Asturias: The Mountains

The rugged northwestern region of Asturias is one of Spain’s best-kept secrets. Snowy mountains, rolling green hills, and beautiful beaches make this diverse land a favorite among Spanish tourists, especially those looking to avoid the hordes of foreigners who descend upon the country’s more well-known destinations. With stunning landscapes, rich culture, and fascinating history, Asturias has something for everyone.

Asturias has always had its own identity. Since the rise of the Celtic-speaking tribes there in the Iron Age, the Astures fought hard to repel waves of invaders from their mountainous land: first the Romans, then the Visigoths, and finally the Muslims. In fact, Asturias can in some ways be considered the birthplace of Spain as we know it: it was here, at the decisive Battle of Covadonga in 722, that the Christians turned back the Muslims who had conquered the rest of Iberia and began pushing them back, ‘reconquering’ the land and eventually reestablishing Christian dominion over the whole peninsula.

Oviedo

Asturias’s capital since the 8th century, Oviedo is home to a rich architectural heritage dating to medieval times, vibrant nightlife owing to its large student population, and a traditional gastronomic scene centered around classic Asturian fare. The historic center has the feel of a smaller city, yet you will find its streets bustling at any hour, with people of all ages frequenting bars until the early morning.

One of the most active streets is the so-called bulevar de la sidra (cider boulevard), a stretch of Calle Gascona lined with dozens of traditional sidrerías. The Asturian cider is quite different from cider found in other countries in that it is entirely natural and unfiltered, with no sugar or carbonation added, lending it a cloudy appearance and an intense yet refreshing flavor. Because of this lack of carbonation, the cider has a unique serving method known as escanciado, where the server holds the bottle over his head with his arm fully extended and pours a small amount into a wide glass held below the waist, usually done over a wooden bucket to collect any spillage. The action of pouring from such a great height is done to create air bubbles in the cider, a sort of natural carbonation; however, the fizziness doesn’t last for long, so only a small amount is served at a time, and it is meant to be drunk immediately. Don’t try to refill your own glass; the waiters will come around to pour you more before you are even ready, insisting that you drink it right away.

I recommend Sidrería Tierra Astur Parrilla, where in addition to the traditional cider setup you have an array of hearty and delicious Asturian dishes to choose from. Start with a cheese plate––Asturias is known as el país de los quesos (the land of cheeses), after all––before moving onto a cachopo (two veal cutlets breaded and filled with ham and cheese) or a bowl of fabada (traditional meat and bean stew).

The historic center of Oviedo is an architectural gem, especially in the area around the university and the Catedral de Oviedo. The 14th-century Gothic cathedral you see today is beautiful, but the real jewel is the Cámara Santa (Holy Chamber) behind it, a pre-Romanesque chapel built as a private sanctuary for Alfonso II of Asturias in the 9th century that also houses the kingdom’s crown jewels and religious relics. In fact, the area around Oviedo is home to a number of these pre-Romanesque churches, which are among the oldest Christian structures in Europe.

Two of particular note are the Iglesia de Santa María del Naranco and the Iglesia de San Miguel de Lillo, on the hillside of Monte Naranco northwest of the historic center. The two churches were built in the 9th century as part of a royal palace complex constructed by Ramiro I of Asturias, and they are remarkable examples of an innately Asturian architectural sensibility, blending primarily Roman elements with Mozarab in a style that would prove highly influential on the architecture of medieval Iberia. After stopping to admire the churches, continue up the hill to the Monumento al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, which offers a fabulous panorama over the city and the mountains beyond.

For a nice example of more modern architecture, be sure to stop by the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos, designed by the renowned architect Santiago Calatrava.

Covadonga

Here, at the feet of the Picos de Europa mountains, is where the Asturians fought the Muslims in the legendary Battle of Covadonga (722).

Led by the Visigoth nobleman Pelayo, the Christian army dealt the Umayyad Caliphate their first defeat in the whole of Iberia, pushing the Muslims back from their land and setting off the centuries-long reconquista that would see the Christians reclaim control of the whole peninsula. After this decisive victory, Pelayo founded the Kingdom of Asturias, comprising the northwest corner of Iberia (modern-day Spain and Portugal) that had remained untouched by the Muslims.

Today, the battle is commemorated with a monumental basilica made of pink limestone, which stands out against the dramatic dark colors of the mountain landscape around it. You can also visit the Santa Cueva (Holy Cave), where legend has it that Pelayo’s forces hid as they waited for the right moment to attack the Umayyad army. The Christians credited the Virgin Mary for helping them overcome their vastly inferior numbers to defeat the Muslims, so they decided to create a shrine to her in the cave.

Picos de Europa National Park

Continue up the road past Covadonga and you will enter the Parque Nacional Picos de Europa, the first national park in Spain. A 12-mile (20km) stretch of the longer Cantabrian Mountains that shield the semi-arid center of Spain from the green of its northern coast, the Picos de Europa are named as such because they were normally the first sight of land in Europe for ships traveling across the Atlantic from the New World.

The national park is large and covers three different autonomous communities (Asturias, Cantabria, and Castilla y León), but this main road (CO-4) will take you past many of the most well-known viewpoints. The road tends to be steep and windy, so those with a fear of heights may encounter some difficulty. Be sure to stop at Mirador de la Reina as well as Mirador de Entrelagos, where you can admire the famous lakes of Covadonga. For those interested in exploring more of the park, there are numerous hiking trails that offer even more fabulous views.

After exploring Asturias’s mountainous interior, head for the coast to enjoy its sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, and picturesque seafront towns.