Active tourism. Sport and adventure in Asturias

Active tourism.
Get active in Asturias

Active sport tourism offers a regulated and structured way to enjoy the land with maximum safety. As well as unique natural spaces, there is great variety of facilities that add to this experience and provide a whole list of activities for all tastes and physical conditions.

The opportunities are as vast as Asturias's nature itself. An intricate network of long and short trails (GR and PR) flow through the UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, the National Park and the Nature Parks and Natural Monuments, as well as the coastline.

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Descents in canoe or pirogue down one of our rivers; Sella, Nalón and Navia.
Cares Trail.
Climb up Picu Urriellu.
Ride a bicycle through our greenways: the Bear's Trail, the Turón or the Eo Trail.
Surf in Frexulfe, Xagó, Peñarronda...
Winter Resorts: Valgrande-Pajares and Fuentes de Invierno.

Allow of these settings offer a world of opportunities. Routes of varying levels of difficulty are available for hiking enthusiasts.

The small but fast-flowing rivers are very versatile and are carefully managed, combining ecosystem preservation with sports activities. The steep outline of Picos de Europa is an attraction for rock climbers and trekking lovers. The slopes of the mountain motorways attract dedicated cyclists, as well as the well cared for greenways. In winter, the peaks attract skiers. In winter, the peaks attract skiers. The Cantabrian waters are the perfect hideout for water sport lovers.

An international canoe race

The International Descent of the River Sella, taking place on the first Saturday of August, if this doesn't fall on the 1st or 2nd, between Arriondas and Ribadesella, is an event known worldwide, known as Les Piragües. It was founded by Dionisio de la Huerta after he had enjoyed an excursion between the towns of Coya and Infiesto in 1929. Its programme includes fun events such as an opening celebration and float parade and sport events with the best long-distance canoeists.

From the pathways in Picos de Europa to the routes in Redes Nature Park, gorges such as Las Xanas or the pathways leading to waterfalls. You can follow the example of great climbers and cyclists in legendary settings like Angliru and Los Lagos, organise your own bike ride or follow mapped out itineraries, such as the cycling circuit in Montaña Central. To descend the rivers of Navia, Nalón, Cares or Sella in canoe, you don't need to be extremely physically fit, you just need a little bit of skill and the right attitude. Along these rivers you can bathe in pools such as Olla de San Vicente or practice canyoning down ravines and canyons.

Salmon fishing takes place in unrestricted fishing areas and preserves, allocated at the start of the season to registered fishermen.

Wave hunters also have their place. Surfers can be found in the most open sandbanks of the Cantabrian Sea: Tapia de Casariego, Salinas, Rodiles or Gijón, are some examples. Other boards, such as those used for snowboarding and skiing are also welcome. Enjoy the two public stations, Valgrande-Pajares and Fuentes de Invierno, that have a wide variety of complementary resources, with snowshoe trail or cross-country skiing.

There is a plentiful supply of active tourism opportunities. You only have to decide which one, whether it be horse riding, paragliding, become a speleologist travelling through the subterranean paradise, drive a quad through rural pathways, fly in an ultralight...

The attraction for climbers

Pedro Pidal and Gregorio Pérez, known as El Cainejo, were the first to reach the summit of Picu Urriellu (Naranjo de Bulnes), the bewitching mountain that glints orange at a specific time of day thanks to the sunlight.

It was the 5th August 1904 and they were making history. They cleared one of the most complicated paths using basic equipment and they demonstrated the positive outcome of combining the technical knowledge of a nobleman and scholar –Pidal was a lawyer and the Marquis of Villaviciosa– with the intuition of a local guide, El Cainejo, who made most of the assent barefoot. Urriellu peak has become an international attraction.