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Want to get back to nature? There’s a paradise of wilderness just a two-hour flight from London that’s named Asturias. Situated in the country’s north coast, in the heart of Green Spain, you’ll find a destination where you can genuinely rewild yourself, and your loved ones, for that matter. The strip of land is roughly the size of Cornwall and Devon combined, packing in over 300 miles of the best-preserved coastline in Spain and some of the tallest, wildest mountains in all of Europe. Ready to head for the clouds?
Montegrande beech forest in Teverga
Mountain high
Okay, so you’ve landed in Asturias, and you’re champing at the bit to get some altitude under your feet. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Just a few miles south, you’ll find mountains ascending to summits of over 8,000ft above sea level. The Picos de Europa are a sight to be seen, and boast the first National Park in Spain, founded in the heady days of 1918. It is one of seven areas declared Biosphere Reserves by Unesco in Asturias. As you enter the park, you’ll pass Covadonga/Cuadonga, the site of a legendary battle led by Pelayo, as well as the cave where the Virgin Mary was meant to have appeared, which a Basilica now occupies. Venture further in and you’ll be swept away into an otherworldly world, where limestone spires pirouette upwards toward the stratosphere, hewn into jagged teeth by thousands of erosion by the work of water. The possibilities for adventure all over Asturias are neverending.
Rock climbers, hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers will be lavished with an unbelievable playground to pursue their thrills. And there are plenty of new sports that are finding their way into the region’s repertoire. Take to its rushing rivers and calm lakes on a kayak or SUP, up your adrenaline on a canyoneering mission, or venture into the uplands on a winter ski touring or splitboarding expedition. It’s time to head for the hills.
Brilliant beaches
Remember those 300 miles of pristine coastline? Well, they boast over 200 beautiful beaches. Coastal adventurers will be spoiled with incredible rock formations, where water seeps through porous cliffs to form blowholes, rock chimneys, and salt water pools during high tide.
The evocatively named beach El Silencio has gained protected status under several categories, but there are plenty to choose from. The beaches of Vega, El Espartal, Penarronda, Frexulfe, Rodiles, and Bayas are famous for good reason, but especially for their waves and surf. However, aquatic exploration doesn’t need to exclusively revolve around the beach. Asturias is also the only region in Spain to have a marine reserve.
The Asturian coastline
El Cachucho is located on a seamount in the Bay of Biscay and houses a wide variety of habitats and species, including the loggerhead turtle and bottlenose dolphin. And don’t forget to make time to explore the coast’s ancient towns. The Senda Costera is a 300-mile walking path along the Cantabrian Sea that takes in charming villages such as Puerto de Vega, Cudillero, Llastres and Llanes and centuries-old fishing communities.
Top-class conservation
Want to know a fun fact? A third of the surface area of Asturias has some degree of environmental protection. Its woodlands, mountains and shorelines are unscathed by rampant property development and well-preserved, meaning that you can still find salmon leaping up its rivers and walk through old-growth oak groves. However, when it comes to conservation, there’s one story that especially stands out, that of the Cantabrian brown bear, an almost-extinct species that is on its way to being recovered, with the past 30 years seen as a significant conservation success. The population has grown from an estimated 80-100 individuals in the 1990s to 370 by 2020-2021.
A Cantabrian brown bear in Fuentes del Narcea
Bike territory
The Bear’s Trail is a greenway ideal for hiking and cycling, including legendary La Vuelta cycling tracks that include routes such as L’Angliru or Lagos de Covadonga. Asturias is amazing for rewilding.
Are you ready to rewild yourself? You can book flights to Asturias via Ryanair or Vueling. Find out more at turismoasturias.es
