The Principality of AsturiasThe Birthplace of Modern Spain
The Principality's lovely scenery, its historical patrimony, its delicious food and its many beaches backed by impressive inland mountains all make Asturias a fantastic place to visit.
A Rural ParadiseThanks to its broken geography, Asturias's interior has conserved a lot of its ecological and cultural diversity and most of its valleys and comarcas have a well-defined personality.The gentle damp Asturian climate guarantees fertile fields and pastures and lush oak and chestnut woods that are home to some of the most emblematic species of the Iberian pensula, such as the wolf, the capercaillie and the brown bear. The dominant feature of the region is without doubt the Picos de Europa with the emblematic sanctuary of Covadonga – where the Reconquest began – in the
east along with the valleys of the rivers Nalón and Caudal. Central Asturias is more densely populated and dominated by the cities of Oviedo, Gijón and
Avilés. Western Asturias is home to the nature reserves of Somiedo and Muniellos and the hidden lands of Taramundi and Los Oscos.
A Breathtaking CoastlineThe Asturian coast, bathed by the sometimes turbulent waters of the Cantabrian Sea, extends for more than 340 kilometres between the estuaries of Eo and Tinamayor.The coastline is characterised by long sandy stretches punctuated with coves and ports such as Cudilero, Candas, Lastres and Tazones and quiet resorts such as Llanes, Ribadesella or Colunga in the east and Tapia de Casariego, Luarca or Castropol in the west. The centre of Asturias, though, is the city of Gijón – the unchallenged tourist capital of the Asturian coast.
Lots To See And DoThe Principality is probably the best-known of the 'green Spain' regions and although Gijón, Avilés and Oviedo, in particular, have a lot to offer, you should really get your hiking boots on.The centrepiece of the region is the Picos de Europa National Park and my favourite mountain is the 2,519-metre Picu Urriellu also known as El Naranjo de Bulnes. It's a molar-shaped peak, which glows orange at sunset and can be viewed best from Camarmeña village, near Poncebos, south of Arenas de Cabrales. The shrine to the Virgin Mary of Covadonga and the mountain lakes near Cangas de Onís are another must. Legend has it that in the 8th century, the Virgin gave the Asturian Christian forces a signal to attack Spain's Moorish conquerors and the Reconquista and eventual unification of Spain is said to have started at this very location. The Asturian coast - which looks out onto the Cantabrian Sea - is sublime and the beaches in and around the summer resort of Llanes, and the Playa del Silencio near Cudillero fishing village are some of the nicest in Spain. If you're in the area, walk the senda costera - coastal way - between Pendueles and Llanes. It takes in some of Asturias' most spectacular coastal scenery, such as the noisy bufones - large water spouts created naturally by the erosion of the sea - the Playa de Ballota and the unusual rock formation on the beach at Buelna village: east of Llanes. Best viewed at low tide. You should also see the traditional horreo grain silos at Somiedo on Lake Ceceda - they are raised on stilts so as to keep field mice from getting at the grain. . . . And Don't Mention The Food and Drink!The Principality's food and drink also deserves a special mention. The Principality's most famous dish is Fabada Asturiana, a delicious meaty bean stew which, whilst fantastic all year round, is just perfect for wet windy wintry days.In fact, a lot of Asturian food is quite heavy – caldereta de pescado, fabes con almejas, el pote, casadielles, frisuelos and carne roxa – it makes my mouth water just think about it. There are also some excellent cheeses and embutidos – cured meats – and all of this should be washed down with the truly excellent Asturian cider.
A Decent Guide Book?
Where To StayPlease use Spain Accomodation Search to find hotels and hostels in the Oviedo and Gijón areas. The engine searches the databases of the companies listed below and returns with a list of hotels at all prices. You then click through to make the booking directly with the company concerned.
If you're looking for something a little cheaper or further off the beaten track, Click Here For The Best Prices And Widest Choice of Hostels in Spain Getting ThereYou can also use our Flight Search to compare prices of major airlines that fly from the UK to Asturias Airport.
Please Click Here for our Car Hire Search for Asturias Airport and the rest of the Principality. Football In The RegionThe two main clubs of the region are Sporting de Gijón and Oviedo, and both are having a tough time at the moment.Sporting came up from Segunda in 2008 and managed to just escape relegation in 2009. The once great Oviedo have almost disappeared off the footballing map and are wallowing in the mire of Tercera - even Sporting's B team are doing better than Oviedo! Football Clubs: Sporting de Gijón Guides to Asturias: On Amazon.co.uk 
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