Route along the coast of Asturias and Galicia 2025

We start the trip in Gijón, historical, commercial, industrial, where the sea, the gentle mountains and the city combine, making it one of the most attractive cities in the north of Spain. Its mild climate invites you to enjoy it all year round. The beach of San Lorenzo, the promenade, the marina, its Black Week, its social life and its festive atmosphere invite you to get to know the city. You have to walk through the fishing district of Cimadevilla and climb the hill of Santa Catalina, where you will see Chillida's sculpture "In Praise of the Horizon", and from where the Cantabrian coast offers a beautiful panoramic view. Among its many attractions, Gijón has a network of museums and a multiform cultural offer: International Film Festival, Ibero-American Book Fair, Railway Museum, International Bagpipe Museum, Jovellanos Birthplace, Nicanor Piñole Museum, Revillagigedo Palace, the Laboral City of Culture... And if you haven't yet succumbed to its charms, it's time to try a hearty fabada or other Asturian delicacies such as cachopo, washed down with some "culines" of Asturian cider poured in the traditional way, or its unbeatable rice pudding. On the way to Galicia, Avilés is well worth a stop to visit the Niemeyer Museum and typical fishing villages such as Candás, Luanco and Cudillero. Pay attention to the majestic mansions of Indianos that appear dotted throughout the territory!

Following the coast along the Jacobean route of the Camino del Note, we arrive at Ribadeo, a fishing town in Lugo, on the border between Galicia and Asturias. At the end of the route, the Parador Ribade, a Galician mansion at the mouth of the River Eo, gives us the necessary rest to get to know places of great beauty and various beaches, highlighting among them the Playa de las Catedrales, one of the most spectacular in the world for its set of cliffs more than 32 meters high that, sculpted by the wind and the sea, they form arches and vaults, declared a Natural Monument, and the Ría de Ribadeo, included in the Biosphere Reserve of the Eo River, Oscos and Tierras de Burón, a natural cove of great ecological and environmental importance, and also the scene of all kinds of nautical and sports activities. It is also advisable to visit the Fort of San Damián, Puente Do Santos or the nearby town of Castropol. Here you can delight your palate with the great creations and products of the north with typical dishes of traditional Galician cuisine such as seafood, empanada, ham, brothy rice with Cantabrian lobster, hake from Puerto Celeiro or its delicious suckling beef tenderloin with cheese sauce from Cebreiro.

Without leaving the coast, we reach Ferrol, one of the most unknown corners of Galicia. A seafaring, naval and military city, in its emblematic neighbourhood of La Magdalena, the nerve centre, we will find the town hall and other important modernist buildings, and where the Parador awaits you, a stately mansion with a seafaring air. The hotel is a typical Galician mansion with white glazed galleries, surrounded by a beautiful maritime environment. A good plan is to take a walk through the old fishing district, next to the marina, and stop to eat some tapas or take a tourist boat ride along the estuary. If you like naval history, the Castle of San Felipe, the Fortresses and especially, the Arsenal. Built in the eighteenth century under the auspices of the Enlightenment, it is a complex of hydraulic works and buildings unique in Europe, including the Naval Museum, a must-see and very entertaining. A tour of the streets of the Canido neighbourhood, converted into an international centre for street art thanks to the initiative of painting meninas on the facades of the buildings, is recommended, with a festival that has been held since 2008 on the first weekend of September. Just over twenty minutes away by car, in the municipality of Mugardos, you can visit another beautiful military fortress on the Ferrol estuary, the Castle of La Palma. Take the opportunity to taste its famous and peculiar octopus a la mugardesa. The region is also rich in natural elements, with numerous beaches open to the Atlantic Ocean, spectacular capes and natural viewpoints, and natural parks such as Fragas do Eume. Other nearby villages worth a visit are Cedeira, Ortigueira and Cariño to the north, and Pontedeume and Betanzos to the south. A must-see is also the city of A Coruña.

Heading for the Atlantic coast, Baiona awaits us. Of Roman origin, in 1493 the caravel La Pinta arrived at its port, becoming the first town in Europe to have news of the discovery of America. An event that has given rise to a massive period party that is held annually at the beginning of March. In this beautiful coastal town south of the Rías Baixas there is much to visit such as the Church of Santa María, the iconic fortress of Monterreal where the Parador is located, the Trinidad crossing, a splendid old town, its pazos and emblazoned mansions or its promenade with a marina of great relevance. The surroundings of the town also offer numerous places of great beauty where you can enjoy dreamy sunsets such as the Monte de A Groba, from which the Rías Baixas look like a sober and colourful watercolour, Cape Sillero or the nearby Cíes Islands, which invite you to visit its cliffs, beaches and dunes. its seabed and its virgin roads. And assuming that at this point in the trip you have not yet succumbed to the charms of crustaceans, bivalves and cephalopods, it is time to have a good seafood paired with one of the best whites in the world. And if you are looking for atmosphere on summer nights this is an ideal destination, here you can enjoy terraces facing the sea and many busy nightclubs.

After touring the charming fishing villages of northern Spain, this journey comes to an end, but the memories of its breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and exquisite gastronomy will live on. From the cliffs of Playa de las Catedrales to the unparalleled views of the Cíes Islands, each destination has offered a unique experience, full of tradition and beauty.

We hope that this route has been an unforgettable immersion in the essence of the Cantabrian Sea and the Atlantic coast, leaving you wanting to return and continue exploring its hidden treasures. Until the next adventure!