Asturias Voyage Tips and guide

Asturias, officially the Principality of Asturias (Spanish: Principado de Asturias, Asturian: Principáu d'Asturies), is a region in the north of Spain. It sits in the narrow strip between the Cantabrian Sea and the Cantabrian Mountains, forming part of "Green Spain". It has been given the nickname "little Switzerland" because of the greenness of its meadows and the height of its peaks.

43°18′0″N 5°51′0″W

Map of Asturias

• 43.3625-5.8502781 Oviedo is the capital of Asturias. It has a fine old town and cathedral.
• 43.52931-5.677322 Gijón (Xixón), the largest city of the principality, has beaches and a railway museum.
• 43.616547-5.7881313 Luanco is a fishing village with a historic centre.
• 43.556111-5.9222224 Avilés near the airport is mostly industrial, but has several museums and old buildings.
• 43.56-5.9765 Piedrasblancas is a small town with a mining museum beneath the sea.
• 43.389426-6.0686966 Grado is a town on Camino Primitivo to Santiago.
• 43.410945-6.1607867 Cornellana has an 11th-century monastery.
• 43.41-6.2558 Salas has an old castle and church.
• 43.33765-6.414529 Tineo is a village on Camino Primitivo.
• 43.272161-6.60886710 Pola de Allande is a smaller village on the Camino.
• 43.217659-6.87572311 Grandas de Salime is the last village before the Camino crosses into Galicia.
• 43.177-6.5512 Cangas del Narcea is a wine-making village in the hills.
• 43.305144-5.69444713 Langreo is post-industrial, with several mining museums.
• 43.25363-5.77799814 Mieres del Camino is another former mining town on the route between León and Oviedo.
• 43.083052-5.79222315 Pola de Lena is a village on the route between León and Oviedo.
• 43.391224-5.66098616 Pola de Siero is on the link route between the Northern and Primitivo trails.
• 43.481332-5.43346217 Villaviciosa is a cider-making town on the coast.
• 43.513519-5.26975418 Llastres is an attractive fishing village.
• 43.445927-5.08345119 Ribadesella has a cave decorated with prehistoric art. In August it hosts the Descenso rowing race down the river.

• 43.312107-5.0588791 Covadonga saw the first Christian victory against the Moors, in 722 AD. The Sanctuary of Covadonga is a complex of commemorative religious buildings.
• Picos de Europa are the chain of mountains and forests isolating Asturias from the rest of Spain. Much of the range is a national park, with multiple access points.

When the Moors began their invasion of Spain in the 8th century, the mountainous territory of Asturias was difficult to conquer, and this region became a refuge for Christian nobles. In 722, a de facto independent kingdom was established, which became the cradle of the incipient Reconquista (Reconquest).

In the 10th century, the Kingdom of Asturias gave way to the Kingdom of León. Through the rebellion of Prince Henry (the later Henry II of Castile) in the 14th century, the Principality of Asturias was established. Since 1388, the heir to the Castilian (later Spanish) throne has been styled "Prince of Asturias". Since June 2014, the title has been held by Leonor, Princess of Asturias.

In the 18th century, Asturias was one of the centres of the Spanish Enlightenment. The Industrial Revolution came to Asturias after 1830 with the discovery and systematic exploitation of coal mines and iron factories at the mining basins of Nalón and Caudal. At the same time, there was significant migration to the Americas (especially Argentina, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Mexico); those who succeeded overseas often returned to their native land much wealthier. These entrepreneurs were known collectively as 'Indianos', for having visited and made their fortunes in the West Indies and beyond. The heritage of these wealthy families can still be seen in Asturias today: many large 'modernista' villas are dotted across the region, as well as cultural institutions such as free schools and public libraries.

Since 1981, Asturias has been an autonomous community within Spain.

The region has a maritime climate. It receives plenty of annual rainfall and little sunshine by Spanish standards and has very moderated seasons, most often averaging in the lower 20s Celsius. Heat waves are rare due to mountains blocking southerly winds. Winters are very mild for the latitude, especially near sea level.

Asturias has its own language, Asturian, although everyone speaks Spanish.

Asturian (also called Bable, but this is a derogatory term) is a Romance language spoken in some parts of the provinces of Asturias and León in Spain, and in the area of Miranda de Douro in Portugal (where it is co-official and officially called Mirandese). In Asturias, it is protected under the Autonomous Status legislation, and it is an optional language at schools. There was a diglossia conflict between Asturian and Spanish, which resulted in some scholars considering it a dialect. However, nowadays, it is considered a separate language.

Much effort has been made since 1980 to protect and promote Asturian among the Asturian population. However, establishing the language as a co-official tongue is still awaited in most areas to protect this minority Romance language better. The situation of Asturian in other parts of Spain is critical, with a large decline in the number of speakers in the last 100 years. The area of Miranda de Douro in Portugal has taken a further step in protecting this language, by making it co-official.

Though Asturian and Spanish are highly similar to one another, the prevalence of Asturian on road signs and maps means that travelers, for instance, may need to pay attention to name changes, such as how Oviedo becomes Uviéu and Gijón becomes Xixón.

One must also be aware while traveling through Asturias that almost nobody speaks English. In other parts of Spain one can come across people who speak English to a limited extent (particularly in the larger cities), yet rarely will Asturians be able to understand you unless you make a considerable effort brush up on your Spanish. Bring a phrasebook and translate as you go if need be; the Asturian people are remarkably patient and welcoming and will be glad to invest time in helping you understand their culture, which they are intensely proud of.

	Note: In Spring 2026 the north of Spain is tinder-dry, with wildfires breaking out. Check local media for safe roads and hiking trails.

• 43.559185-6.0328421 Asturias airport (OVD ^IATA) is 10 km west of Avilés, with buses to that town and to Oviedo and Gijón. It has frequent flights from Madrid, also from Barcelona, Sevilla and Palma de Mallorca, but lacks international flights.

Consider using Santander airport, which has budget flights (eg Ryanair from London Stansted) and is 3 hours by bus from Oviedo. Otherwise fly to Madrid and take the bus or train onward.

• Renfe trains run from Madrid via Segovia, Valladolid and Leon to Oviedo and Gijón. High-speed services take a little over 3 hours to Oviedo.

• ALSA buses from Madrid take 5 hours to Oviedo.

Asturian cities sprawl but most areas of interest are concentrated in a compact walkable area. City buses and taxis reach outlying attractions; you need your own wheels for the mountains and tucked-away coves along the coast.

Cercanías are local trains, operated by Renfe. Eight standard-gauge lines fan out from Oviedo and Gijón, with trains every 30-60 min. Fares are inexpensive, as they're heavily subsidised. This means that for places such as Langreo with a good train service there may not be a bus: the Spanish taxpayer won't subsidise both.

"Metro anchoa" means metre-gauge, the separate railway operated by FEVE, until they were taken over by Renfe who let it fall derelict. Elsewhere along the north coast this is still a useful system (eg to reach Bilbao from France) but there is no prospect of it resuming in Asturias. Renfe are ripping up the tracks just to make the position clear.

Oviedo, the capital city of Asturias, is home to Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, a pre-Romanesque church and a palace respectively, which were built by the first Asturian kings on Mount Naranco, to the north of the city (World Heritage Site). In modern architecture, the Palacio de Congresos de Oviedo (or Modoo) was designed by Santiago Calatrava.

Gijon, the biggest city of Asturias, is a coastal city known for cultural and sports events, and a beach tourism centre in northern Spain. It also is known for the traditional Asturian gastronomy and for Asturian cider production. Museums in the city include the Universidad Laboral de Gijón, including a modern art museum and theatre.

Avilés is the third largest city in Asturias. "Saint Nicholas of Bari" or "Capilla de los Alas" in Romanesque and Romanesque-Gothic style, respectively; Palacio de Balsera, in Modernist style or St. Thomas of Canterbury church (dating from the 13th century) are examples which show the historical patrimony to be found in the city. The Centro Niemeyer, designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, is an example of contemporary architecture in Asturias.

The Picos de Europa National Park, and other parts of the Asturian mountain range: the Picu Urriellu mountain (2519 m or 8262 ft), also known as El Naranjo de Bulnes, is a molar-shaped peak which, reputedly, glows orange in the evening sun, hence its name. Weather permitting, it can be viewed from Camarmeña village, near Poncebos, south of Arenas de Cabrales.

The shrine to the Virgin of Covadonga and the mountain lakes (Los Lagos), near Cangas de Onís. Legend has it that in the 8th century, the Virgin blessed Asturian Christian forces with a well-timed signal to attack Spain's Moorish conquerors, thereby taking the invaders by surprise in the Battle of Covadonga. The Reconquista and eventual unification of all Spain is therefore said to have started in this very location.

The paleolithic art in the caves of Asturias is declared World Heritage Site with the Paleolithic Art of Northern Spain.

Asturias also has examples of industrial heritage as a consequence of its industrial activities in the 19th and 20th centuries. It had metallurgical and chemical factories, mines, bridges and railways, including in the towns of Langreo, Mieres and Avilés.

The Asturian coast: especially the beaches in and around the summer resort of Llanes, the Playa del Silencio near Cudillero fishing village, or the "white" village of Luarca (Severo Ochoa hometown).

• Visit the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in Asturias
  • Muniellos
  • Somiedo
  • Redes
  • Picos de Europa
  • Las Ubiñas-La Mesa
  • Ponga

Beaches are mostly shingle coves, with sandy strips here and there. The sea is the Atlantic not the Med, so it's chilly and better for wind-surfing than beach-lazing, and you need to seek out sheltered spots for kiddy-bathing. And it's tidal, so at high tide the beaches are covered.

Fiestas - festivals - are a mix of religious and secular. Easter is the big one, and each town has a patron-saint day when a huge Madonna is toted swaying through the streets. Most include civic entertainments, and especially in the cities some are entirely modern raves.

El Camino is the collective name for the pilgrimage trails converging on Santiago de Compostela. The main trail from the French border passes south of this region through León, but Camino del Norte along the coast through Asturias was adopted in medieval times to avoid Moorish territory. Camino Primitivo was the first documented trail, starting from Oviedo. Camino del Salvador is a modern invention, crossing the mountains from León to Oviedo.

Senda del Oso is a 50 km hiking and cycling trail through the mountains along the track of a former railway. Villages along the route include Proaza, Teverga and Quirós.

Skiing: Valgrande-Pajares is a winter sports resort in the mountains south of Pola de Lena.

Fabada. Beans stew made of white beans of typical asturian type, red sausage (chorizo), black pudding (morcilla) and diced bacon.

Cheese. There are more than a hundred of different types of cheese in Asturias. The more well known is Cabrales cheese. Cabrales cheese is produced only in the village of the same name and three villages of the Peñamellera Alta township, located on the northern spur of the Europa Peaks in eastern Asturias. This is certainly the most well-known Spanish blue cheese due to the manner in which goat farmers jealously guard its origin and authenticity; and one of the great blue cheeses of the world. Also its highly recommended cheese Gamoneu, which is considered to be one of the best cheeses in Europe, it's a special kind of blue cheese, similar to Cabrales, but smoother and more solid, quite expensive and hard to find.

Frixuelos: These are very similar to the French crêpes (actually have the same Celtic/atlantic arc-cuisine origin), and are eaten as a dessert.

Cachopo: It's a delicious breaded, fried kid of "sandwich" of ham and cheese, cachopo is a little similar to Cordon Bleu but a lot bigger. Make sure to eat it in a good place, as many places will use cheaper ingredients and you won't be getting the real thing.

Arroz con Leche: It's a rice pudding dessert, also very popular made just in Asturias, every place has its very own recipe.

In general it's recommended to eat in small villages or places far from the city center, the quality of the food will always better and of course more affordable prices. When you eat in some central location you will be paying the location more than the food.

Cider. Made of local apples, like the Raxao and Xuanina types. The peculiar way it is served is called "escanciar", dropping the cider from the bottle hold with one hand above the head while the thin wide special glass is held with the other hand under the hip level.

It is poured from on high in order to incorporate air into the cider as it falls from the bottle to the glass. When you get your glass of cider it will be naturally fizzy. You are meant to drink in one gulp what the waiter offers you, leaving a little in the base of the glass. You then pour what's left out of the glass and leave the glass on the table until the waiter offers you more. Cider pouring is a messy business and the floor will get very, very wet and sticky (which is why the floors of sidrerías are covered in sawdust).#

Calimocho, made of red wine, Coke, and current or blackberry syrup is delicious, and fun when used to play Duro (see above).

The towns have mid-priced hotels for business travellers. Beach fronts have resort hotels, but on nothing like the scale of the concrete-lined Med.

Albergues de Peregrinos are hostels along the pilgrimage trails. They're basic but welcoming, sometimes only open April-Sep. Often there's no booking, but some only admit you with pilgrim credentials.

Crime is definitely not a big problem in Asturias. In the inner cities, as night life is huge, and even grandmothers pushing strollers can be seen at midnight, being out late isn't a big concern (I felt safe walking 30 minutes home alone at night, and I'm female, although it is always preferable to walk with others at night as an added precaution). Of course it depends on the area and bags can be snatched every now and then, so use common sense.

Asturias is considered one of the safest places in Europe, and its capital (Oviedo) has been awarded as the safest city in Europe. Children or women can walk alone all the night long without their parents caring.

Any hikers attempting to traverse parts of Asturias on foot should also be wary of the region's notorious weather. Asturias is unlike the majority of Spain, in that consecutive days of non-stop rain and drizzle accompanied by summer temperatures barely reaching 20°C are not uncommon. However, the biggest problem any outdoor types will face is how fast the weather can change. One can be walking in clear blue skies and warm weather and suddenly find themselves stranded in exceedingly dense fog (and vice versa, meaning one must always carry a suitable amount of water and protection from the sun).

• Galicia to the west is mountainous, with a rugged coastline. The must-see is the cathedral city of Santiago de Compostela.
• Castile and León to the south has cities with stout walls and grand cathedrals, asserting their Christian identity as the Moors were rolled back. León, Burgos and Valladolid are fine examples.