Asturias, Spain: A Travel Guide to Northern Spain's Hidden Gem

Discovering Asturias: A Unique Spanish Region

• 🇪🇸 Asturias, located in Northwest Spain, offers a distinct experience that feels unlike the rest of the country, boasting a rich blend of history, mountains, rivers, churches, and exceptional food.
• 💰 The region is highlighted for its unbelievable value for money, with significantly lower costs compared to major European cities like Paris and London.

Exploring Oviedo: Capital City Charm

• 🏛️ Oviedo, the capital, features a well-preserved Old Town with historic plazas and buildings, including the impressive Cathedral of Oviedo with its 80-meter spire, a significant site on the North Camino pilgrimage route.
• ⛪ The Cathedral, with architecture spanning Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance styles, is situated on a large plaza alongside the town hall and the university.
• 🍪 A unique experience in Oviedo is visiting the Monasterio de San Pelayo, a Benedictine monastery where nuns bake cookies in a traditional, secretive manner.
• 🌳 The Campo San Francisco Park offers a vast green space, formerly an apple orchard, featuring ponds, fountains, modern statues, and remnants of an old Roman church.
• 🗿 Oviedo is also known for its quirky modern statues, including one of Woody Allen and a famously large sculpture of a bottom.
• ⛲ The Foncalada Fountain, a 9th-century Roman fountain still in use, is a notable landmark near the new shopping areas.

Day Trip to Covadonga and Picos de Europa

• 🏞️ A highly recommended day trip from Oviedo is to the Picos de Europa National Park and the Lakes of Covadonga, accessible by car or bus.
• 🌉 The journey includes a stop at the spectacular Roman Bridge of Cangas de Onís, dating back to the 13th century, still in its original form with cobblestones and a replica Victory Cross.
• ⛰️ The Picos de Europa offers breathtaking glacial lakes, including Lake Enol and Lake Ercina, surrounded by snow-capped mountains even in summer, with opportunities for hiking.
• ⛪ The village of Covadonga features the magnificent Basilica of Covadonga, a 19th-century rose-pink structure perched on an escarpment, and the nearby Sanctuary of Covadonga, a sacred cave believed to have healing properties.

Historical Churches and Coastal Beauty

• ⛪ Mount Naranco is home to two 9th-century churches, Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, showcasing unique pre-Romanesque architecture.
• 🎶 Oviedo's vibrant nightlife includes traditional Tuna bands, university student ensembles playing folk music, offering a unique cultural experience.
• 🏖️ A day trip to the coastal town of Gijón reveals beautiful sandy beaches like Playa de San Lorenzo and Playa de Poniente, promenades, a marina, and a charming old town.
• 🌊 Gijón is renowned for its seafood and offers activities like sailing, jet skiing, and surfing.

Gastronomy: Cider, Cheese, and Wine

• 🍏 Asturias is famous for its cider (sidra), poured theatrically from a height to aerate it, with streets dedicated to cider houses (sidrerías).
• 🧀 The region boasts unique cheese caves in the mountains where cheese is matured, producing a variety of pasteurized and non-pasteurized cheeses.
• 🍇 Asturias is also developing its wine production, with wines like the 'Verdejo Albarino Blanco' gaining recognition.
• 🍽️ Dining experiences range from traditional restaurants serving local produce to unique establishments like 'El Gato Negro' (The Black Cat) and the visually stunning 'Tierra Astur' cider house.