All that glitters is gold in Tineo

Few places in the world like Tineo can properly say that in its domains all that glitters is gold... The second largest council in Asturias has always had gold in its entrails and its prehistory and history bear witness to this. The same gold that the clear waters of its rivers still carry today, the same gold that was carried for centuries by its ancient bridges, and as if that were not enough, the character and thinking of its people is as strong and valuable as gold, and its landscapes, landscapes and roads are an eternal metaphor of hospitality and freedom that glitters like the precious metal that seduced the Roman Empire itself.

Tineo, immense, green, friendly, with its capital town, with its Exemplary Villages, with its more than three hundred and forty hamlets, its Way of St. James, its reservoirs and its rivers, its millenary trees, its notable people who have contributed to the betterment of Humanity, the gold that runs through its mineral veins... This is the Tineo that will never leave you indifferent!

Tinéu as a town, a marvel, and as a mountain hut, the best in Spain.

Tinéu is a panoramic village if ever there was one. Perched on the slope of a gentle mountain, it is surprising for its unexpected corners, for its atmosphere, for the hospitality of its people, and for the very Jacobean atmosphere that the thousands of pilgrims who every year walk the Camino de Santiago, a road that in Tinéu enters through the field of San Roque, an incredible vantage point over the village and the immensity of the landscape as far as the eye can see...

The historic centre of Tinéu tastes of antiquity and experiences, of transit and commerce, of roads with locals and foreigners, of thousands of stories never told, of winds of thought and liberties represented in the heart of the town by characters such as the Count of Campomanes or José Maldonado.

The saying goes that Tinéu as a town is a marvel and it is not without reason... The Campo de San Roque, Picos de Villa, Fondos de Villa, La Fuente and so many other neighbourhoods make up a harmonious and staggered whole that makes this place one of the friendliest you can find. And just next to it, and at a glance, and as the saying goes, you have the best braña in Spain.

A Pilgrims' Route to Santiago de Compostela with panoramic views

The Pilgrim's Way to Santiago Primitivo as it passes through Tinéu is very busy, especially in the spring-summer months, and the truth is that the pilgrims give a very special atmosphere to the whole municipality. It is a pleasure to see them with their backpacks, or their bicycles, walking quietly or at an athletic pace, and making a stop to drink at a fountain, to rest in a shady corner, or to enjoy the panoramic views that the Camino often has.

In addition, a distinctive and characteristic feature of the Tinetense Pilgrim's Way is its colourfulness. In many places you have very beautiful views, and from many others you can have a panoramic view. And of course, you can discover jewels such as the Monastery of Oubona, in a secluded enclave of the Way, ideal to rest and meditate, to understand the immense dimension of the Jacobean spirit throughout its more than a thousand years of history.

How great and panoramic is the Primitive Way of St. James in Tineo, and when the sun rises it shines like gold from the entrails of Tineo!

The most beautiful sandpit in the world

Very close to the famous village of El Cruceru is the most beautiful sandpit in the world. Why? Well, because taking advantage of the facilities of an old sandpit, in Tineo they have created a space for sport fishing - with or without death - which has a delicious and surprising landscape, and with a recreational area right next to it where you can enjoy some unique moments.

If you go to El Cruceru, as well as eating well... You must visit El Arenero! It is a real wonder of greenery and water!

Land of reservoirs

If there is one thing that catches your attention when you set foot on Tineo soil, it is not only its auriferous richness, but also its hydrological richness. Water is everywhere in Tineo: in the rivers, in the reservoirs, and even in the clouds... That is why it is a green, immense land, sometimes lush, sometimes with wide horizons. Water and gold are two of its great treasures, and both flow through its fertile bowels.

Two reservoirs of marked character cross the Asturias of Tineo: La Barca and Pilutuertu. To get a good view of the La Barca reservoir, we recommend a stop at the Santa Marta viewpoint. You are sure to enjoy the moment, and you will also see in a panoramic sweep the village of Merías - where the famous dolmen is located -, and Tuña - the birthplace of General Riego -, and if you look further down, you will even see the Soutu Thermal Power Station. Look how beautiful it is from a viewpoint: villages with history, dolmen culture, Roman and auriferous reminiscences, reservoir and thermal power station...

Another unmissable stop is the village of Pilutuertu, and at the foot of the reservoir you can not only stroll or sit on a bench in the open air with good views, but if you love water birds, you will also find some interesting species there...

This land of reservoirs will be engraved forever in your retina and in your heart!

Valentín: a carbayón older than Christopher Columbus

It is not made of gold but it could well be because its value is incalculable. Do you know what I am talking about? Well, nothing more and nothing less than the Carbayón de Valentín, that is to say, an enormous oak tree more than five hundred years old.

The first sensation on arriving at the village of Valentín is one of absolute surprise, after a winding and typical Asturian road, and having made a brief stop in Sorriba to contemplate the house where the Count of Campomanes was born. The famous Carbayón now seems much more imposing than in a photograph. Its trunk of more than ten metres in perimeter seems immense, and its nine metres in height are like a vegetable tower never seen before; in reality it is a natural sculpture impossible for a human mind to conceive...

The Carbayón de Valentín, with its idyllic setting in the middle of a meadow, with a chapel right next to it, and with a bench to sit on in the shade of its infinite branches, is much more than a tree... It has seen half of humanity pass through its sap, so much so that the ancient chronicles already cite it as predating the Discovery of America, and there it continues to watch time pass, which seems to have stopped under its kindly shade.

An exemplary town with two Exemplary Towns

How easy it is to make puns in Tineo! This is a truly exemplary town for the quality of its people, but this idea is further reinforced and consolidated by the fact that two Tineo villages, namely Tuña, in 2000, and Navelgas, in 2003, have received the Exemplary Village award from the Princess of Asturias Foundation, precisely because of the involvement of their neighbours in keeping alive the memory and life of their villages.

Both are an example to follow, which you can enjoy during your visit. On arrival in Tuña you will be surprised by the beauty of the valley in which it is located, by the size of its mansions and palaces, and by the omnipresence of the figure of General Riego, who seems never to have left his native village. And suddenly, between turns, you come across the bridge or ponte de Carral, built over an ancient Roman road over which all the gold that the Romans mined in this area passed. The bridge is a jewel, and if you cross it you will feel like a real Roman walking on an authentic road, and at the same time the sparkles of the Tuña river on a sunny day will make you feel bathed in gold.

And precisely, speaking of rivers, baths and gold, your imagination and our steps lead you to Navelgas, Exemplary Village as Tuña and authentic mecca of the gold route in the west of Asturias. It is therefore no coincidence that in Navelgas there is a charming and interesting Gold Museum at the foot of the river, and that it is the place where the artisan tradition of gold panning has been preserved, intact to the present day as it has been practised since ancient times, including Roman times.

The search for gold nuggets in the river Navelgas with the help of a pan will undoubtedly be relaxing - as you are in the middle of an idyllic river in the middle of nature -, original and very entertaining, and you will emulate all those who once felt the gold fever!

This tradition has made Navelgas a true international capital of gold panning, which is why national and international championships are often held, and panning is an experience not to be missed!