Cantabria and Asturias Travel Guide

When you arrive in the northern Spanish regions of Cantabria and Asturias, you’ll be forgiven for thinking you somehow made a wrong turn and ended up in Ireland. Not only are the people more Celtic than Roman, the green lowlands and recurrent mist give even the landscape a Hibernian feel.

But make no mistake: This is Spain. As the area where the Reconquest of Iberia began, it could be argued that it is the very cradle of modern Spain. Cantabria and Asturias are also the core of “green Spain,” flanked on the west by Galicia and the east by Basque Country. The high mountains of the Cordillero Cantábrico capture the moisture rolling off the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean, dumping it on the green fields and mountain forests of both regions.

Some of the earliest evidence of human habitation in Europe (as long ago as 140,000 years ago) has been found in the limestone caves of this region. When the Romans arrived, they found thriving Celtic communities on the coast, and when the Moors came riding in, they were fiercely resisted by local Visigothic warlords.

For centuries, as the Moors dominated lands farther south, many Christians took refuge on this northern strip, protected by mountains. By tradition, the Christian Reconquista began here with the c.e. 722 Battle of Covadonga, led by the warrior Pelayo, later crowned king of Asturias. A great deal of religious architecture remains in the region, including a handful of country churches in an intriguingly transitional style between Gothic and Romanesque.

This regions of Cantabria and Asturias are best seen by car, as connections between the coastal communities are not always convenient, and public transport in the interior is inadequate or nonexistent. Santander, a rail terminus and the regional capital, makes the best center for touring Cantabria; it also has the most tourist facilities. From Santander, a 3–hour drive will get you nearly anywhere in Cantabria. To explore Asturias, the best base is its capital, Oviedo.

The most attractive portion of the Cordillera is the scenic and topographic summit known as the Picos de Europa (see photo above), located mostly in Asturias but creeping over the border into Cantabria. In 1918 the region was made Spain’s first national natural park.

The coastline of Asturias constitutes one of the major sightseeing attractions in northern Spain. Called the Costa Verde, it begins in the east at San Vicente de la Barquera and stretches almost 145km (90 miles) to Gijón. Allow about 6 hours to drive it without stops. The western coast, beginning at Gijón, goes all the way to Ribadeo, a border town with Galicia -- a distance of 180km (112 miles). This rocky coastline, studded with fishing villages and containing narrow estuaries and small beaches, is one of the most spectacular stretches of scenery in Spain. It takes all day to explore.