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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.
 
Gallery
 

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; ascent/descent 200m
    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; ascent/descent 200m
    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; ascent/descent 150m
    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; ascent/descent 815m
    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; ascent/descent 280m
    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; ascent/descent 376m
    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; ascent 430m/descent 490m
    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; ascent 20m/descent 550m
    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; ascent 400m/descent 600m
    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; ascent/descent 800m
    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; ascent 700m/descent 1000m
    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

 

2024

We are currently unable to take bookings for this holiday for 2024. There are, however, many other holidays to choose from, so why not browse our site some more?
 
Prices & travel options
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  • 7 nights: 01 April 2023 - 31 October 2023

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

    Starting Price Single room
    1 - 15 Apr 2023 £775 £255
    16 Apr - 10 May 2023 £750 £235
    11 - 21 May 2023 £775 £255
    22 May - 30 Jun 2023 £805 £275
    1 Jul - 23 Aug 2023 £875 £290
    24 Aug - 14 Sep 2023 £850 £290
    15 - 30 Sep 2023 £805 £275
    1 - 24 Oct 2023 £750 £235
    3rd & 4th person discount -£65
    Single traveller supplement £65

    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 2023 £12

    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 2023 £78 £108
    16 May - 30 Jun 2023 £84 £118
    01 Jul - 23 Aug 2023 £92 £130
    24 Aug - 30 Sep 2023 £84 £118
    01 Oct - 31 Oct 2023 £78 £108
  • 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 - Bilbao (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Edinburgh - Bilbao (via Barcelona) Vueling 
    Edinburgh - Santander Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Bilbao (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Asturias (Oviedo) Vueling 
    Gatwick - Asturias (Oviedo) (via Barcelona) Iberia 
    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 Barcelona) Vueling 
    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 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Bilbao (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    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. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service. 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 9 reviews
  • Barry & Joan
    02 October 2023

    This was the first time we had booked a guided walking tour and specifically looked for a one-base holiday so that we could decide what to do each day. We were very impressed with the level of information, the maps that we were provided with and the variety of walks offered. The hotel was excellent, with very attentive owners and staff and with fantiastic views of the Picos. The food was so good that, instead of venturing out to other restaurants, we ate an evening meal on two other nights in addition to the two evening meals included in the price.

  • Dr N Kay
    Northampton
    12 July 2023

    Excellent dinners at Posada de Vallee

  • Mr D Druitt
    Colchester
    25 April 2023

    HIGHLIGHTS & TIPS: 2 restaurants in Seville - Yebra Tapas Bar & El Disparate. Both are a good 20+ minute walk from the hotel. The Mezquita in Cordoba was breathtaking and we appreciated the recommendation of visiting first thing in the morning. Allow a whole day for the visit to the Alhambra in Granada. Avoid Bank Holidays if visiting Granada as the city was very busy and restaurants were full even when trying to pre-book.

    Stunning views from the Dining room of the Posada del Valle.

    INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our jounrey by rail A Trail of Three Cities with our walk The Rugged Hills & Coast of Asturias

  • Mr C Bell
    Chulmleigh
    08 June 2022

    My first experience with Inntravel and I would not hesitate to recommend this company's offering. Their service at all levels is exemplary.

  • Dr D Moore
    Reading
    04 June 2022

    Many highlights. The simple ones included the everchanging view from our room, the walks from the hotel, the little cafe in underrated Arriondas with delicious almond cakes. The first view of the church in its spectacular location in Covadonga and the subsequent bus drive up to the lakes, marvelling at the views and the skill of the driver. The food at the hotel was excellent as were the hosts and staff.

  • Mr R Kennedy
    London
    01 June 2022

    We've been travelling with Inntravel for over 15 years now, about 10 holidays all in all, and I have to say that this one had some of the most stunning scenery we have ever seen. As others have said perhaps not the place to go to if you're after guaranteed sunshine but if you don't mind the risk of the odd shower or thunderstorm you are rewarded with simply stunning vistas (particularly when the skies do clear!).  We loved the Ponga walk where we saw not a soul, Lake Covadonga walks where despite a steady run of tourist buses you are still on your own for long stretches of the walk, the beach walk from Niembro with lovely meadows and coves and coastal views - but most of all the Asturian Village Trail.  Perhaps because that was our sunniest day the views were even more consistently impressive than on all the others, but walking through rolling green hills of farmland and stream valleys with vast vistas all the way to the snow capped Picos was fabulous.  

    The food served in the hotel was consistently excellent and Annalise and Ernesto were lovely hosts- we didn't visit the Michellin starred restaurants nearby but did take the scenic route into Arriondas a few nights just to try the local bars and tapas for a change.  There's a nice little buzz in a pedestrianised section of a few bars of an evening.  Oh and the cocktails on offer at the hotel weren't half bad either - our favourite was the one with Asturian anis!

  • Anon
    15 May 2022

    The landscape was a continuous delight to us - fields, woods, farming activity, mountain views. The highlight was the variety and exuberance of the flowers in meadows and hedgerows.

  • Mr S Cotton
    High Wycombe
    02 May 2022

    The food at the hotel was outstanding, the best we have eaten on holiday anywhere (over a sustained period - we ate there every night.) The owners were so helpful with everything.

  • Margaret and Stephen, Cambridge
    26 August 2021

    The Rugged Hills and Coast of Asturias with the Cudillero add-on [tailored arrangements] made for a perfect holiday. Taking the ferry and our own car to Santander made everything very easy and involved relatively little driving on straightforward roads. It also meant that we could enjoy a stroll and breakfast beside the sea on our arrival. 
 

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.
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from A to B, 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. 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. The fee for this service is £35 per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). 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 us 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 incur a five or six-figure bill.

    Many insurers offer travel insurance (you can find details on our insurance page of a policy that you may like to consider if you are a UK resident), 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.

    When you purchase a policy, be sure to check that it covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs.
  • 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 (please note, however, that a new travel authorisation system is being introduced). 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; Catalan, Basque and Gallego have equal status in Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia, respectively. 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.
  • 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.
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