Sources of Narcea

Located in the south-west of Asturias, this corner of the Cantabrian Mountains is covered with lush forests on rugged slopes where water is the main feature. An extensive network of rivers runs through the deep and intricate valleys of Cangas del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias.

A territory with an abundant natural wealth preserved by the Natural Park of Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias and in whose limits is one of the green lungs of Asturias, the Integral Natural Reserve of Muniellos, considered the largest oak grove in Europe.

The perfect combination of traditional human uses and the conservation of the natural environment has allowed the coexistence of emblematic wildlife such as the Cantabrian brown bear, which can be observed at certain times of the year.

The south-west of Asturias is a paradise for mountain vineyards, whose cultivation dates back to the Middle Ages. Its terraced vineyards coexist with a rugged landscape of steep slopes and centuries-old vines. Its wine, peculiar and unique, is made in the traditional way, incorporating innovative processes that ensure a quality product recognised today with the PDO Cangas designation of origin. A wine that treasures the colours, aromas and flavours of the land where it was born.

Sign up for wine tourism in Asturias by visiting vineyards and wineries, visiting the Cangas Wine Museum in the popular district of Santiso and taking part in the grape harvest every October.

In addition to this panorama of experiences, there are others, such as enjoying a well-tended landscape whose ancient settlers have left us a rich sample of rural heritage. Tumuli, dolmens and forts, such as Seroiro and Pradias in Ibias, speak of our Neolithic past. The remains of Roman gold mining in Cecos, El Corralín or San Pedro de las Montañas tell you how their passage has changed the physiognomy of our mountains. The Middle Ages left us ancient lordships whose mark is reflected in palaces and rural mansions, some of them present in the historic centre of the town of Cangas del Narcea or in the foundation of the Monastery of Corias, whose facilities you can enjoy as a Parador Nacional.

Other villages in the region are a magnet for visitors: Bisuyu, birthplace of the playwright Alejandro Casona; Ḷḷamas del Mouru, for its famous black pottery; the villages of Riodeporcos, Uría, or Alguerdo in Ibias or discover the land of the Cunqueiros or Tixileiros, wood craftsmen whose only artisan can be found in Trabáu, Degaña.

Getting lost in our villages allows you to discover the traditional granaries, pallozas, palaces, manor houses, where you can see the way of life of our predecessors in the different stages of history.

The south of the region offers spectacular landscapes of our valleys of glacial origin such as the Degaña Valley or the views from the Cueto de Arbas over the Naviego Valley. The authenticity of a region that perfectly combines nature and ethnography.

The three municipalities make up a scenery of mountains, dream forests, rivers, streams and springs, a true natural paradise, mineral wealth, a place of trades almost to be remembered, of communicative and friendly people, where in every house there is a chatty friend?

The region occupies a large territory in the extreme southwest of Asturias, and is made up of the councils of Cangas del Narcea, Degaña, and Ibias. The latter is the largest in the Principality of Asturias.