Asturias · Northern Spain
Costa Verde travel guide: the coast of Asturias
Coloured fishing villages, cliff-backed coves and the Picos de Europa rising behind the sea, from the Galician border to Cantabria.
Cudillero · Photo: Vilanchelo, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Costa Verde is the coast of Asturias in northern Spain. It runs from Castropol above the Eo estuary, the natural border with Galicia (Turismo Asturias), to the Tina Mayor estuary on the border with Cantabria (Turismo Asturias). In between are fishing villages such as Cudillero and Lastres, the city beach of Gijón, cliff-backed coves around Llanes and, inland, the Picos de Europa, which the park itself calls Spain’s first national park (Picos de Europa National Park). This guide covers the three stretches of coast, the beaches, campsites, weather and routes.
At a glance
- Where the coast of Asturias in northern Spain, from the Eo estuary on the Galician border to the Tina Mayor estuary on the Cantabrian border.
- Mountains the Picos de Europa, which the park calls Spain’s first national park, rise to 2,648 m at Torrecerredo.
- Fly to Asturias Airport (OVD) in Castrillón, 40 km from Gijón and 47 km from Oviedo.
- On CostaMap Two campsites on the coast (four inland).
- Climate an annual mean of 13.5 °C and 1,062 mm of rain at Asturias Airport (AEMET, 1981–2010).
- Cider Asturias produces 80 per cent of Spain’s cider, and UNESCO listed its cider culture in 2024.
Map of the Costa Verde
The map shows the places on this coast that have a CostaMap page, from the beaches and villages to the Picos de Europa and the campsites in the mountains behind the coast. Tick a place type to filter it, and click a marker to see the place in the panel. The areas below follow the coast from west to east.
Place type
Area · next level
Coast mapCosta Verde
Click a marker to see the place here. Three areas from Castropol and Cudillero to Gijón and Llanes, with the Picos de Europa inland.
Choose your areaChoose your area
We split the coast into three stretches, from the Galician border in the west to the Cantabrian border in the east. Only places on the sea are in the lists; Oviedo, the Picos de Europa and the mountain parks follow under Things to do and in the itineraries.
West: Castropol to Cudillero
From the Eo estuary on the Galician border to Cudillero: fishing ports, the white village of Luarca and beaches of dark sand at Barayo and Otur.
- Castropol – on a stepped promontory above the Eo estuary, with floral carpets in the streets for Corpus Christi.
- Tapia de Casariego – a fishing village with whaling origins, known for fishing and canning; Penarronda beach is nearby.
- Navia – a port with a naval shipyard; Barayo beach, in a nature reserve, is shared with Valdés.
- Luarca – the white village of the green coast, with a lighthouse from 1862 above the harbour.
- Cudillero – houses of a thousand colours in an amphitheatre around the port, and El Silencio beach to the west.
Centre: Salinas to Villaviciosa
Gijón and the dunes of Salinas, Luanco near Peñas, the most northerly point of Asturias, and the estuary of Villaviciosa.
- Salinas – 1,200 m of beach joined to San Juan, three kilometres of golden dunes in Castrillón.
- Luanco – the closest fishing village to Peñas, the most northerly point of Asturias, with the oldest museum in the Principality.
- Candás – capital of Carreño and known for its Sardine Festival.
- Gijón – the fishing quarter of Cimadevilla, Roman baths and the 1,500 m San Lorenzo beach.
- Tazones – the first port Emperor Charles V visited on his first trip to the Peninsula, in 1517.
- Rodiles – 1,000 m of golden sand in the Villaviciosa Estuary Nature Reserve, backed by woodland.
East: Lastres to La Franca
Dinosaur footprints, cave art and the coves of Llanes, with the Picos de Europa close behind the coast.
- Lastres – considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, with the Jurassic Museum nearby.
- Ribadesella – the Tito Bustillo Cave with UNESCO-listed cave art, and the Descent of the Sella every August.
- Llanes – a walled historic quarter, the Cubos de la Memoria and the coves of Torimbia and Gulpiyuri.
- Pría and Arenillas – blowholes that spout sea spray through chimneys in the cliffs.
- La Franca – a triangular white-sand beach on the coastal boundary between Llanes and Ribadedeva.
Explore by interest
Pick a theme. Each tile opens the part of this guide that covers it.
Best beaches and coves
The selection below is ours, from west to east. Lengths and descriptions are as given by Turismo Asturias, the regional tourist board, checked in October 2026. Many of the best coves are reached on foot, so check the access before you go.
Penarronda
600 m of fine golden sand shared by Castropol, Barres, Tapia de Casariego and Santa Gadía; its flora includes the sea wallflower, found nowhere else in Asturias (Turismo Asturias).
El Silencio (Gavieiro)
A 500 m pebble beach in Cudillero, reached on foot down about 500 metres of path and many stairs (Turismo Asturias).
Salinas
1,200 metres long and joined to San Juan beach; together they offer three kilometres of golden sand dunes (Turismo Asturias).
San Lorenzo
Gijón’s 1,500 m city beach, between the Santa Catalina hill and the mouth of the River Piles; the tourist board calls it probably the best-known beach in Asturias (Turismo Asturias).
Rodiles
1,000 m of golden sand in the Villaviciosa Estuary Nature Reserve, with a pine and eucalyptus wood and a wooden promenade along the estuary (Turismo Asturias).
Torimbia
A 500 m white-sand beach reached on foot, west of Toranda and sheltered by vertical cliffs (Turismo Asturias).
Gulpiyuri
A 40 m inland beach of coarse sand with no visible connection to the sea: the water flows in under the cliffs. It is listed as a Natural Monument (Turismo Asturias).
La Franca
A 260 m triangular beach of white sand with moderate waves, at the mouth of the River Cabra, on the coastal boundary between Llanes and Ribadedeva (Turismo Asturias).
Also worth knowing: Barayo is 700 m of dark fine sand in the Barayo Partial Nature Reserve, between Sabugo (Valdés) and Vigo in Puerto de Vega (Navia), with pedestrian access (Turismo Asturias). Otur, in Valdés, is 600 m of fine dark sand with a rescue service every day from 1 July to 31 August (Turismo Asturias). Cuevas del Mar in Llanes is 125 m long, at the mouth of the Nueva river among rocks the sea has pierced into caves and tunnels (Turismo Asturias).
Where to stay by town
CostaMap has no town guides for Asturias yet, so these are the towns we would base a trip in, from west to east, with what each one is known for.
Luarca
Called the white village of the green coast, with a lighthouse from 1862 and the grave of Nobel laureate Severo Ochoa on the hill.
Quiet harbour
Cudillero
Houses of a thousand colours in an amphitheatre around the port, and a dialect of its own, the pixueto.
Photogenic village
Gijón
The fishing quarter of Cimadevilla, Roman baths, Chillida’s Elogio del Horizonte and the 1,500 m San Lorenzo beach.
City and beach
Lastres
Considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, with dinosaur footprints along the coast nearby.
Village and fossils
Ribadesella
The Tito Bustillo cave, with UNESCO-listed cave art, and the canoe Descent of the Sella in August.
Caves and river
Llanes
A walled historic quarter, the painted Cubos de la Memoria on the breakwater and the cliff walk of San Pedro.
Base for the covesCampsites
These campsites have a CostaMap page. Two are on the coast: HolaCamp La Franca in Ribadedeva says it is 80 m from La Franca beach (HolaCamp), and Wecamp Cudillero is listed by Turismo Asturias in Cudillero (Turismo Asturias). The others are in the mountains: La Pomarada in Somiedo (Turismo Asturias), the municipal campsite of Sobrescobio in Redes Natural Park (Turismo Asturias), Los Arrudos in Caleao, and San Pelayo on the road from Potes to Fuente Dé (Camping San Pelayo). Turismo Asturias also lists a campsite on La Franca beach itself, Las Hortensias (Turismo Asturias).
HolaCamp La Franca
In Ribadedeva, 80 m from La Franca beach, by its own account, and 20.7 km from Llanes.
See the campsite →
Wecamp Cudillero
At Aroncés on the road to Aguilar beach; closed from 30 September to 10 April.
See the campsite →
La Pomarada de Somiedo
In La Pola Somiedo, inside the Somiedo Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve.
See the campsite →
Camping Municipal de Sobrescobio
In Villamoréi, in the heart of Redes Natural Park, and open all year round.
See the campsite →Los Arrudos, Caleao
A campsite at Caleao, inland; we found no official listing to confirm its details, so check with the campsite.
See the campsite →
Camping San Pelayo
At km 5 of the Potes–Fuente Dé road, a few metres from the river Deva, with the Picos in view.
See the campsite →Things to do
The Picos de Europa and the Covadonga Lakes
The Picos de Europa National Park was first declared in 1918 as the Parque Nacional de la Montaña de Covadonga and reclassified in 1995; MITECO gives it 66,030.36 ha in the provinces of Asturias, León and Cantabria, and it has been a Biosphere Reserve since 2003 (MITECO). Its highest point is Torrecerredo at 2,648 m, the Cares and the Duje divide it into three massifs, and its best-known peak is the Picu Urriellu, or Naranjo de Bulnes (Turismo Asturias). Wildlife includes roe deer, wolves and the occasional bear, and more than 100 bird species, among them the golden eagle and the griffon vulture (MITECO).
The Covadonga Lakes, Enol and Ercina, are in Cangas de Onís, and in the cave of Covadonga the Orandi river emerges beneath the image of the Virgin (Turismo Asturias). MITECO links Covadonga to the battle in which Don Pelayo defeated the Muslim army in the 8th century (MITECO). In 2026 cars are banned from the lakes road every day from 1 June to 18 October, with some exceptions, and a special bus runs instead (Turismo Asturias); tickets are sold through the concession holder ALSA (Picos de Europa National Park).
Lighthouses, blowholes and clifftops
East of Llanes, the blowholes (bufones) of Pría, Arenillas and Santiuste spout sea spray through chimneys in the cliffs, and the San Emeterio lighthouse at Pimiango, built in 1852, is the easternmost in Asturias (Turismo Asturias). Turismo Asturias calls Cabo Vidío, west of Cudillero, one of the most beautiful clifftops of Asturias (Turismo Asturias). Luanco is the closest fishing village to Peñas, the most northerly point of Asturias, and its Maritime Museum, founded in 1948, is the oldest museum in the Principality (Turismo Asturias).
Further inland, Somiedo, the first natural park declared in Asturias, covers 283 km² and rises to 2,194 m at Pico Cornón (Turismo Asturias); UNESCO describes one of the most important Cantabrian brown bear populations there (UNESCO). Redes Natural Park covers 376 km² in Caso and Sobrescobio (Turismo Asturias) and has been a biosphere reserve since 2001 (UNESCO). Asturias has seven biosphere reserves (Turismo Asturias).
Fishing villages, dinosaurs and cave art
Lastres in Colunga was named Exemplary Village of Asturias in 2010, and the Jurassic Museum is nearby, with dinosaur footprints along the coast (Turismo Asturias). Tazones, in Villaviciosa, was the first port Emperor Charles V visited on his first trip to the Peninsula, in September 1517 (Turismo Asturias). In Ribadesella, the Tito Bustillo Cave is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cave art, the Cave Art Centre is 250 metres from the entrance, and there are dinosaur footprints in the cliffs (Turismo Asturias).
Further west, Tapia de Casariego is known for fishing and canning (Turismo Asturias), Navia’s port has a naval shipyard (Turismo Asturias), Candás, capital of Carreño, is known for its Sardine Festival (Turismo Asturias) and Castropol decorates its streets with floral carpets for Corpus Christi (Turismo Asturias). In Gijón, the Laboral City of Culture is one of the largest civil architectural ensembles in Spain (Spain.info).
Cider, Cabrales and fabes
UNESCO designated Asturian cider culture Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024; Asturias produces 80 per cent of Spain’s cider, and the Sidra de Asturias designation of origin dates from 2003 (Turismo Asturias). It covers the whole of Asturias (Sidra de Asturias PDO). Natural cider is poured from a bottle held high above the head into a tilted glass below the waist, in measures (culetes) of no less than 100 ml, at 12–14 °C (Sidra de Asturias PDO, Sidra de Asturias PDO).
Asturias has four cheese designations of origin, Cabrales, Gamonéu, Casín and Afuega’l pitu, and Cabrales, the region’s blue cheese, matures in caves (Turismo Asturias); it is made from raw cow’s milk or a mix of cow, sheep and goat milk (DOP Cabrales). Asturian beans, fabes, have a Protected Geographical Indication (Turismo Asturias).
Oviedo and the Asturian pre-Romanesque
The UNESCO World Heritage site Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias was inscribed in 1985; UNESCO names Santa María del Naranco, San Miguel de Lillo, Santa Cristina de Lena, the Cámara Santa and San Julián de los Prados as its highest achievements (UNESCO). The pre-Romanesque works date from the 8th to the 10th centuries, and Santa María del Naranco was the palace of Ramiro I on Mount Naranco (Turismo Asturias). In Oviedo’s old quarter, the Cathedral and the Holy Chamber stand out (Turismo Asturias).
When to go
Average temperature and rainfall at Asturias Airport (AEMET station 1212E, Castrillón, 127 m), for 1981–2010 (AEMET).
The annual mean at the airport is 13.5 °C, with 1,062 mm of rain on 127.8 days and 1,670 hours of sunshine (AEMET). Inland, Oviedo (station 1249I, 336 m) averages 13.3 °C and 960 mm of rain a year (AEMET). The International Descent of the Sella canoe race is on the first Saturday in August (Turismo Asturias), and Cudillero holds L’Amuravela, a humorous proclamation in pixueto, every 29 June (Turismo Asturias).
Itineraries
We plan both by car, because many coves are at the end of country roads. In summer, take the bus up to the Covadonga Lakes, since cars are banned at peak times.
Three days
Day 1
Gijón
Start the morning in Cimadevilla, the fishing quarter that with the Santa Catalina hill makes up Gijón’s old town. Climb the hill to the Elogio del Horizonte, the monumental work by Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida, then see the Roman baths, where the hypocaust rooms once generated the hot air. Spend the afternoon and evening on San Lorenzo, a 1,500 m golden beach between the hill and the mouth of the River Piles, backed by a seafront promenade of almost three kilometres. Sports on the sand are not allowed between 10.00 and 20.00.
Day 2
Cudillero and Cabo Vidío
In the morning, walk through Cudillero, whose houses of a thousand colours form the much-photographed amphitheatre above the port. Go out to the lighthouse on Roballera Point, built in 1858, and try curadillo, a shark dried in the open air, or hake skewers in the harbour restaurants. In the afternoon drive to El Silencio beach: there is parking, then about 500 metres on foot down numerous stairs to a cove of clear pebbles. Dogs are not allowed on the beach from 1 June to 30 September. End the day on the clifftop of Cabo Vidío.
Day 3
Oviedo
Oviedo is 28 km from Gijón. Start on Mount Naranco with Santa María del Naranco, the Palace of Ramiro I, a building whose purpose remains unclear, and San Miguel de Lillo. UNESCO counts both among the highest achievements of the Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias, inscribed in 1985. In the afternoon walk the old quarter, where the Cathedral, with a Gothic and a Romanesque tower, and the Holy Chamber stand out; the city still keeps the Holy Shroud among its relics. End with cider on Gascona Street, the Cider Boulevard lined with cider bars.
Seven days
Days 1–3: as above, based in Gijón.
Day 4
Luarca and the west
Spend the morning in Luarca, the white village of the green coast in a popular saying. Walk past the watchtower to the lighthouse at the tip of Focicón, built in 1862, and the hillside cemetery where Nobel Prize winner Severo Ochoa rests. Then pick a beach of dark sand. Barayo is a nature reserve of dunes and marshes: from a car park above the beach at Vigo, a forest path of about 800 m leads down to the sand. Otur has a ramp down to the beach and a rescue service every day from 1 July to 31 August.
Day 5
Lastres and Ribadesella
Start in Lastres (Llastres), considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. From the San Roque viewpoint you see the town, its beaches, the Sueve range and the Picos de Europa. Dinosaur footprints can be found along this coast, and the Jurassic Museum is nearby. In the afternoon drive to Ribadesella for the Tito Bustillo Cave Art Centre, 250 metres from the entrance of the cave that UNESCO lists for its cave art. The centre is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and throughout January. In the evening, walk the promenade along the Sella estuary.
Day 6
Llanes and the coves
Walk the historic quarter of Llanes inside its 13th-century wall, the Paseo de San Pedro over the cliffs and the Cubos de la Memoria by Agustín Ibarrola on the breakwater. In the afternoon visit Gulpiyuri, a 40 m inland beach with no visible connection to the sea; access from San Antolín beach or from Naves is on foot only. Torimbia is reached by an asphalted road from Niembru, then a track, with a rescue service daily from 14 June to 8 September. Finish at the blowholes of Pría, where sea spray comes out of chimneys in the cliffs.
Day 7
Covadonga and the lakes
Start at the Royal Site of Covadonga, where the Orandi river emerges in the cave beneath the image of the Virgin. In 2026 private cars are banned on the CO-4 up to the lakes every day from 1 June to 18 October, with some exceptions, so buy a ticket for the lakes bus from ALSA. A shuttle also runs between Cangas de Onís and Covadonga every 30 minutes, between 7.40 and 20.00. In the afternoon walk between Lake Enol and Lake Ercina. If fog closes in, find shelter and wait for it to clear.
Getting there and around
By air
Asturias Airport (OVD, ICAO LEAS) (OurAirports) is at Santiago del Monte in Castrillón, 14 km from Avilés, 40 km from Gijón and 47 km from Oviedo (Turismo Asturias).
By bus
ALSA buses link the airport with Avilés, Gijón and Oviedo, roughly every hour between 06:00 and 00:00; the Avilés and Gijón buses also stop at Piedras Blancas and Salinas (Aena).
By car
The A-8, the Autovía del Cantábrico, crosses Asturias from east to west, and the A-66 arrives from the central plateau as a toll road (Turismo Asturias).
Practical and safety
- Emergencies: 112 covers the fire brigade, healthcare, life-saving and safety; the National Police is 091, the Local Police 092 and the Guardia Civil 062 (Turismo Asturias). 112 Asturias is run by the Principality’s emergency service (112 Asturias).
- In the mountains: the national park advises waiting for fog to clear in shelter, never hiking alone or at least telling someone your route, and not drinking from springs in the lower areas; mobile coverage in the Picos is limited (Picos de Europa National Park).
- Covadonga Lakes: the CO-4 is the only road open to private vehicles; at peak times cars are banned 24 hours a day and a special bus runs, and in 2026 the restrictions start on 28 March (Turismo Asturias).
- On the beach: lifeguard cover is seasonal; at Otur, for example, the rescue service runs every day from 1 July to 31 August (Turismo Asturias). Paths to coves such as El Silencio and Torimbia are on foot.
- Seasons: Wecamp Cudillero is closed from 30 September to 10 April (Turismo Asturias); check opening dates before you travel outside summer.
FAQ
Where is the Costa Verde?
In northern Spain: it is the coast of Asturias, between the Eo estuary on the Galician border and the Tina Mayor estuary on the Cantabrian border.
Which airport is closest?
Asturias Airport (OVD) in Castrillón, 14 km from Avilés, 40 km from Gijón and 47 km from Oviedo, with ALSA buses to all three.
Can I drive to the Covadonga Lakes?
Not at peak times. In 2026 cars are banned every day from 1 June to 18 October, with some exceptions, and a special bus runs instead.
What is special about Gulpiyuri beach?
It is a 40 m beach of coarse sand inland, with no visible connection to the sea; the water flows in under the cliffs. It is a Natural Monument.
Is the Costa Verde good for a beach holiday?
It has long sandy beaches such as Salinas, San Lorenzo and Rodiles, but it is a wet coast: the airport records 1,062 mm of rain a year and a July average of 18.2 °C.
Are there campsites on the Costa Verde?
Yes. HolaCamp La Franca is 80 m from La Franca beach in Ribadedeva, and Wecamp Cudillero is in Cudillero; others are in the mountains at Somiedo and Redes.
Neighbouring costas
Costa de Cantabria
Beyond the Tina Mayor estuary: the coast of Cantabria, which shares the Picos de Europa with Asturias and León.
Costa de Cantabria guide →Sources and freshness
Checked 5 October 2026. Turismo Asturias on the fishing villages of Castropol, Tapia de Casariego, Navia, Luarca, Cudillero, Luanco, Candás, Tazones, Lastres, Ribadesella and Llanes; on the lighthouse route (stage 2, stage 6); and on the beaches of El Silencio, Salinas, San Lorenzo, Rodiles, Gulpiyuri, Torimbia, Cuevas del Mar, La Franca, Penarronda, Barayo and Otur. Spain.info on Gijón. Turismo Asturias on Asturias, the Picos de Europa, access to the lakes, Somiedo, Redes, the biosphere reserves, the pre-Romanesque, Oviedo, cider, fabada, cheese, flights, driving and safety. Picos de Europa: the national park, MITECO (fact sheet, history, overview). UNESCO on the Monuments of Oviedo and the biosphere reserves of Somiedo and Redes. Cider and cheese: Sidra de Asturias PDO (pouring, natural cider, area), DOP Cabrales. Campsites: Turismo Asturias on Wecamp Cudillero, La Pomarada de Somiedo, Sobrescobio and Las Hortensias; the campsites’ own sites: HolaCamp La Franca, Camping San Pelayo, Rinlo Costa; Turismo Castilla y León on La Cota. Transport: OurAirports (LEAS), Aena airport buses. Safety: 112 Asturias. Climate: AEMET normals 1981–2010 for Asturias Airport and Oviedo. Two campsites near this coast are left out of this guide: Camping La Cota is in León, and Rinlo Costa Camping, by the Playa de las Catedrales, is not on our Costa Verde map.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, not altered except for cropping: Cudillero by Vilanchelo (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cudillero by Robot8A (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cabo Peñas by Einaz80 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Torimbia, Llanes by Einaz80 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Torimbia by Einaz80 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Tazones by Wamba Wambez (CC BY-SA 3.0); Asturias by Tamorlan (CC BY 3.0); Lagos de Covadonga by Luis Parra Rubio (CC BY-SA 4.0); Santa María del Naranco by Ángel M. Felicísimo from Mérida, España (CC BY 2.0); La Franca by David Ceballos from Quito, España (CC BY 2.0); Playa de Penarronda by Marta Gonzalez (Public domain); Playa del Silencio by VALDITHRASH from Madrid, España (CC BY 2.0); Playa de Salinas by Angelrtz (CC BY-SA 4.0); Gijón by David Álvarez López (CC BY 2.0); Rodiles by McBodes (CC BY 3.0); Torimbia by Einaz80 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Gulpiyuri by Fernando Vázquez (CC BY 3.0); La Franca by McBodes (CC BY 3.0); Luarca by Wamba Wambez (CC BY-SA 3.0); Cudillero by Wamba Wambez (CC BY-SA 3.0); Gijón by Montserrat Boix (CC BY 4.0); Lastres by Wamba Wambez (CC BY-SA 3.0); Ribadesella by D.Rovchak (CC BY-SA 4.0); Llanes by Mentxuwiki (CC BY-SA 4.0); La Franca by David Ceballos from Quito, España (CC BY 2.0); Cudillero coast by Javier Pérez López (CC BY 3.0); Somiedo by Javier Pérez López (CC BY 3.0); Sobrescobio by Alter.ego (CC BY-SA 3.0); Liébana by Simon Burchell (CC BY-SA 4.0); Lagos de Covadonga by Luis Parra Rubio (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cabo Peñas by Einaz80 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Lastres by Fernando Vázquez (CC BY 3.0); Asturias by Linda Hartley from London, UK (CC BY 2.0); Santa María del Naranco by Ángel M. Felicísimo from Mérida, España (CC BY 2.0); Gijón by David Álvarez López (CC BY 2.0); Cudillero by Robot8A (CC BY-SA 4.0); Santa María del Naranco by D.Rovchak (CC BY-SA 4.0); Luarca by charles lecompte (CC BY-SA 3.0); Ribadesella by Herbythyme (CC BY-SA 4.0); Llanes by Einaz80 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Covadonga by Giorgio Galeotti (CC BY-SA 4.0); San Vicente de la Barquera by Pacodonderis (CC BY-SA 4.0).