Oviedo
Oviedo's stunning cathedral complex was built mainly in Gothic and baroque styles between the 13th and 18th centuries. But its origins and greatest…
Must-see attractions in Asturias
Palacio de Santa María del Naranco
Oviedo
On the slopes of Monte Naranco, 3.5km northwest of central Oviedo, this tall, narrow palace – built by Ramiro I (842–50), Alfonso II’s successor…
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Asturias
Some of Spain’s finest cave art, including superb horse paintings probably done around 15,000 to 10,000 BCE, is within this World Heritage–listed cave,…
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Museo Arqueológico de Asturias
Oviedo
Partly within a restored 16th-century monastery, Asturias’ archaeology museum makes the most of the region’s archaeological riches through video and…
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Asturias
A beautiful, gold-blonde crescent bounded by rocky headlands and a bowl of green hills, 9km west of Llanes, Torimbia is truly spectacular. Turn off the…
Cudillero
Silencio is one of Spain’s most beautiful beaches: a long, silver-sandy cove backed by a natural rock amphitheatre. It isn’t particularly good for…
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Asturias
About 5km south of Tuñón (or a 1km walk south from the Área Recreativa Buyera, where cars can park), the Senda del Oso reaches the Cercados Oseros, two…
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Asturias
The small town of Colombres, 21km east of Llanes, has a particularly fine collection of indiano architecture –florid buildings of eclectic styles…
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Asturias
About 8km west of Llanes, the 250m-long sands of Playa de Toranda are backed by green fields and a forested headland. Snorkellers should see a good…
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Asturias
Part of a nature reserve, Playa de Barayo is a good sandy beach in a pretty bay with a river winding through wetlands and dunes, and caves at its east…
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Gijón
Constructed as a Jesuit-run universidad laboral (vocational training centre), the austerely grand 1940s-vintage ‘Laboral,’ 5km southeast of the centre, is…
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Asturias
The pretty fishing village of Puerto de Vega, 15km west of Luarca, is well worth a visit, with a colourful little harbour and scenic walks along the Senda…
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Iglesia de San Miguel de Lillo
Oviedo
A gem of Asturian pre-Romanesque architecture, this noble remnant of a 9th-century church perches peacefully on the slopes of Monte Naranco, 3.5km…
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Asturias
The broad, 1.5km-long sands of Playa de Vega, 8km west of Ribadesella, are among the least known of northern Spain's finest beaches. There are three or…
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Asturias
The World Heritage–listed Cueva del Pindal contains 31 Palaeolithic paintings and engravings of animals, mostly in ochre, including bison, horses and rare…
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Cudillero
This gorgeous 1880s mansion opens to visitors for about three months in some summers (recently, every one or two years). If you're here at the right time,…
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Gijón
An enticing web of narrow lanes and small squares wraps itself around the landward side of Cimadevilla, though the area was significantly damaged during…
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Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias
Oviedo
Oviedo’s Fine Arts Museum, housed in two of the city’s finest palaces, spans the centuries with its large and rewarding collection, featuring work by…
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Museo del Jurásico de Asturias
Asturias
Dotted with Jurassic-era fossils, the Asturian coastline between Gijón and Ribadesella is known as La costa de la los dinosaurios (the Dinosaur Coast)…
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Asturias
Wind-lashed Cabo Busto, 13km east of Luarca, is a fine example of the Asturian coast’s wildness, with waves crashing on to its rocky cliffs below a 19th…
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Oviedo
This 30m-high, 1981 stone sculpture of Christ, adorned with a large copy of Asturias’ Cruz de la Victoria (Cross of Victory), crowns Oviedo’s Monte…
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Iglesia de San Salvador de Valdediós
Asturias
Don’t miss this beautifully preserved, triple-naved, pre-Romanesque church, built in 893 CE as part of a palace complex for Asturian King Alfonso III. It…
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Gijón
This verdant botanical garden – featuring 2000 different species – offers a lovely break from the chaotic city centre and is an excellent introduction to…
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Asturias
This park-museum 4km south of Entrago gives an excellent introduction to Spanish and European cave art. It includes replicas of Asturias’ World Heritage…
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Asturias
Belmonte de Miranda’s Casa del Lobo has excellent Spanish-language displays on the endangered lobo ibérico (Iberian wolf), covering everything from diet…
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Asturias
Spectacularly positioned on a grassy headland fringed by jagged cliffs, sandy beaches and crashing seas, this delicate little blue-and-white chapel 16km…
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Museo del Ferrocarril de Asturias
Gijón
Trains have played a big part in Asturias' story and Gijón’s excellent railway museum, housed in a 19th-century former station, has a fascinating…
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Asturias
The Bufones de Arenillas are a dozen geyser-style jets of seawater, pumped up through rock cavities by the pressure of the tides – with heavy seas, some…
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Oviedo
This elegant 17th-century building, set around two superposed cloisters, was originally home to the University of Oviedo’s schools of Arts, Theology & Law…
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Asturias
This fine late-Romanesque church, built in the early 13th century, lies 1.5km south of Villaviciosa. Despite later interventions, including the addition…
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Centro de Arte Rupestre Tito Bustillo
Asturias
Some of Spain’s best cave art, including superb horse paintings probably done around 15,000 to 10,000 BCE, lie inside the World Heritage–listed Cueva de…
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Asturias
You can immerse yourself in the world of cider at several bodegas around Villaviciosa. El Gaitero, 2km northeast, is one of the biggest and offers the…
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Iglesia de San Julián de los Prados
Oviedo
This early pre-Romanesque masterpiece was constructed during the reign of Alfonso II (AD 791–842). Beyond its portico and graceful pair of porches, you'll…
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Asturias
One of Spain’s best-preserved castros (pre-Roman fortified villages, often considered to be Celtic), dating back to the 4th century BCE, lies 2km south of…
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Asturias
A particularly attractive 350m-long beach 4.5km east of Llanes, hemmed in by green cliffs and with a rocky islet out front. It's signposted down a dirt…
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Asturias
This multifaceted international cultural centre, founded in 2011 on once-industrial land just across the river from the city centre, was designed by…
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Asturias
The sands of beautiful Playa de Frejulfe stretch 750m along the ocean shore in front of thick eucalyptus woodlands, 17km west of Luarca and just a 2.5km…
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Asturias
This 50m-long strand framed by cliffs and greenery is 100m away from the sea! You can hear waves sloshing through tunnels to reach its gold-toned sands…
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Centro de Interpretación del Prerrománico
Oviedo
This interpretation centre, a short walk below the Palacio de Santa María de Naranco, 3.5km northwest of central Oviedo, has informative displays in…
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Gijón
The 1990 Elogio del Horizonte ('In Praise of the Horizon') is a bold, sea-facing concrete sculpture by Basque artist Eduardo Chillida that has become a…
