Cabo de Peñas, Asturias
Close your eyes and listen to the silence again, perhaps altered by some happy bird. And get lost again paths that lead nowhere , flanked by hazelnuts. Return To a land that doesn't know the meaning of the word crowd , where dozens of shades of green cover the fields and forests, where the birds always find a spring to quench their thirst. Return to that north where in summer some days the plan is to go to the beach, and other days there is time to extend the after-dinner conversation under an enigmatically gray sky... Return, in short, to that infinite Asturias to which you always have to return.
the asturian coast , so clean, so beautiful, so green and so true to its nature, it is the perfect place to escape to. Not only because it is easy there not to run into anyone if you want to avoid, but also because few places offer so much in just over 350 kilometers.
Cabo de Peñas, Asturias
In the first encounter with Asturias, it is worth looking out Cabo Peñas , the northernmost point of the Principality, to get caught up in the strength of the Bay of Biscay and the north wind . This natural viewpoint and its surroundings contain natural secrets of unparalleled beauty, such as the Moniello limestone , located between Banugues and Luanco , where remains of solidified corals can be easily observed.
Like breadcrumbs spread randomly on a long table, the American dream left the Principality sprinkled with Indian mansions , ostentatious mansions that hide in their beauty the pain and suffering of the drama of emigration . Often located near the coast, from Ribadesella to Boal There are beautiful examples of these classic mansions, and in Colombres you can also visit the Fundación Archivo de Indianos - Emigration Museum. housed in the Fifth Guadeloupe , is a spectacular Indian house that offers a look at what life was like for the few who successfully returned from emigration.
Green Spain it does not pale when approaching the coast, because its beaches have a natural charm without makeup. Immense sandbanks in which to get lost and walk around until you fall asleep in the towel, like the Bayas beach, Xagó beach -very popular among surfers- or the Natural Reserve that is Barayo beach . In addition, there are beaches like the one in Rodiles, in Villaviciosa, Frejulfe, in Navia, or Cadavedo, in Valdés , which have large green areas around the beach.
Barayo (Navia, Asturias)
Likewise, wild coves such as that of La Canal, or that of Andrín, both in Llanes They offer more privacy and a certain feeling of protection, as they are sheltered from the elements by impressive cliffs. Gulpiyuri , the Asturian beach that has gone from being practically a secret to leading the lists of the best beaches in the Bay of Biscay, -also holds the title of the smallest in the world -, is a mandatory stop on any coastal tour of Asturias. This beach is different from the others, not only because of its small size – just 40 meters -, but because of the karstic landscape that it stars in, an inland beach that does not have direct access to the sea. Gulpiyuri is accessed on foot , along a path that is ten minutes from the car park. Behind the sand, green meadows, and on the horizon, cliffs and the murmur of the open sea, which cannot be seen, but is heard, since it is incessantly beating on the other side. The water seeps through the cracks and natural caves that are hidden under the limestone cliffs, the same ones that protect and shelter the beach from storms.
The indie postcard landscapes of the Asturian coast , so far from the clichés, they have allied viewpoints from which to show off their splendor. The viewpoint of the Boriza , located very close to the andrin beach, it is literally a stairway to heaven. It is separated from the car park by a very short walk along a narrow path surrounded by vegetation and climbing those steps has its reward, as the views of the Cantabrian Sea , with the Andrín beach on one side and Ballota beach on the other , they are spectacular.
Gulpiyuri Beach, Asturias
Another natural window to the sea that is worth stopping at is the viewpoint of San Roque , in the charming fishing village of ballast . From there you can enjoy a bird's eye view of this fishing village of white houses that contrast with the blue of the sea. Also, the nearby recreational area of the same name, populated with century-old trees, a chapel and even a picnic area, is fabulous for a simple al fresco lunch or snack.
In the Cadavedo beach you have to reserve a time to visit the La Regalina viewpoint where is the precious Hermitage of Santa María de Riégala . Painted white and blue, the small building, located a few meters from the place where the cliff merges into the sea, is accompanied by a couple of hórreos. On clear days from the viewpoint you can see the Cape Bust and Vidio and on the last Sunday of August one of the most popular pilgrimages in the Principality is held there, the pilgrimage of La Regalina.
Northern summers may not guarantee daily scorching sun , and luckily, because there are many landscapes that are best enjoyed on those cloudy and clear days . And one of those places to visit when the sea is rough and bathing is not recommended is the Jesters of Pria . Like the Gulpiyuri beach, these buffoons are framed within the Eastern Coast Protected Landscape , and respond to that landscape of karstic relief so characteristic of the Spain Limestone . The vertical cavities that populate this landscape allow that when the waves are powerful enough, the force of the sea expels pressurized water towards the surface, turning it into a spectacle.
Torimbia Beach