La Playa de Xagó

Go to Image Xagó beach
Km 0
Km 0
Map
Xagó beach
GPS: 43.58504923981665, -5.775194311516191

Candás - Embalse de La Granda - La Granda - Vioño - Manzaneda - San Martín de Podes - playa de Xagó - Nieva - Avilés

Candás - Avilés 34,84

A coastal route with a flat profile that starts in Candás and, after crossing the La Granda reservoir, reaches the extensive Xagó sandy area.

This cycling tour is linear, starting and finishing at different points. It runs almost entirely on secondary roads, except for the entrance to Avilés, which is on the AS-329 in a couple of sections, so you will have to be careful. It is totally suitable for any type of bicycle.

It is a relaxed beach route with a generally flat profile, as it avoids passing through Cabo Peñas and its steep slopes.

The route starts in the seaside town of Candás (protagonist of the incredible "Pleito de los Delfines") along the CE-1 secondary road to cycle through the Zanzabornín valley, a quiet and flat valley where you cycle parallel to the railway tracks, crossing different villages, such as El Piñeo, Regueral, La Uz, or Zanzabornín, and continues towards the La Granda reservoir.

The route along the La Granda reservoir is completely flat. The reservoir was created in 1955 to supply water to the Arcelor factory (formerly ENSIDESA), and has been declared a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA), together with the nearby Trasona and San Andrés de los Tacones reservoirs. As it is a protected area, it is possible to see fauna and flora in danger of extinction. The control tower deserves a special mention for its architecture.

Once past the reservoir, the route continues along a local road towards the village of the same name, La Granda, where it continues towards Vioño along a local road (be careful to take the right turning). After crossing the AS-238 road, the local road GO-10 begins, which leads to the village of Alvaré, where you can visit the small church of San Jorge de Manzaneda and rest in the nearby green area.

This church is an outstanding example of Asturian Romanesque architecture (between the 12th and 13th centuries). Small in size, it contains decorative features in certain areas of the church, with several of the corbels in the apse standing out, which include human and animal figures (the head of the beam that looks outwards and supports the cornice or eaves, as well as the cantilevered piece that supports the ends of a roof or lintel, is called a canecillo or cane).

After this stop, the route continues towards Xagó beach following the GO-10 road to San Martín de Podes, where you take local roads to reach the viewpoint of Xagó beach, a place that offers a spectacular view of the beach and is well worth a stop. The beach is made up of a sandy area almost 2 km long and a large area of dunes, which means that it is included in the Cabo Peñas Protected Landscape. It is one of the most popular surfing beaches in Asturias, with numerous breakers. Due to the strength of the waves, bathing must be done with caution.

There is a short but delicate downhill section on this route, which starts from the Xagó beach viewpoint, so caution is advised, especially for the less experienced.

Once down, you can make a well-deserved stop at the beach, which can be accessed from either of the two entrances, as the route passes through both. There is also a recreational area with numerous tables where you can have a snack, and the area also has a number of bars and restaurants.

After the dip, the route continues from Xagó Beach and heads towards Nieva along the GO-15, from where you can see the Ría de Avilés: an estuary that flows into the Cantabrian Sea near the town of San Juan de Nieva.

In this town, the route joins the AS-329 road, which runs alongside the estuary and which must be followed until practically reaching Avilés, although at times it will be necessary to turn off onto less busy roads. After passing the PEPA industrial estate and crossing the estuary, the route turns to take a cycle-pedestrian path to reach the village of adelantado (Avilés), where this route ends.