best beaches and the traditional food of the region.

Hiking trails in Asturias

One of the main attractions in Asturias is its nature, landscapes and mountains. There are numerous hiking trails to enjoy them, both easy and advanced. Some of the most popular hiking routes and spots in Asturias are:

Cares Trail

The Cares Trail is the most popular track in Asturias. It goes from Poncebos to Caín through an amazing gorge. The lineal pathway is 12 km and, for returning, there are two options: coming back walking on the same path or booking a transport service from Caín.

The Bear’s Trail

The Bear’s Trail is a ‘Vía Verde’, an old train track adapted to walk or ride a bike. The total track is 59 km, so the best option is to choose a section or divide it in some stages.

The Lakes of Covadonga

Inside the Picos de Europa National Park, in Covadonga Lakes (composed by the lakes Enol, Ercina and Bricial) we will find some enchanting landscapes, with the cows grazing freely. It’s the starting point for various circular routes, an absolute paradise for the trekking lovers.

The Jesters of Pría

The strenght of nature can be astonishing and the Jesters of Pría, in Llanes, are a perfect proof. Going through a coastal track, we will be amazed by the Jesters of Pría, some kind of chimneys that eject water.

Somiedo Natural Park

In this amazing spot formed by five valleys we can walk some easy routes such as Braña de Mumián Route, Valle del Lago Route, Castro Route or Valle de Pigüeña Route. Somiedo Natural Park is considered a bear sanctuary.

Other walking trails that may be interesting are las Xanas Route, where you walk through a gorge; Alba Route, where we can see some waterfalls; and Molinos del Río Profundu Route, in Villaviciosa.

Main cities

The three main cities in Asturias are Oviedo, Gijón and Avilés:

Oviedo

If you visit Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, you must see its Cathedral of San Salvador, Constitución square and the old university. If you are interested in art, you can visit the Museum of Fine Arts, the most important one in Asturias. 4 km from Oviedo, you can find Santa María del Naranco, a beautiful ancient palace.

Gijón

If you want to visit Gijón, we recommend you to take a walk through the old town, located in Santa Catalina hill, by the sea. Among all its historical buildings, one of the most outstanding is the 18th century Revillagigedo Palace. Moreover, La Laboral, its university, is the biggest building in Spain.

Avilés

The old town of Avilés is also quite interesting, and in certain periods you can visit it on a touristic train. Some of the most eye-catching buildings are the Cityhall and “Julián Orbón” School of Music. Furthermore, Galiana street is perfect to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the city.

Most beautiful towns in Asturias

The list of picturesque towns in Asturias is long and diverse. These are some of the prettiest towns and villages in Asturias:

• Lastres: This traditional and beautiful coastal town has the prize “Pueblos Ejemplares de Asturias”. In Spain, the television series Doctor Mateo made it pretty famous.

• Bulnes: If you are looking for a pretty village surrounded by the mountains, that’s Bulnes. Bulnes can only be reached on foot or by funicular, there is no road for cars.

• Cudillero: One of the most popular and visited. Cudillero is a coastal town with fishing tradition nestled between the sea and the mountains.

• Llanes: Another coastal town that the cameras couldn resist, as here several films has been recorded, for example The Orphanage, You’re the one and Mi nombre es sombra.

Other pretty towns and villages that you can visit in Asturias are Cangas de Onís, Ribadesella, Taramundi, Tazones, Luarca and Bandujo, a medieval village.

Best beaches in Asturias

The cold Cantabrian Sea may not be the best water to swim in, but that doesn’t mean that Asturias doesn’t have amazing beaches to enjoyg the views, take a walk or, for the most adventurous, go surfing. These are some of the most beautiful beaches in Asturias:

The beach of Silencio (of Silence)

In this beach, the great cliffs manage to tame the fierce Cantabrian Sea. The beach of Silencio or Gaveiro is just 16 km from Cudillero, so you can visit both places in the same day.

The beach of Gulpiyuri

We can find this magical inland beach 12 km from Llanes. Here, the water runs under the cliffs. The beach of Gulpiyuri is just 40 meters long and isn’t very accessible, which makes it even more special.

Other beautiful beaches in Asturias

In Ribadesella you can stroll on the beach of Vega and, 25.7 km from the town, the Beach of Barro. Likewise, 13 km heading for Llanes, the beach of Cuevas del Mar is one of the most beautiful beaches in Asturias. Other popular beaches from the Asturian coastline are beach of San Antonio, beach of Salinas, beach of Poo, beach of Aguilar and beach of Torimbia, considered a nudist beach.

Lastly, even though beach of Cathedrals doesn’t belong to Asturias, but to Galicia, is a frequent visit thanks to its closeness to this region. If you want to know more about it, you can read our Galicia Travel Guide.

Traditional food in Asturias

One of the most popular recipes of the Asturian food culture is the Asturian fabada. It is composed by a dish of fabes or beans followed by some chorizo sausage, morcilla (blood sausage), lacón (pork shoulder) and bacon, even though the ingredients can change depending on which part of Asturias we are.

Other dishes that we can taste are cachopo, arroz con bugre (rice with lobster), pixín (fried monkfish) and the stuffed spider crab. Furthermore, the Asturian cheese are very special, particularly the Cabrales cheese.

As for traditional desserts, we can find the carballón, a cake made with egg yolk and almonds; the casadiellas; with ground walnuts, anise, sugar and pastry cream; or the princesitas, prepared with egg yolk and typical of Gijón. Also, the traditional Asturian drink is cider.

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