Arroes, Pion and Candanal, Exemplary Village of Asturias Award 2023

The popular saying "No two without three" is one hundred percent true in Villaviciosa, and the fact is that this beautiful council in central-eastern Asturias, belonging to the famous Cider Shire, is the territory of Asturias that holds the most Exemplary Town of Asturias awards, granted by the Princess of Asturias Foundation.

It was in 1991 when Cubera, the Association of Friends of the Villaviciosa Landscape, received this award. A few years later, in 2017, it was the town of Poreñu who received this distinction. And this year 2023, the Princess of Asturias Award for Exemplary Village has gone to the parishes of Arroes, Pion and Candanal, making another popular saying their own: "Unity is strength".

What are beginning to be known as the Princess Valleys - Arroes, Pion and Candanal - are a model of balance, perfectly combining modernity with ancestral traditions, conserving the essence of Asturias that so seduces visitors.

This trio of parishes has dreamlike landscapes, where the greenery and fertility of the valleys predominate, projected against the blue of the sky. They are valleys where calm and peace are the most outstanding features.

Valleys that inspire stories and legends, ideal for narrating a tale where mythology and magic are the protagonists.

Valleys that attract thousands of pilgrims who follow the Jacobean route along the coast, and who find in these places the authenticity they are looking for in a unique Way.

The landscape is dominated by the pumaradas, which when the flowering season arrives in spring, turn this area into a place full of colours and aromas for the pleasure of your five senses. Accompanying the pumaradas - the apples of these valleys are of exceptional quality - are the cider presses. It is a cider producing area par excellence, which contributes to Villaviciosa - the capital of the council - holding the title of "Cider Capital of Spain".

Another of the great attractions of this area is its religious art. In the council of Villaviciosa there are no less than 27 Romanesque and 2 pre-Romanesque churches, being San Salvador de Valdediós - better known as the Conventín - one of the most remarkable of all the Asturian pre-Romanesque Art.

The Valles de la Princesa has important examples of religious art characterised by its unique architecture and its location, in the purest Asturian rural environment.

In addition to the cultural heritage, these valleys treasure spaces of great tourist or natural value, such as the recreational area of Cordal de Pion, one of the best known in the region for its incredible views, or the Lloviu Cave, declared a Partial Nature Reserve of the Principality of Asturias, and especially protected for its great biodiversity, mainly represented by its colonies of bats.

Another very attractive aspect of Arroes, Pion and Candanal are their fiestas, which are always lively and considered to be among the most traditional in Asturias.

Also, a clear example of this balance between tradition and rural modernity is the technological project "Ruraltech", located in the site of the old agricultural school of Pion.

Another great advantage of the Valles de la Princesa is its strategic location, not only in the council of Villaviciosa but in Asturias. Everything there is very close: Villaviciosa capital, Tazones, Gijón.

And if we talk about routes, in the municipality of Mali there are the Mills Route, the Azabache Route and the Charles V Route.

In short, a visit to Arroes, Pion and Candanal will show you the rural essence of Asturias, its traditions, its ethnographic, natural and cultural heritage, its history and, of course, the hospitality of its people.

Arroes, Pion and Candanal, Exemplary Village of Asturias Award 2023 are waiting for you! Come and discover the Princess Valleys!