Villaviciosa Voyage Tips and guide

Villaviciosa is a town on the coast of Asturias in northwest Spain, historically a port and a stopover on the pilgrimage trail to Santiago. The town population in 2023 was 6600, with another 9000 in its outlying villages.

"Viciosa" in Spanish primarily means vicious, but those re-naming the town in the 14th century meant it as "attractive", "fertile". Probably their body language made that obvious.

43°28′52″N 5°26′2″W

Map of Villaviciosa

The nearest airport is Asturias (OVD ^IATA), to the west beyond Avilés. Take the hourly bus from the airport to Gijón and change. Direct buses also run from Madrid Airport T4 to Oviedo and Gijón.

Villaviciosa is on A-8 the fast coastal highway. From Madrid follow A-6 / A-66 (tolls) towards Oviedo then swing east onto As-1, to come onto A-64 into town.

Alsa buses run hourly from Gijón (30 min) and Oviedo (60 min).

43.4844-5.43611 Estación Bus is modern yet dismal, with no information boards, toilets or waiting area.

Villaviciosa is compact and walkable. Half a dozen taxis ply through town.

You need wheels to reach the beaches and outlying ancient churches.

• Town centre has many mansiones de Indianos, built in the 19th century by merchants who'd struck it rich in Spanish America. They range from elegant to dilapidated.
• 43.4819-5.43711 Santa María de la Oliva is a church in late Romanesque style founded in 1270. It's at Cabanilles 1.
• 43.4812-5.43392 Museo de la Semana Santa, Plaza San Francisco. Tu-Sa 11:30-13:30, 17:00-20:00. Displaying the local traditions and icons of Holy Week, Semana Santa, which date from 1668. It's in the former cloisters of San Juan de Capistrano convent. Free. (updated Dec 2025)
• 43.5005-5.43823 San Andrés de Bedriñana is a church built in 1023, 3 km north of town. The palace at Bedriñana is just a scrap of masonry.
• 43.529661-5.4457724 Santa Eulalia de la Lloraza, Lloraza. A Romanesque church from the 13th century, restored in 1950 and again in 2024. (updated Dec 2025)
• 43.45973-5.400085 Santo Tomás de Coro, Aldea Solares 18, Coro (6 km northeast of town). A rural Romanesque church from the second half of the 13th century. It's disused and never open. (updated Dec 2025)
• 43.4852-5.35876 San Salvador de Priesca is from 921 AD, a rare pre-Romanesque survival. It's 10 km east of town.
• 43.4528-5.42847 Santuario de la Virgen de Lugás was built from 1684 in Romanesque style. It's 5 km south of town and open Tu & F 17:00-19:00.
• 43.4275-5.42428 Museo de la Escuela Rural, Viñón (8 km south of town), ☏ +34 985 898213. W-Su 11:00-14:00. Two schoolrooms showing education during the 20th century. Adult €2, child free. (updated Dec 2025)
• 43.4371-5.50669 San Salvador de Valdediós is the 9th century church of the Monastery of Santa María la Real, another pre-Romanesque survival. The monastery is open Tu-Su 10:30-13:30, and the church those hours plus 16:00-19:00. The complex is 9 km southwest of town.

• Teatro Riera is at Caveda y Nava 7.
• Club de Golf Villaviciosa is 3 km northwest on Highway N632.
• Camino del Norte is one of several pilgrimage trails converging on Santiago de Compostela. It corresponds to E9 European long distance path and courses from the French border at Irun via San Sebastián, Guernica, Bilbao, Santander, Villaviciosa and Gijón, 817 km. The local section is from Sebrayo via Muslera and Carda to Villaviciosa, thence to Deva. It's less popular than the main Camino further inland via Burgos and León, as it involves more gradients up and down, the hostels are further apart, and the maritime weather is more likely to be cool and wet. However medieval pilgrims preferred this route when the inland cities were under Moorish control. At Villaviciosa a branch cuts inland via Pola de Siero to Oviedo, where you can switch onto Camino Primitivo, the earliest documented trail.
• Beaches: you have to travel some way out to escape the estuary mud. On the east bank Playa de Misiego is closest, 10 km, with Rodiles beyond. On the west bank El Puntal is 8 km, with Tazones beyond.
• Fiestas de Nuestra Señora del Portal is over a week in mid September.
• Festival de la Manzana in early October celebrates the region's apples and ciders.

• Mercado Plaza de Abastos is a trad market hall at Maliayo 1, trading M-Sa 09:00-14:00.
• A dozen small supermarkets are typically open M-Sa 09:00-21:00.

Fish and shellfish are the mainstay of local cuisine, but beef and wild boar (arcea) are raised in the nearby valleys.

A sidreria serves trad food paired with cider. There's a dozen in town.

For dessert try Villaviciosa cake. Made with apples of course.

Cider (sidra) is the region's preferred drink. Non-alcoholic cider is available.

Asturias produces wine, and Cangas is its DO region.

• 43.4811-5.43271 Albergue El Congreso, Plaza del Ayuntamiento 25, ☏ +34 985 891180. Clean spacious albergue open March - Nov. Dorm €14, double (room only) €34. (updated Dec 2025)
• 43.4815-5.43472 Albergue Villaviciosa, Marqués de Villaviciosa 5, ☏ +34 985 891555. Simple clean hostel open April-Oct. Dorm bunk €17-23. (updated Dec 2025)
• Hotel Casa España, Plaza Carlos I 3 (100 m southeast of church), ☏ +34 985 892030. Simple comfy 12-room hotel that was a mansion de Indianos. (updated Dec 2025)
• Hotel Palacio Carlos I is across the street at Plaza Carlos I 4. Similar age and quality.
• Hotel El Conventin is at Carmen 14.

As of Dec 2025, Villaviciosa and its approach roads have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from MasMovil, Movistar and Orange.

• Gijón is a bustling modern city but has a preserved old town on its peninsula.
• Pola de Siero is the village you head for if going to Oviedo to join Camino Primitivo.
• Oviedo is mostly modern but has an interesting old centre.