The 10 most interesting things to do with the family in Asturias

That Asturias is a place to share experiences is beyond any doubt, and you will see for yourself as soon as you set foot on this land. And of course, when it comes to sharing, what better way to do it than with the family! And if there are children in the family, the Natural Paradise is the best... Because Asturias has everything to delight children's minds, which are very prone to imagination. And in Asturian territory you can experience almost anything you can think of.

Here we suggest 10 of the best things to do as a family this summer in Asturias. They are all different but complementary! Give them a try and you'll see!

Can you imagine being in Asturias and at the same time in other worlds? Here it is possible. There are places where you will feel so at home with your family that you will never tire of coming back.

If you want to experience prehistory as a family, two of the best places to do so are in Asturias: the Jurassic Museum, better known as MUJA, in Colunga, and the Prehistoric Park, in Teverga.

Both the MUJA and the Prehistoric Park have a natural setting to completely seduce the whole family, and from there on, to let yourself go and enjoy yourself to the full. Everything else - workshops, guided tours, etc. - will be an added value to the unforgettable moments you will live.

The MUJA building has an original structure in the shape of a tridactyl (dinosaur footprint), and a privileged location right on the coastline, with exceptional views of the sea and the mountains. And all this is completed with 21 life-size replicas of different types of dinosaurs, which take you back a few million years.

Another highlight is the outdoor play and workshop area, a real paradise for children.

For its part, the Prehistory Park, also located in a spectacular setting with mountain scenery all around, is the perfect place to learn all about prehistory and put it into practice, something you will achieve in its educational workshops on Palaeolithic painting or the one that gives you the option of making a lamp like the one used by our ancestors.

If you want to share moments of adventure and surprise with your loved ones, the many caves in Asturias are the ideal place. Some of them are as outstanding as Tito Bustillo, in Ribadesella/Ribeseya, which was discovered half a century ago and is one of the great temples of European cave art. In addition, and to complete your family speleological journey, you have the Tito Bustillo Cave Art Centre right next to this cave, and another cave annexed to it, with striking geological formations and a large natural amphitheatre, which is the Cuevona. The Tito Bustillo Cave Art Centre offers numerous workshops that bring prehistory to the youngest visitors in a fun and entertaining way.

With all this and a multitude of activities, boredom is banished!

And if the family's idea is a trip back to the Middle Ages, Asturian history offers you interesting episodes from this period, in which one of the most outstanding artistic exponents is the Pre-Romanesque Art. For this reason, between visits and workshops, at the Asturian Pre-Romanesque Art Reception and Interpretation Centre, at the foot of the mythical Monte Naranco, you will discover all the secrets that have been uncovered to date about the Asturian Monarchy.

Obviously one of the workshops that will put you in the shoes of an inhabitant of the Middle Ages is the one on medieval construction, which is very educational and practical.

It will be like a kind of medieval epic!

If you want to discover and enjoy the latest in music, exhibitions, children's workshops, shows and much more, as well as enjoying an impressive and unique architecture and location, you will find it in Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura.

Just a stone's throw from the centre of Gijón/Xixón, with ample parking and green areas to make your family's leisure time pleasant and comfortable!

The Gijón Aquarium is a very interesting option for lovers of marine life and the evolution of the oceans. In a very pleasant setting, right next to Gijón's Poniente Beach, and with excellent facilities, you will be taken on a very visual tour of all the world's seas and their species. So the Aquarium will be an excellent opportunity for you to feel like a fish in the water, and the children even more so!

Mining in Asturias, in its traditional way of life, is already a historical fact, with really attractive nuances and scenarios, especially if you want to get to know a whole culture with your family, where you will see how the miners worked and their living conditions.

Therefore, within the abundant industrial heritage of Asturias, one of the most attractive places is the Samuño Mining Ecomuseum, in Langreo, which has well-kept facilities and where there is the opportunity to travel in a mining train, something that is unusual and which normally attracts the attention of the elderly and delights children.

In addition, the Mining Museum (MUMI) and the Sotón Well, where there are guided tours, are located nearby.
Without a doubt, this trio will give you the opportunity to enjoy the best industrial tourism!

The Park of Life is a museum with 750 m2 of indoor exhibitions comprising different areas: Stardust, Road to Life, Fossil Collections, Laboratory, Whale Hunting, Evolution of Cetaceans, Chasms and Giant Squids, Astronautics, Planetarium, as well as some workshops on reptiles, amphibians, fossils and dinosaurs.

The last great novelty is a 3000 m2 exhibition on fossils and other geological elements belonging to the last stage of the Carboniferous period. This exhibition has an interior space where a mine shoring has been prepared, as well as three glass tanks, a laboratory and a workshop, all designed to contextualise and explain the exhibition content in a didactic way. In addition, a large part of the fossil collection is located outdoors.

The Park of Life also has an intertidal area, where a typical rocky area of the Cantabrian Sea is recreated, allowing visitors to get to know this area affected by the tides and an essential habitat for the evolution of life in which more than 50 species give fundamental value to an ecosystem in which barnacles, mussels, periwinkles, crustaceans and cephalopods intermingle with algae and other aquatic organisms and microorganisms, coexisting harmoniously in ponds and rocky areas.

This space, which has large outdoor and indoor areas, is perfect for a family outing, come rain or shine.

The Gold Museum contains an account of the history of gold in the world and in Asturias, as well as the scientific and geological part related to gold.

To complete the knowledge and experience around this mineral, the museum has an essential activity to complete the visit, which is also available daily, and that is the gold panning, with a workshop in which 'neophytes' are introduced to this activity.

Gold panning is a deeply rooted activity in this village, which has repeatedly hosted national and international gold panning championships.

Moreover, Navelgas is the 'capital' of the Valley of Gold, which means that immersion in this Asturian 'gold' can be completed with a route where you can observe the abundance of gold deposits, in which the extraction procedures were varied: from the pan to the exploitation of mines by sinking, which configured a unique landscape, still visible after many centuries.

Contact with nature and village life is one of the healthiest options you can choose, and it is also a perfect plan for the whole family. For the children it is a unique baptism, and for the grown-ups it is a moment to enjoy shared experiences that will be enlightening and unforgettable.

So the idea of being a farmer for a day is not an unattainable dream by any means, and can be fascinating. Feeding a calf a bottle, petting a bunny, collecting chicken eggs in your own henhouse, riding a horse or pony, tasting a cow or feeding goats....

These are just some of the activities that will connect the whole family with authentic village life and that you can do on farms with guided tours in Asturias!

Asturias is a true paradise for sports and adventure activities in nature. Undoubtedly, one of the most attractive and ideal for the whole family is canoeing down rivers. And naturally, given the orography of this land, the options for enjoying canoeing routes multiply, and all of them are very enjoyable and fun.

Getting into the Asturian countryside is always a pleasure for the senses, but exploring its rivers makes it an exciting experience. So there are numerous rivers where you can enjoy the thrill of the rapids, the calm of the backwaters and enjoy the surroundings, with the following in particular: the Sella, the Cares and the Deva - all in eastern Asturias; the Nalón - in central Asturias; and the Navia and the Eo - in western Asturias.

These are experiences that are not at all strenuous and where you can also contemplate the surrounding fauna such as cormorants, herons, ducks, trout, etc., and even, with luck, an otter might appear on the scene. In short, canoeing on Asturian rivers is a highly recommended active experience that allows you to connect with nature in its purest state. The perfect combination of sport and adventure.

How easy and fun it is to go hiking in Asturias! There are thousands of hiking options for all tastes and levels. And the truth is that there are some easy routes, ideal for the whole family.

In addition, there are also short themed routes, where the youngest members of the family can enjoy themselves to their heart's content.

Here we suggest some of them, scattered around different areas of Asturias, so you can choose, or simply, with time and patience, you can do them all.

In the central area of Asturias you can choose to follow the Fuso Greenway, in the vicinity of Oviedo/Uviéu, or go to the Senda del Oso, which starts in Santo Adriano and ends in Quirós or Teverga, depending on the route you decide to follow, and do it on foot or by bike (either way it is very charming). Another attractive plan is the famous Ruta del Alba in Sobrescobio, in the midst of idyllic landscapes.

If you prefer the west of Asturias, a very green and peaceful option is the Water Route in Taramundi. You can also combine hiking, canoeing and river bathing in the area of Ferreira, in Santa Eulalia de Oscos, an area that illustrates our cover photo. And if you opt for the east, the route to the Olla San Vicente, following the course of the Dobra river, will delight the whole family.

In the most common natural imaginary, bears are one of the emblematic animals, and in Asturias we are fortunate to have among our inhabitants a unique species such as the Cantabrian brown bear, whose natural beauty, habitat and habits are a great attraction, and of course an ideal plan to educate the youngest members of the family in the love and respect for the environment.

In Asturias, and especially in the region of Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias, you will have the chance to contact nature guides to follow in the footsteps of the brown bear, and thus live first-hand the experience of getting to know at close quarters the scenes of the daily life of these plant-eating animals, and those points that are optimal for their observation. These are interpretative routes à la carte where you will have the opportunity to learn more about the flora and fauna of the area, and in short, about the ecosystem where the bear lives. You can do it on foot or by vehicle, whichever way you prefer and is most comfortable for you.

Asturias offers you hundreds of places where you can enjoy an original and different bathing experience, and above all, calm and peaceful for the whole family.

Here are three examples, as a suggestion. One is the beach of Playa de Porcía, shared by the councils of El Franco and Tapia de Casariego, which at full tide becomes a real saltwater pool, sheltered from the waves and where you can take a relaxing bath with your children or enjoy this beautiful swing with unbeatable views.

Another are the accommodations that offer swimming pool with views of the best landscapes of Asturias, you can book here, a very rewarding option for the scenery and the tranquility of the environment.

The third is a fun, healthy and restorative bath in the Tapia saltwater pool. The scenic beauty of the surroundings, together with the warmth of this place will make your bath in Tapia an experience to repeat.

Three ideal ways to have an unforgettable bath!