Valdés

The history of the municipality of Valdés, the fourth largest in Asturias, is closely linked to our understanding of life and its evolution. It is no coincidence that this area was the birthplace of Severo Ochoa, Spain’s only Nobel Laureate in Medicine, whose work on the synthesis of nucleic acids proved fundamental to the development of modern biomedicine.

Both locals and visitors enjoy a good quality of life whilst taking in the municipality’s many natural beauties: the countless coves and beaches, the Protected Landscape of the Hoces del Río Esva, the Barayo Beach Nature Reserve, the La Regalina viewpoint in Cadavéu, the impressive cliffs and panoramic views of Cabo Busto, the Paredes Valley – winner of the 2001 Princess of Asturias Award for Exemplary Village – or Brieves with its stone arches, features of great ethnographic value that link the granaries to the dwellings, and so on.

Its capital, Ḷḷuarca, a picturesque, beautiful and historic fishing town, is known as the ‘White Town of the Green Coast’. Ḷḷuarca boasts many charming spots, including its seven bridges, its fishing harbour, its viewpoints, the Villar neighbourhood with its examples of ‘Indiana’ architecture, the old fishing districts of El Cambaral and La Pescadería, the iconic Atalaya chapel, the lighthouse, the Mesa del Gremio de Mareantes y Navegantes, the Fonte Baixa Gardens, and the cemetery – considered one of the most beautiful in Spain thanks to its location overlooking the sea.

And, of course, it boasts restaurants and cider houses where you can sample exquisite fish and seafood from the Cantabrian Sea. A region steeped in culture, knowledge and history, as epitomised by its medieval tower in Villademoros… This is Valdés.

Population: 13,241
Area: 353.52^km²
Weekly markets: Wednesdays (L.luarca) and the second and fourth Mondays of each month (Trevías)