Covadonga & its lakes
Shrine in a cave and glacial lakes in the mountains
The basilica and cave shrine below, then the road up to lakes Enol and Ercina; private cars are restricted in summer, so take the bus.
CovadongaLakesMountains
Asturias & the Picos de Europa, Spain
Ideal: 4 daysBest: May–OctPrice: Moderate
In 60 seconds
Asturias & the Picos de Europa in 60 seconds
Asturias is the Spain few visitors picture: green hills, misty mountains, fishing villages and a cool Atlantic coast. Its capital, Oviedo, keeps a clutch of 9th-century pre-Romanesque churches, a UNESCO site older than almost anything else in the country, and a street of cider houses where waiters pour sidra from above their heads into a glass held at the knee. East lies the Picos de Europa, Spain's first national park — jagged limestone peaks, the glacial lakes of Covadonga reached by a winding road, and the Cares gorge trail, cut into the cliffs above a river. In between, Cangas de Onís has its humped medieval bridge, and caves around Cabrales mature the region's fierce blue cheese. Eat fabada, cachopo and rice pudding. Four days with a car.
MountainsCoast
Best for
- Hiking
- Food
- Nature
- Hidden gems
Known for
- Picos de Europa
- Lakes of Covadonga
- Cider houses
- Fabada
Skip if
You want hot beach weather — Asturias is green because it rains, and its sea is cold even in August.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Asturias & the Picos de Europa fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Cares Trail
A path cut into a gorge
About 11 kilometres each way along a ledge high above the river, through tunnels and over bridges — the classic Picos walk.
Poncebos–CaínGorgeHiking
Santa María del Naranco
Inexpensive9th-century royal hall · UNESCO
A royal palace of the 840s on the hill above Oviedo, astonishingly early and well preserved.
OviedoPre-RomanesqueUNESCO
Eat
Where to eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
More places to eat
Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.
Tierra Astur
ModerateCider house in Oviedo
Fabada or cachopo, and cider poured from on high by the waiter.
OviedoFabadaSidra
Beyond the obvious
Hidden gems
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Cangas de Onís
Gateway town with a humped bridge
A steep medieval bridge over the Sella, with a cross hanging from its arch; the Sunday market sells Cabrales and other local cheeses.
Cangas de OnísRiverTown
Orientation
Neighbourhoods
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Oviedo old town
Cathedral, market and cider street
A clean, compact old town with the Gothic cathedral and the Fontán market.
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Cangas de Onís
ModerateBase for the Picos
Closest town to Covadonga and the Cares, with plenty of hotels and cider bars.
Car neededMountains
Oviedo
ModerateCity base
Good for the churches, cider houses and the coast.
RestaurantsTrains
Practical
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Asturias airport is about 45 minutes from Oviedo; trains and buses reach Oviedo from Madrid in around four hours.
- Getting around
- A car is needed for the Picos; summer buses replace cars on the road to the lakes.
- When to go
- May to October; mountain weather changes quickly, so carry layers.
- Cider houses
- Sidra is poured a little at a time from height to aerate it — drink it straight away.
- Taste locally
- Fabada, cachopo, Cabrales cheese, cider, arroz con leche and seafood on the coast.
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- 722
At Covadonga, Pelayo's victory begins the Christian kingdom of Asturias.
- 840s
Ramiro I builds the hall at Naranco above Oviedo.
- 1918
Covadonga becomes Spain's first national park, now part of the Picos de Europa.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Bilbao
The Guggenheim
Bilbao & the Basque Coast has its own guide.
3 hrs by carArtCity