Hotels in Asturias

Asturias is in northern Spain sandwiched between the Bay of Biscay and the Cantabrian Mountains.  It is one of the Iberian Peninsula’s best kept secrets,  with the Picos de Europa (Peaks of Europe) national park attracting walkers from all over the world. 

The rest of the region remains relatively untouched by tourism with average temperatures only slightly higher than those in the south of England and rain can fall at any time of the year. The close proximity of the Cantabrian Mountains to the sea means this small region has a number of micro climates which enable a huge range of flora and fauna to flourish, and the  peaks, gorges, valleys, fertile plains and coastline of Asturias offer a variety of plant life unrivalled anywhere in Western Europe. You will also find wolves, chamois (a unique species of fallow deer),  golden eagles and asturcons which are a special breed of Celtic mountain ponies.

The village of Bulnes in the Picos de Europa  was only accessible by mule track until the year 2000,  when its  isolation came to an end with the opening of a new funicular railway. Prehistoric man’s existence in Asturias has been uncovered in numerous cave paintings and burial chambers throughout the region. The caves of Tito Bustillo near the fishing port of Ribadesella are a popular attraction with their prehistoric depictions of deer and horses. There are some unspoilt beaches along this stretch of coastline, and the town of Ribadesella is a good place to enjoy the cider bars which are so popular in the region.

The coastline between Ribadesella and Gijon has some of the most important Jurassic dinosaur fossils and footprints in the world, and  La Griega Beach has a  fascinating Jurassic Museum built in the shape of a dinosaur footprint.