{"id":1060,"count":3,"description":"","link":"https:\/\/www.winalist.com\/blog\/spain\/asturias","name":"Asturias wine region","slug":"asturias","taxonomy":"category","parent":826,"meta":{"winalist_lat":"43.3614","winalist_lng":"-5.8593"},"acf":{"short_region_name":"Asturias","region_id":164,"h1":"Things to Do in Asturias, Spain: 13 Best Places to Visit","subtitle":"","term_author":null,"term_co_authors":null,"term_published":null,"term_last_updated":null,"tldr_title":"The essentials for visiting Asturias","tldr_content":"<ul>\r\n<li>The coast between Llanes and Luarca strings together cliff-backed beaches and working fishing villages \u2014 Cudillero and Playa del Silencio alone justify a full day.<\/li>\r\n<li>The Picos de Europa National Park and Somiedo Natural Park cover Asturias' mountain side, from cable cars to brown bear territory.<\/li>\r\n<li>Oviedo hides two of Europe's best-preserved pre-Romanesque monuments, Santa Mar\u00eda del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, a short climb from the old town.<\/li>\r\n<li>Tito Bustillo cave near Ribadesella ranks among Spain's key prehistoric art sites, alongside Altamira across the border in Cantabria.<\/li>\r\n<li>Cider houses (sidrer\u00edas) and a growing wine-tourism scene add a local-culture layer worth building a half-day around.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","link_to_wl_landing_page":"https:\/\/www.winalist.com\/regions\/asturias","override_cta_in_quick_access":"Best Asturias Wine Tours","intro":"<p>What do you actually do in a region that has cliffs, glacial peaks, and 1,200-year-old churches within an hour of each other? Asturias packs coastal villages from Llanes to Luarca, the Picos de Europa and Somiedo for mountains, Oviedo and Gij\u00f3n as urban anchors, and prehistoric caves like Tito Bustillo into one green corner of northern Spain \u2014 enough for a full week on the road.<\/p>\r\n<p>We've mapped it by geography, not by scrolling a random list, so you can actually build a route instead of guessing what's near what.<\/p>","best_hosts_title":"Asturias' wine and cider estates worth a detour","best_hosts_content":"<p>Asturias isn't a classic Spanish wine region on the scale of Rioja, but its cider culture runs deep \u2014 the region produces the majority of Spain's cider, pressed from local apple varieties in traditional <em>llagares<\/em> \u2014 and a small but genuine wine-tourism scene has grown alongside it, with estates opening cellars and tastings to visitors around Cangas del Narcea and the Cantabrian coast. Tastings typically pair a cellar visit with cider or wine pairing menus built around Asturian cheese and cured meats. For travelers who want to build this into their route, an asturias wine tour is the most direct way to combine a winery stop with the rest of the coastal or mountain itinerary.<\/p>","things_to_do_content":"<h2>The 13 best places to visit in Asturias<\/h2>\r\n<p>Asturias rewards a route built around its geography rather than a checklist: the coast for cliffs and fishing villages, the mountains for peaks and valleys, the cities for architecture and food, and a scattering of prehistoric and pre-Romanesque sites that most bucket lists skip.<\/p>\r\n<h3>1. Llanes and its coastal cliffs<\/h3>\r\n<p>Llanes anchors the eastern coast of Asturias with a walled old town, a working harbor painted with giant cubes (the <em>Cubos de la Memoria<\/em>), and a run of cliff-top beaches within walking distance. It's a natural first or last stop if you're crossing between Asturias and Cantabria.<\/p>\r\n<h3>2. Playa del Silencio<\/h3>\r\n<p>Tucked below the cliffs near Cudillero, Playa del Silencio is framed by rock stacks and a steep staircase down to the sand \u2014 one of the most photographed coves on the Cantabrian coast and, at high tide, mostly rock and spray rather than beach. Go at low tide for the full stretch of sand.<\/p>\r\n<h3>3. Cudillero, the fishing village stacked on a cliff<\/h3>\r\n<p>Cudillero's houses climb the hillside in tiers above a tiny harbor, still active with fishing boats. The old town is compact enough to see on foot in an hour, but the surrounding coast \u2014 including Playa del Silencio \u2014 easily fills a half-day.<\/p>\r\n<h3>4. Luarca, the \"white village\" of the Cantabrian coast<\/h3>\r\n<p>Further west, Luarca sits around a river mouth with a cemetery perched dramatically on the headland above the sea. It's quieter than Llanes or Cudillero, with a working port and a lighthouse walk worth the detour.<\/p>\r\n<h3>5. Ribadesella and the Tito Bustillo cave<\/h3>\r\n<p>Ribadesella splits into an old fishing quarter and a beach promenade across the river, but the real draw is the Tito Bustillo cave on its edge \u2014 one of Spain's major prehistoric art sites, with painted horses and figures dated to the Paleolithic. Access is limited to timed groups to protect the paintings, so booking ahead is worth it in high season.<\/p>\r\n<h3>6. Picos de Europa National Park<\/h3>\r\n<p>The Picos de Europa National Park straddles Asturias, Cantabria and Castile and Le\u00f3n, and its Asturian side delivers some of the sharpest limestone peaks in Spain, reached via the Fuente D\u00e9 cable car (on the Cantabrian side) or on foot from Sotres and Bulnes. The Cares Gorge trail, cut into the rock between Poncebos and Ca\u00edn, is the park's best-known hike.<\/p>\r\n<h3>7. Covadonga and the Lakes<\/h3>\r\n<p>Covadonga is both a pilgrimage site \u2014 its basilica sits above the cave where Asturian resistance to the Moors began, according to local tradition \u2014 and the gateway to the Lakes of Covadonga, two glacial lakes (Enol and Ercina) reached by a mountain road that closes to private cars in peak season in favor of shuttle buses.<\/p>\r\n<h3>8. Cangas de On\u00eds and its medieval bridge<\/h3>\r\n<p>Cangas de On\u00eds, often called the historic gateway to the Picos, is best known for its Roman-style bridge with a cross hanging from the central arch \u2014 actually a medieval construction, despite the \"Roman bridge\" nickname locals still use.<\/p>\r\n<h3>9. Somiedo Natural Park<\/h3>\r\n<p>West of the Picos, Somiedo Natural Park is quieter and wilder: deep valleys, traditional thatched-roof <em>caba\u00f1as<\/em> (stone shepherd huts), and one of Spain's last strongholds for brown bears. It's a slower, more remote counterpart to the Picos for travelers who want mountains without the crowds.<\/p>\r\n<h3>10. Oviedo's pre-Romanesque churches<\/h3>\r\n<p>Oviedo, the Asturian capital, holds two UNESCO-listed pre-Romanesque monuments on the slopes of Monte Naranco: Santa Mar\u00eda del Naranco, originally a royal hall, and San Miguel de Lillo nearby, both dating to the 9th century and considered among the best-preserved examples of this architectural style in Europe.<\/p>\r\n<h3>11. Gij\u00f3n, the Cantabrian Sea city<\/h3>\r\n<p>Gij\u00f3n mixes an old fishing quarter (Cimavilla) with the long San Lorenzo beach and a modern waterfront promenade \u2014 a good base if you want city energy with the sea a two-minute walk away. For a more structured way to combine the city with a cellar visit, Gijon wine tours are a straightforward add-on to a stay here.<\/p>\r\n<h3>12. The Niemeyer Centre in Avil\u00e9s<\/h3>\r\n<p>Avil\u00e9s, a short hop from Gij\u00f3n, holds the Niemeyer Centre \u2014 a cultural complex designed by Oscar Niemeyer, his only completed work in Spain, with a dome, tower and auditorium overlooking the estuary. It's a sharp contrast to the region's medieval and pre-Romanesque architecture elsewhere.<\/p>\r\n<h3>13. Cangas del Narcea and the western wine and cider country<\/h3>\r\n<p>West of Oviedo, Cangas del Narcea anchors Asturias' small wine-producing area, alongside cider houses scattered through the valleys toward Galicia. It's the natural stop for travelers building a food-and-drink layer into an otherwise coast-and-mountain trip.<\/p>\r\n<blockquote>Distances in Asturias are short on the map but slow on mountain roads \u2014 budget more driving time than Google Maps suggests once you're off the coastal highway.<\/blockquote>","title_for_cities_in_the_wine_region":"The cities that anchor a trip through Asturias","text_for_cities_in_the_wine_region":"<p>Three cities give shape to any Asturias itinerary. Oviedo, the capital, combines a compact old town with the pre-Romanesque sites on Monte Naranco. Gij\u00f3n sits directly on the Cantabrian Sea with its own beach and old fishing quarter \u2014 Gijon wine tours make it easy to pair a city stay with a cellar visit nearby. Avil\u00e9s, smaller and less visited, punches above its weight with the Niemeyer Centre alone. All three work as bases rather than one-day stops, especially if you're splitting a trip between coast and mountains.<\/p>","villages_content":"","title_itineraries":"Our itineraries to visit Asturias","text_itineraries":"<p>A coastal-only route strings together Llanes, Ribadesella, Cudillero and Luarca, with Playa del Silencio as a natural midpoint stop. A mountain-focused route swaps the coast for Cangas de On\u00eds, the Lakes of Covadonga, the Picos de Europa and Somiedo, best done slowly given the mountain roads. A full week lets you combine both, using Oviedo or Gij\u00f3n as a central base and adding a day around Cangas del Narcea for the wine and cider layer \u2014 an asturias wine tour fits naturally into this last stretch without derailing the rest of the route.<\/p>","when_visit":"<p>Asturias is a year-round destination, but the season changes what you'll actually be doing.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Spring<\/strong> brings green valleys and fuller rivers in the Picos, with hiking trails clear but weather still unpredictable at altitude.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Summer<\/strong> is high season on the coast \u2014 beaches fill up, the Lakes of Covadonga road restricts private cars, and Tito Bustillo's timed slots book out faster.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Harvest season<\/strong> (September\u2013October) is when cider houses press the year's apples, a good window to combine coastal or mountain days with a cellar visit.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Autumn<\/strong> thins the crowds while keeping mountain trails walkable, arguably the best balance for a mixed itinerary.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Winter<\/strong> brings rain and shorter days on the coast but can deliver snow in the Picos, better suited to a slower, city-and-food-focused trip than heavy hiking.<\/p>","how_visit":"<p><strong>By train<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Renfe long-distance trains connect Oviedo and Gij\u00f3n to Madrid, with regional lines running along the coast toward Cantabria and Galicia.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>By car<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>The A-8 motorway runs along the Cantabrian coast, linking Asturias to Cantabria and the Basque Country to the east and Galicia to the west; the A-66 connects Oviedo south toward Le\u00f3n.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>By plane<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Asturias Airport (OVD), near Avil\u00e9s, connects to Madrid, Barcelona and a handful of European cities, and sits within 30-40 minutes of Oviedo, Gij\u00f3n and Avil\u00e9s.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>Getting around<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>A car is the most practical option for reaching the coast, Picos de Europa and Somiedo at your own pace; regional trains and buses cover the main cities and larger coastal towns, while guided excursions are worth considering for the Lakes of Covadonga in high season or for cave visits like Tito Bustillo.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","hotels_visit":"<p><strong>Charming hotels<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>A converted townhouse in Oviedo's old town, walking distance from the cathedral and Monte Naranco.<\/li>\r\n<li>A seafront hotel in Llanes with views over the harbor and Cubos de la Memoria.<\/li>\r\n<li>A rural hotel near Cangas de On\u00eds, positioned for early starts into the Picos de Europa.<\/li>\r\n<li>A boutique stay in Gij\u00f3n's Cimavilla quarter, close to San Lorenzo beach.<\/li>\r\n<li>A countryside hotel near Cangas del Narcea for travelers building in a cider or wine-tasting day.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>Guesthouses in the vineyards<\/strong> Around Cangas del Narcea and pockets of the western valleys, a handful of rural guesthouses sit close to cider houses and small wine estates, making it possible to combine a tasting with an overnight stay rather than a rushed day trip.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Living Asturias differently<\/strong> For a slower pace, traditional stone houses converted into rural guesthouses in Somiedo or the Picos foothills put you closer to hiking trails and mountain villages than any city hotel can, trading nightlife for silence and early starts.<\/p>","display_map":true,"map_title":"","map_widget_link":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.winalist.com\/affiliate\/widget?partner=14&#038;type=map&#038;lat=43.2504393&#038;lng=-5.983257699999999&#038;location=Asturias,%20Spain&#038;locale=en_US\">https:\/\/www.winalist.com\/affiliate\/widget?partner=14&amp;type=map&amp;lat=43.2504393&amp;lng=-5.983257699999999&amp;location=Asturias,%20Spain&amp;locale=en_US<\/a>","other_images_for_term":"","title_faq":"Good to know before visiting Asturias","text_before_faq":"","acf-repeater-faq":[{"faq_question":"What is Asturias known for?","faq_answer":"Asturias is known for its Cantabrian coastline of cliffs and fishing villages, the Picos de Europa mountains, pre-Romanesque architecture in Oviedo, and cider culture \u2014 a mix that sets it apart from Spain's more typical sun-and-beach regions."},{"faq_question":"How many days do you need to see the best of Asturias?","faq_answer":"A week allows time to cover the coast from Llanes to Luarca, a couple of days in the Picos de Europa or Somiedo, and a stop in Oviedo or Gij\u00f3n, without rushing between them."},{"faq_question":"Is Asturias worth visiting if I've already seen Cantabria or Galicia?","faq_answer":"Yes \u2014 Asturias sits between the two and offers its own mix: the Picos de Europa's Asturian side, pre-Romanesque churches unique to the region, and a coastline with distinct villages like Cudillero and Luarca."},{"faq_question":"What is the best base for exploring Asturias, Oviedo or Gij\u00f3n?","faq_answer":"Oviedo suits travelers prioritizing the pre-Romanesque sites and a central location for day trips inland; Gij\u00f3n works better for beach access and a livelier waterfront, with Gijon wine tours as an easy add-on."},{"faq_question":"Can you visit the Tito Bustillo cave without booking ahead?","faq_answer":"Access is limited to timed groups to protect the paintings, so booking ahead is recommended, especially in summer when slots fill quickly."},{"faq_question":"Is Asturias a wine region like Rioja?","faq_answer":"Not at that scale \u2014 Asturias is better known for cider, but a small wine-tourism scene has developed around Cangas del Narcea, and an asturias wine tour is a good way to explore it alongside the region's cider houses."},{"faq_question":"What's the difference between the Picos de Europa and Somiedo?","faq_answer":"The Picos de Europa offer higher, sharper peaks and more developed trail infrastructure; Somiedo Natural Park is quieter, with traditional shepherd huts and better odds of spotting brown bears."}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winalist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories\/1060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winalist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winalist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taxonomies\/category"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winalist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories\/826"}],"wp:post_type":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winalist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts?categories=1060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}