There are about 1 million reasons why you should visit Asturias, also known as Spain’s natural paradise, which stands up to its name. In this post I summarized the 15 reasons that will convince you to make Asturias your next travel destination!
1. The Coast
The Asturian coast is one of my favorite things about Asturias. It doesn’t matter if you are in the east, west, or center of the region, you will find breathtaking coastal views that will leave you speechless. Also, there are endless caves around the coast and some companies offer tours by jet skis or motorboats.
2. The Mountains
There mountains all over the region, in the national parks and also just a 20 minutes drive from the main cities. The three main national parks of Asturias are the Picos de Europa National Park in the eastern range (with the Torrecerredo peak rising to 2,648 metres (8,688 ft)), Parque Natural de Redes in the central east, and the Parque Natural de Somiedo in the west.
3. The Beaches
The variety of beaches in Asturias is mind-blowing, there are hundreds of beaches to chose from. The Asturian coast offers “normal” city beaches in Gijón, secluded beaches only accessible by foot, big beaches but still in nature accessible with car, and even beaches with caves. Whatever is your beach preference, you will find it in Asturias!
If you need some help finding the beach where you will be spending the next sunny day check out a list of 8 Picturesque Beaches in The East of Asturias.
4. The Coastal Towns
You can’t talk about Asturias without mentioning the beautiful coastal towns! Some are on a cliff, some are flat, some are colorful, and some are completely white, but they are all extremely charming! For a specific list check my post 6 Magical Coastal Towns in Asturias.
5. The Small Villages
The small villages in the mountains of Asturias have such a unique charm. The houses are colored in a variety of colors and the gardens are always well-kept. A small walk in a random town will make you forget about the world and want to move to the mountains!
6. The Accessibility and Closeness
The best about Asturias is that it is not such a big region, yet it offers everything I mentioned above within an hour drive. You can start your morning with a coffee in the beautiful coastal town of Ribadesella, continue to visit the beautiful Bufones de Pria in the coastline (20 minutes drive), go for a dip at the Playa de Guadamia (5 minutes drive) and finish with a hike in the mountains of the Picos de Europa (1 hour drive).
7. The Food
Cachopo 
Cheese 
Fabada
I absolutely adore the food here! So many options and so much variety!!
In Asturias, you can find delicious cheese, meat, seafood, bread, and much more. Some highlights of the region (there are many more) are the Cabrales cheese which is a type of blue cheese, the cachopo which is a layered meat and cheese (and sometimes vegetables) that is deep-fried, and the fabada that is a soup with local huge beans and meat.
The best part – the food is fairly cheap and the portions are gigantic!
Related Posts
8. The Sidra
Asturian people love drinking sidra in any occasion, whether it is with dinner or just as a casual sit-down with something to snack. It is light, refreshing, and fairly cheap (normally less than 3 euros per bottle).
Sidra is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. In Asturias sidra is considered not only a beverage but an intrinsic part of the culture and folklore; it is poured in very small quantities from a height into a wide glass and is done to get air bubbles into the drink (as you can see in the picture).
9. The Local Parties
From my observation in Asturias, there is a party somewhere in Asturias 80% of the days in the year. In the summer, expect to have a party every single day! Most parties include a pipers band, music, food, lots of people, and at night an orquesta which is a band the sings and dances all the popular songs! There are also small fairs, markets, and even themed parties. There is a website dedicated to all the local parties http://www.asturiasdefiesta.es
10. Hiking Options
If you enjoy hiking the options are endless! You can do a coastal route, climb a mountain peak, walk between limestone mountains, walk in green fields, or right on the beach!
I f you want to see some of the amazing hikes Asturias has to offer check out the Hiking section of my blog.
11. Sports and Activities
If you like to be active Asturias has many options to offer you! Some of the popular activities include canoeing 16 km through the Sella river, biking routes, skiing, surfing, and even parachuting.
12. The 3 Cities
The three main cities of Asturias are Oviedo, Gijón, and Avilés. The cities are all different and have their own unique magic, you can pass 5 days just visiting these! My favorite part is that they are all easily connected, just about 30 minutes from each other. You can also check out 10 Things to See and Do in Oviedo.
13. The Animals
I sometimes find the amount of animals in Asturias overwhelming! You drive on the highway and then you see someone’s yard with cows, horses, sheep, and chicken, it is too distracting!
Personally, it is why I love Asturias. Every time you leave the city you encounter animals that just make your day better.
14. The People
People in Asturias are what makes Asturias so amazing! People are extremely nice and friendly, especially if you tell them how beautiful their land is. If you are not sure how to start a conversation, just make a comment about the weather and the conversation will never end 😉
15. The Weather?
The weather is Asturias’s curse yet my favorite thing. It does rain a lot here, which is why it is so green, BUT the winters are not too cold and the summers are not too hot. In coastal or near-coastal areas, daytime high temperatures generally average around 12 °C (54 °F) – 13 °C (55 °F) during winter and 22 °C (72 °F) – 23 °C (73 °F) in summer.
I am sure these 15 reasons to visit Asturias left you anxiously waiting for visiting this paradise. So, book your flight now and check Spain’s Natural paradise off your bucket list!
0 comments on “15 Reasons Why You Must Visit Asturias”Add yours →