Oviedo

The capital of Asturias in Green Spain, with World Heritage pre-Romanesque churches and streets lined with cider houses, and the Gijón seafront and the colourful fishing village of Cudillero within easy reach.

Oviedo (Uviéu in Asturian) is the capital of the autonomous community of Asturias in northern Spain. It lies on the northern slopes of the Cantabrian Mountains, about 25 km from the Bay of Biscay, and was the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias in the 8th–10th centuries. The old town is compact: the cathedral, Plaza de Fontán, the Museum of Fine Arts and Calle Gascona, the "cider boulevard", are all an easy walk apart, while two 9th-century pre-Romanesque churches on Monte Naranco just north of the city, along with San Julián de los Prados in town, are World Heritage sites. From Oviedo you can take three day trips: north to Gijón's old town and beaches, the arcaded old town of Avilés and the Niemeyer Center; west to the colourful fishing village of Cudillero and Playa del Silencio; and east to the church of Valdediós, the fishing villages of Tazones and Lastres, and the Jurassic Museum. To the south you can visit the church of Santa Cristina de Lena and cycle the Senda del Oso. The climate is mild, rainy and oceanic: Jun–Sep is cool and peak season for Spaniards escaping the heat, while winters are rainy but not cold — always carry rain gear. Getting there: the high-speed train from Madrid takes about 3.5 hours, and Asturias Airport is about 45 km north of the city; ALSA intercity buses and trains are convenient, but a car is recommended for coastal villages. Plan on 3–4 days. Must-try foods include cider, fabada (bean stew) and Cabrales cheese.

Top sights

• Oviedo Cathedral – A Gothic cathedral housing the 9th-century Holy Chamber and the Angel Cross. It is the starting point of the Northern Way (Camino del Norte…
• Santa María del Naranco – A hill palace built in 842 for King Ramiro I, later converted into a church. It is a masterpiece of European pre-Romanesque architecture an…
• San Miguel de Lillo – A 9th-century royal church on Naranco hill, of which only the western half survives. Its doorway pillars carry reliefs of acrobats and lion…
• Calle Gascona (Bulevar de la Sidra) – A pedestrian street lined with cider houses. Watching waiters raise cider bottles high to pour is a must-do experience in Oviedo.
• Cudillero – A colourful fishing village stacked up a hillside, regarded as the most beautiful small town in Asturias, with seafood restaurants around i…
• San Julián de los Prados (Santullano) – A 9th-century church built under Alfonso II. It is the largest surviving pre-Romanesque church in Western Europe, and its interior murals a…
• Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias – A free regional art museum with works by El Greco, including his Apostles series, as well as Goya, Zurbarán and other masters.
• Archaeological Museum of Asturias – An archaeology museum housed in the former San Vicente monastery, rich in pre-Romanesque stone carvings and artifacts from ancient Celtic h…
• Plaza del Fontán – A colorful 17th-century plaza with arcades, next to the Fontán covered market, where you can buy cheese, sausage and cider.
• Plaza de la Constitución – The central square of the old town. The 17th-century town hall faces the Church of San Isidoro, and it is a hub for strolling through the o…
• Campo de San Francisco – A large park in the city center with tree-lined avenues, peacocks and squirrels. It sits beside Calle Uría, the main shopping street.
• Monte Naranco – Sagrado Corazón – A viewpoint at the hilltop north of Oviedo, with a giant Sacred Heart statue overlooking the whole city and the distant Cantabrian Mountain…
• Teatro Campoamor – An opera house completed in 1892. Every October, the Princess of Asturias Awards ceremony is held here.
• Fuente de Foncalada – A public fountain house from the early Middle Ages, built under Alfonso III. It is a rare example of this type of civic building in Europe…
• Santa Cristina de Lena – A 9th-century chapel on a hilltop in the Lena Valley and a World Heritage Site. Its interior altar screen is finely carved, and the valley…
• San Salvador de Valdediós – A small pre-Romanesque church in an apple orchard valley, completed in 893. Beside it stands a 13th-century Cistercian monastery.
• Cimadevilla, Gijón – A fishermen's old quarter on the Gijón peninsula, with narrow lanes and cider houses, topped by the Santa Catalina Hill park at its tip.
• San Lorenzo Beach, Gijón – A crescent-shaped city beach about 1.5 km from downtown, where the seafront promenade is the local daily stroll.
• Elogio del Horizonte – A giant concrete sculpture on Santa Catalina Hill in Gijón; standing inside, you can hear the sea wind roar. A city landmark.
• Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura – One of the largest single buildings in Spain. Guided tours take you inside and up a 130-metre tower for views over Gijón.
• Atlantic Botanical Garden – A garden of about 25 hectares showcasing plants from both sides of the Atlantic and the rural landscape of Asturias.
• Avilés Old Town – A well-preserved medieval port town, where the arcades of Calle Galiana run for hundreds of metres. Ideal for a half-day stroll.
• Centro Niemeyer – Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer's only major work in Europe, with a white dome and curving tower rising at the river mouth.
• Playa del Silencio – A pebble cove surrounded by high cliffs, with sea stacks rising from the water. One of the most photogenic beaches on the Asturian coast.
• Lastres – A whitewashed village with red-tiled roofs built into a clifftop, one of Spain's 'most beautiful villages', with views toward the Picos de…
• Jurassic Museum of Asturias (MUJA) – A Jurassic museum housed in a building shaped like a dinosaur footprint. The heart of Asturias's 'Dinosaur Coast', ideal for families.
• Tazones – A colourful little fishing harbour where Charles V first set foot in Spain in 1517, famous for its many seafood restaurants.
• Cabo de Peñas – The northernmost point of the Asturian coast, where 100-metre cliffs and a lighthouse overlook the Cantabrian Sea, with boardwalk viewpoint…
• Senda del Oso – A river-valley greenway converted from an abandoned mining railway, for cycling and hiking, with a brown bear sanctuary along the way.

Where to eat

• Casa Fermín – A renowned Oviedo establishment founded in 1924, featured in the Michelin Guide and famous for its traditional cuisine…
• Sidrería La Manzana – An award-winning cachopo destination on Gascona Street, whose three-cheese cachopo won a national championship.
• Gloria – A casual restaurant by the Manzano siblings, serving dishes inspired by Casa Marcial in smaller portions perfect for sh…
• Ca'Suso – A bistro run by brothers near the Cathedral, featured in the Michelin Guide, serving modern Asturian cuisine in a relax…
• Tierra Astur (Gascona) – The original location of a local cider house chain, situated on the upper section of Gascona Street, famous for its che…
• Casa Pachu – An old-school tavern just off the Cider Boulevard, drawing local regulars with its Spanish omelet, canned delicacies, a…

Itineraries

• Green Spain Coast-to-Coast Road Trip – Drive west from San Sebastián along the Bay of Biscay to Santiago de Compostela, connecting the coasts and mountains of…