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The Rugged Hills & Coast of Asturias

The heart of ‘Green Spain’
 
Spain’s ‘Green Coast’ is a glorious region where lush, rolling hills tumble down to secluded, sandy coves. This self-guided, single-centre holiday offers a choice of walking and sightseeing options, revealing colourful fishing villages, prehistoric caves and the handsome city of Oviedo.
The Rugged Hills & Coast of Asturias. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
The Rugged Hills & Coast of Asturias. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A walking holiday in the Picos de Europa

Spain’s northern coast, the Costa Verde (‘Green Coast’) is fully deserving of its name – lush hills and pastureland tumble down to grassy cliffs which in turn frame secluded beaches of golden sand. Behind all this rise the Picos de Europa Mountains whose jagged limestone peaks provide a striking backdrop while you walk and explore in this alluring region.
Spend some time at the charming Posada del Valle in the Sueve Sierra and you can discover the many faces of this glorious region either by car or on foot. We provide notes for several rewarding walks, both in the mountains and along the coast, and you can use your hire car to visit prehistoric caves, pre-Romanesque churches, the handsome city of Oviedo and the string of timeless fishing villages which runs along the Atlantic Coast.
 

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We are accepting bookings for our holidays to Spain. Our flexible booking arrangements, commitment to safety and financial protection mean that you can book with confidence.

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Walking & More

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.

    Late May, June and September see the most settled weather, but conditions are changeable, and there is always the chance of rain whenever you travel - the landscape wouldn't be so green otherwise. Fortunately, rain showers don't tend to last long, usually giving over quickly to sunshine.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 12 13 14 15 17 20 22 23 22 18 15 13
    mm 93 89 82 101 90 51 48 47 56 91 100 94
  • The Costa Verde
    Spend some time here and you will soon understand why this is known as the Costa Verde (‘Green Coast’). We suggest a wide range of walking routes which reveal an equally wide variety of landscapes, from the lakes at Covadonga in the Picos de Europa mountains to panoramic cliff-tops, and from tranquil pastoral scenery to the glorious beech forests of one of Spain’s newest protected areas, the wild and remote-feeling Ponga Natural Park. Some walks are circular and accessed by car, while others are linear and start or end with either a taxi ride or a journey on the scenic coastal railway (pay locally in both cases). Almost all are grade 2 but there is scope to tailor some of them depending on how energetic you are feeling. There's plenty of cultural interest in the area, too, in the form of ancient churches, prehistoric caves and historic Oviedo. There’s no fixed itinerary, so you can take your pick of the options as the mood takes you.
    Walking in the Picos de Europa mountains
  • Choice of routes (5.5km to 17km)

    Covadonga Lakes circuit (grade 1): 5.5km, 2hrs
    This is an easy circuit underfoot that enters the heart of the Picos from where you explore the shores of two glacial lakes. The drive up to the lakes is spectacular, first passing the sanctuary of Our Lady of Covadonga, and then the Mirador de Reina viewing point with its vistas of the Picos.

    Niembro to Torimbia beach (grade 1): 6km, 2.5hrs
    This coastal option explores a beautiful part of the Asturian coastline, ending at the golden sands at Torimbia – a nudist beach. It combines well with a visit to the prehistoric cave paintings at Ribadesella (see 'Sightseeing' below).

    Arenal de Morís to Huerres – and back (grade 1-2): 17km, 6hrs
    This is another very pleasant coastal walk, on grassy cliff-tops, taking in two interesting villages. Cider and tapas await at the pretty village at the end of the route!
  • Choice of routes (3.5km to 22km)

    Cares Gorge (grade 2): 22km, 7.5hrs
    The Cares Gorge (40mins by car) is one of the National Park’s ‘must-sees’. Also known as the Divine Gorge, it is surrounded by towering, craggy limestone peaks. A broad path has been carved out of the mountainside, an extraordinary feat of engineering. At first it remains high above the river, but the further you walk along the gorge, the closer you get to the water. If you walk all the way to Caín, the gorge opens up to reveal an unrivalled view of the jagged peaks at the heart of the Park. You return along the same route.

    Mirador Camarmeña (grade 2): 3.5km, 1.5hrs
    Comprising a short but steep walk from Poncebos up to the village of Camarmeña, this route offers wonderful panoramas of 'El Naranjo' – the immense, orange-tinted rock that is one of the most famous peaks in the area.

    Abedules circuit (grade 2): 7km, 2.5hrs
    The drive up to this circuit takes you through wonderful scenery of the jagged, often snow-clad, peaks of the Ponga Natural Park (1hr by car), one of Spain’s newest protected reserves and fully deserving of its status. There is a real feeling of escaping the everyday world as you explore the majestic beech woods, with splendid views of wild mountains. This is a pleasant walk which, with the scenic drive there and back, together with a visit to the remote mountain village of Viego, will fill a day.

    Asturias village trail (grade 2): 15km, 5hrs
    This is a stunning walk, direct from the hotel door, taking you into the heart of rural Asturias – through working farms, along verdant river valleys, passing authentic villages with many examples of the Asturian raised granary (hórreo) – and a short but pretty train ride in the middle, between the villages of Arriondas and Sevares.

    Mirador del Fito (grade 2): 10km, 3.5hrs
    This walk starts from the magnificent Fito viewpoint, reached by taxi. Enjoy the panorama of coast and mountains before setting off across the flanks of three small peaks of the Sueve Sierra, enjoying views of the Picos de Europa and of the coast between Llanes and Gijón. If you are lucky, you may spot wild Asturcon ponies as you walk, but if not, the sweeping views more than compensate.

    Playa La Vega (grade 2): 15km, 5hrs
    From the hotel you descend along good tracks across the shaded, forested slopes of the Sierra del Fito, enjoying good views to the unspoiled beach of Playa La Vega. Relax on the sand for a while before returning to the Posada by taxi.
    Abedules circuit in the Ponga Natural Park
  • Choice of routes (13km to 14km)

    Lake Ercina to the Refugio de Ario (grade 3): 13km, 6hrs
    This is an excellent walk which takes you into the heart of the Picos de Europa. The waymarked path takes you rapidly away from the touristy areas around the lakes into the isolated heart of the mountains. At first you climb up to a meadow dotted with stone cabins once used by shepherds during the transhumance to summer pastures. From here a more demanding ascent draws you into a lunar landscape of limestone crags and pavements to finally reach a mountain refuge nestling in an elevated rocky bowl.

    Mirador del Fito (grade 3): 14km, 6hrs
    This walk starts from the magnificent Fito viewpoint, reached by taxi. Enjoy the panorama of coast and mountains before setting off across the flanks of three small peaks of the Sueve Sierra, enjoying views of the Picos de Europa and of the coast between Llanes and Gijón, and possibly the sighting of a wild Asturcon pony. What makes this option different from the grade-2 version is that it involves a demanding ascent to the summit of Pico Pienzu (1,159 metres), where  you are rewarded with another breathtaking panorama.
  • Ancient history and superb cider

    There is much to see in Asturias, making for a very varied week.

    Historic churches
    Scattered across the region are numerous pre-Romanesque churches, many of which form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Palaeolithic art
    You can see evidence of the region’s even earlier history with a visit to Tito Bustillo, El Buxal or Pindal, three caves in which examples of Palaeolithic art have been discovered.

    Coastal villages
    Other highlights of the region are its coastal villages, in which coloured houses tumble down the cliffs towards the sea. Ribadesella, Lastres (where there is a fish auction most afternoons) and Tazones are particularly worthy of a visit.

    Cider and cheese
    If you are interested in learning more about Asturias’ cider and cheese, you may be able to arrange visits to local producers. At the very least, be sure to visit a sidrería and indulge in a bottle of cider. Holding the bottle above his head and the glass by his thigh, the waiter pours a small amount of cider for you. Without putting it down on the table (this would allow it to settle), you down it in one go, leaving a little bit in the bottom so as to swill out the glass (the floor is covered in sawdust) before passing it to your companion.

    Oviedo
    Finally, you should not miss the regional capital, Oviedo, where narrow, cobbled streets lined with brightly painted houses radiate out from the striking Gothic cathedral. We include a detailed city walking tour to help you get the most from your visit.
 

Accommodation

Collía is immersed in the rugged Sueve Natural Reserve on the western fringes of the Picos de Europa. This area is rich in restaurants – there is a Michelin-starred restaurant only 3 kilometres away, as well as a good choice of vegetarian-friendly eateries.
La Posada del Valle

Bedrooms

 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
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  • 7 nights: 01 April 2021 - 31 October 2021 & 01 April 2022 - 31 October 2022

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    1 - 11 Apr 2021 £665 £215
    12 Apr - 10 May 2021 £645 £195
    11 - 21 May 2021 £665 £215
    22 May - 30 Jun 2021 £690 £235
    1 Jul - 23 Aug 2021 £745 £245
    24 Aug - 14 Sep 2021 £720 £245
    15 - 30 Sep 2021 £690 £235
    1 - 24 Oct 2021 £645 £195
    1 - 15 Apr 2022 £695 £230
    16 Apr - 10 May 2022 £670 £210
    11 - 21 May 2022 £695 £230
    22 May - 30 Jun 2022 £725 £250
    1 Jul - 23 Aug 2022 £785 £260
    24 Aug - 14 Sep 2022 £760 £260
    15 - 30 Sep 2022 £725 £250
    1 - 24 Oct 2022 £670 £210
    3rd & 4th person discount -£60
    Single traveller supplement £60

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Price includes: 7 days' category B car hire (eg Seat Ibiza or similar with air conditioning and manual transmission)

    Drive time between the airport and the hotel: Santander 1h45, Bilbao 2h30, Asturias (Oviedo) 1h20

    We can also offer a self-drive option featuring Brittany Ferries from the UK; please contact us for details and prices.

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    La Posada del Valle, Collía
    Larger: 01 Apr - 31 Oct 2021 £8
    Larger: 01 Apr - 31 Oct 2022 £10

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    La Posada del Valle, Collía (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 15 May 2021 £65 £90
    16 May - 30 Jun 2021 £70 £100
    01 Jul - 23 Aug 2021 £78 £110
    24 Aug - 30 Sep 2021 £70 £100
    01 Oct - 31 Oct 2021 £65 £90
    01 Apr - 15 May 2022 £70 £96
    16 May - 30 Jun 2022 £75 £105
    01 Jul - 23 Aug 2022 £82 £115
    24 Aug - 30 Sep 2022 £75 £105
    01 Oct - 31 Oct 2022 £70 £96
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Santander, Bilbao or Asturias (Oviedo)
    As an alternative to flying, we can arrange ferry travel from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly to an airport not listed here. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Bilbao easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Santander Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Asturias (Oviedo) Vueling 
    Gatwick - Bilbao British Airways,  easyJet,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Asturias (Oviedo) via Madrid Iberia 
    Heathrow - Bilbao British Airways,  Iberia,  Vueling 
    Heathrow - Bilbao (via Madrid) Iberia 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Santander Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Asturias (Oviedo) (via Madrid) Iberia 
    Manchester - Bilbao easyJet 
    Manchester - Bilbao (via Barcelona) Iberia 
    Manchester - Bilbao (via Heathrow) Iberia 
    Manchester - Oviedo (via Lisbon) TAP Air Portugal 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly to an airport not listed here. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above except those operated by Ryanair. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service (£60 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 2 dinners
    3 picnics
    7 breakfasts
  • route notes and maps
  • GPS navigation
  • 7 days' category B car hire
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 6 reviews
  • Mr T Morris
    Berwick-upon-tweed
    13 October 2019

    A holiday which combined both excellent walking and brilliant accommodation. The location of Posada del Valle is ideal as it enables walks around the countryside, down and along the superb beaches and into the mountain National Parks. You can chose and get the expert guidance from Nigel who has walked the routes and knows the eccentricities of the local weather. This was an unknown part of Spain for us and was very different in terms of topography and scenery - all green. We hit a couple of days of really heavy rain so an umbrella comes in useful.

  • Mr C Jones
    Winchester
    18 September 2019

    A wonderful variety of walks with opportunities to explore mountainous areas, a stunning coast and glorious farmland. The hotel was exceptional and the couple who run it could not have been more helpful. The views from the room were stunning and the food superb.

  • Mrs V Bale
    Guildford
    23 August 2019

    We really enjoyed this place, clean, comfortable and a stunning situation.

  • Mr N Dibben
    Matlock
    01 October 2018

    The three walks we liked best were the local one to Arriondias (look for the information board about the Indiano houses there - the suggested cafe is in one of them, and go behind the main street to see the river and canoes) then Sevares, the Mirador del Fito, and the Ponga park - best go high when the weather is clear. We went to the caves at Ribadesella and suggest you go to the museum which is free and has English explanations (the cave trip is entirely in Spanish and there is more talking by the guide than cave painting, there is much more in the museum). We travelled by train and coach (nice though the FEVE train is, it is slow on long trips, the Alsa coaches are comfortable and relatively fast) stopping at Santander and Oviedo, both are worth a visit. And listen to Joann's advice (owner of the Posada del Valle).

  • Anon
    20 August 2018

    The food at the hotel was excellent and reasonably priced.  We enjoyed the views from the hotel. The walks were good.  For us, the best one was catching the train from Arriondas and walking back to the hotel via rural villages.

  • Ms C Welch
    Chippenham
    19 August 2018

    We did some beautiful walks on this holiday. Highlights were the Rio Dobra walk; the high meadows walk; our day on Vega Beach and the excellent food at Posada del Valle which was outstanding.  We loved the proximity of the mountains to the sea - a real contrast. 

    Tips:

    Some of the walks provided by Nigel are a little light on detail and therefore having a map is important if they choose to do one of those.

    The area is very weather dependent e.g. high up can be shrouded in mist so be prepared to change plans at short notice. 

    The Rio Dobra walk definitely needs walking shoes and also 'beach shoes' for the swimming pool at the end.

    The Museo des Belle Artes in Oviedo is closed Sunday afternoons and all day Monday so pick carefully which dates to stay there.

     
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • If your holiday plans go awry because of Coronavirus, rest assured that we’ll do right by you. Since the start of the pandemic, our flexible booking policy and prompt issuing of refunds to customers who prefer not to defer their holiday have earned us high praise in the national press.
  • We sincerely hope that your holiday experience will be as enjoyable as it would have been before the pandemic – walking holidays are ideal in these times of social distancing, and we’re not operating holidays if the key highlights can no longer be delivered – but, naturally, there will be some changes to ensure your and other people’s safety, not least taking tests before and after your holiday for many destinations.
    Your holiday experience: what to expect >
    Safety measures being taken by hoteliers & others >
    Entry requirements for non-UK destinations & for re-entering the UK >
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • Yes, prior to going on holiday you will be able to download GPX tracks so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you use them – our detailed, step-by-step route notes remain the principal means of guiding you from A to B – but we provide them as a secondary means of navigation for additional reassurance when walking.
  • We can book a wide range of routes from the UK with a variety of airlines (but not, currently, with Ryanair). As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe, there’s a £35 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £60 per person. More information on flights >
  • Absolutely! We are experts in tailored rail travel. Making use of sleeper trains or stopovers in cities along the route, we can get you from London to virtually anywhere in mainland Europe. We can even make arrangements to Mallorca, Sicily and Norway with a combination of ferries and rail. Please contact Abi and Lizzie to discuss your plans.
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to take out our recommended travel insurance policy (if you live outside the UK you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    We'll ask you for the details of your policy (insurer, policy number and medical emergency phone number) so that we can help out if the worst happens while you are on holiday. It's up to you, though, to check that your policy covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs; we don't check alternative policies.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Spain, but not a visa. If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • (Castilian) Spanish is one of several official languages; in Catalonia, for example, Catalan has equal status. The currency is the Euro. Spanish time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.

    At Inntravel we work in close partnership with our hoteliers, taxi drivers and other local suppliers to provide our self-guided holidays directly to you. We are entirely confident that you will continue to receive the usual warm welcome from them, regardless of what is happening in the European political sphere.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
  • You are the best judge of your child’s/children’s capabilities. We are happy to take bookings for families of older children/teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved. Please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.
Last fetch time is : 7/25/2021 11:05:09 AM