Take your time:
Come back to nature...
Nature.
Explore paradise
Comfortable clothes and shoes. These are two essential items for the suitcase of the traveller who intends to explore the Natural Paradise. Asturias is primarily nature: woods, beaches, summits, cliffs, lakes, rivers, caves... Choose routes that suit you, a destination that matches your tastes. It isn't going to be difficult in a region in which more than a third is protected.
From reserves, parks, protected landscapes to natural monuments, there is a total of 65 places that stand out for their landscape, geology or botany.
Submerge yourself in the
coast and in its fishing villages
The most well-conserved coastline in Spain. This is how Asturias presents its coastline, made up of fishing villages with rugged outlines, lighthouses perched on wild cliffs, beaches with golden sand and white dunes, traditional arts ports and a winding path that connects over 400km of surprising terrain. Let yourself be rocked by the Cantabrian Sea, from the serenity of solid ground or whilst riding its waves. Its fish and seafood are a delicacy that tastes different when savoured whilst looking at the waters that produce it.
Asturias has 18 fishing villages immersed with rich ancestral culture and scenic beauty with their ports, markets, cobblestone streets and great fishing tradition.
Absorb the
Asturian culture
Do you want to travel in time? Touch down in Asturian culture. Trace the strokes of the age-old cave paintings, experience how the ancestors lived in their castros, enjoy unique Pre-Romanesque architecture; investigate the dinosaurs in the Jurassic Museum (MUJA) and start following their footprints; admire the Museum of Fine Arts, tread the Way of St. James, let yourself be bewitched by the sound of Asturian bagpipes or the Opera season at the Campoamor theatre. Each season opens with a hearty embrace. Keep all five senses alert.
A walk through the Asturian culture is a trip back in time through the centuries.
Admire your surroudings.
Admire the industrial heritage
It is impossible to understand Asturias without the headframes and chimneys that cut across its skyline. The industrial history of the Principality is present in every bend of the path and has become a unique incentive for the traveller, who can delve into the depths of a mine one hundred meters below the earth, or roam the Railway Museum to see the vertebral roots of the metal paths. If you want to see how work can mould a way of life, this is the place.
The motorways also pass by examples of the flourishing food-processing industry or other traditional arts.
Active tourism.
Make the most of Asturias
The adventurous spirit builds castles of adrenaline and curiosity on an untameable nature that has survived the passage of time intact. There is an activity tailor-made for every traveller who is not satisfied with being an observer. Horse riding, canoeing, water sports, skiing, hiking, climbing, ravine descents, cycle routes... The activities program is adjusted to each period of the year and to the sensitivity of each traveller. Discover a world of possibilities.
Allow of these settings offer a world of opportunities. Routes of varying levels of difficulty are available for hiking enthusiasts.
Gastronomy.
Follow your stomach
A pantry that lives up to insatiable gastronomic gourmets is cultivated in Asturias. It is a product-based cuisine, with ingredients collected nearby from its vegetable gardens and fish in its seas, with meat from indigenous breeds and traditional recipes which can be presented in their original or revised version in line with new trends. One of the varieties of cheese or cider, a drink that is part of the local style, cannot be missing from the table. Start tasting them.
A trip would never be complete without sitting down at a table to taste a fabada, an Asturian bean stew, a cachopo, Avilés sausage, hake skewers or stuffed onions.
Cities in Asturias.
Tune into the urban beat
The cosmopolitan heart of Asturias emerges in its three main urban centers: Oviedo, Gijón and Avilés, located barely half an hour away and connected by a practical public transport network. They all preserve tradition without surrendering to modernity. They offer the traveller unique architecture, museums, a varied cultural program and a vibrant night life. Losing yourself in its streets is an incomparable experience. Experiencing a conference in its modern facilities becomes an added value.
On the map, they form an almost equilateral triangle. They are the cosmopolitan centres of a multifaceted region.
Rural tourism.
Breathe Asturias
Asturias is the origin of rural tourism, a way of travelling that is rooted in the authenticity of the towns that safeguard its traditions, that are proud of its landscapes and that don't understand a world without hospitality. The open doors and windows, along with the richness of its traditions, have made the Principality iconic. Age-old celebrations, quality accommodation, museums and artisans, will give you the opportunity to discover it for yourself. Cross the threshold.
Two easily identifiable constructions that are an essential part of the countryside are the two types of granaries, hórreos and paneras.
St. James's Way.
Walk through the past
Legend has it that the first pilgrim to Santiago de Compostela was Asturian. King Alfonso II wanted to see with his own eyes the tomb of the apostle. The principality is intrinsically linked to the Way of St. James, with some routes protected by UNESCO which traverse landscapes of indescribable beauty and a heritage that emerges in the trails. 21st century hostels and services will enable you to be part of a Path with centuries of tradition.
The Principality can make up part of a larger journey or be a starting point.
