The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community located in the north of the Kingdom of Spain. It consists of a single province – Asturias
and is bordered on the east by Cantabria, on the south by Castilla y León, on the west by Galicia and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.
The most important cities are the provincial capital, Oviedo, the seaport and largest city Gijón, and the industrial town of Avilés. Other towns
include Mieres, Siero, Cangas de Onís, Cangas del Narcea, Grado, Lena, Laviana, El Entrego, Villaviciosa and Llanes.
Asturias is distinguished by high mountain ranges which extend for over 200 kilometres, where you find some  outstanding nature reserves such as
Picos de Europa and the national parks of Covadonga and Somiedo. The mountains offer great opportunities for activities such as climbing, walking,
skiing and caving whilst the rest of the region is well known for its green landscapes. Where else could you find high mountain peaks a few miles
from the coast with great beaches and colourful fishing villages?
The Asturian coastline is as extensive as it is spectacular, with hundreds of beaches, coves and natural sea caves. Examples worth a mention
include the Playa del Silencio (Beach of Silence) near the fishing village of Cudillero, as well as the many beaches surrounding the summer resort
of Llanes, such as the Barro, Ballota and Torimbia (which is predominantly a nudist beach). Most of Asturias' beaches are sandy, clean and bordered
by steep cliffs, on top of which it is not unusual to see grazing livestock.
The region is one of the wettest in the peninsula with annual rainfall varying between 1m and 1.5m with one of the wettest areas being Degaña,
which receives an average of 2.13m. Temperatures in Oviedo are a yearly average of 13ºC, with the coast enjoying mild summers and winters, while
in contrast; the mountain areas have harsh and bitterly cold winter periods. Somiedo, for example, has an average of 15ºC in July and just 3ºC in
January. The Somiedo region and the Picos receive plentiful snowfalls between November and February.
Food and Drink
Asturias is especially known for both its seafood and its most famous regional dish Fabada Asturiana, a rich stew made with large white beans,
shoulder of pork, black sausage, spicy sausage and saffron.
 Apple groves are prominent in the region which enable the production of the traditional alcoholic drink, a natural cider which is served in a
peculiar way; El Escanciado., This method involves the bottle being held above the head allowing for a long vertical pour and, since it is
natural and bottled without gas, the cider is aerated as it splashes into the glass below. This gives it a pleasant "zingy" taste. The same
glass is passed around and everyone drinks from it, after which it is customary to splash a little out onto the ground as a way of cleaning the
glass for the next person.
Asturian cheeses, especially Cabrales, are also famous throughout Spain and beyond; Asturias is often called "the land of cheeses" due to the
product's diversity and quality in this region.
Tourist Attractions
Major attractions are the Way of Santiago and its monuments and the Ruta de la Plata, "silver route", which both pass through Asturias.
Music
Regional Anthem - The Asturian regional anthem ‘Asturias, patria querida’ (Asturias, my dear motherland) was adopted as the region's anthem
and popular myth states that this song is sung by drunken people all over Spain; in reality, however, this is not really true. The notion was
first introduced during the time of the Spanish Civil War by Francisco Francos’ side to discredit Asturias.
Major Attractions
Oviedo, the region’s capital: a clean and cosmopolitan city with a diverse architecture. Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo,
a pre-Roman church and a pre-Roman castle respectively, were built by the first Asturian Kings on Mount Naranco, to the north of the city.
The Picos de Europa National park and other parts of the Asturian mountain range: The most famous mountain in the park is the Picu Urriellu,
also known as El Naranjo de Bulnes, a molar-shaped peak which glows orange in the evening sun, hence its name. On a good day, it can be seen
clearly from Camarmeña village, near Poncebos, south of Arenas de Cabrales.
The shrine to the Virgin Mary of Covadonga and the mountain lakes near Cangas de Onís: Legend has it that in the 8th century, the Virgin
blessed Asturian Christian forces with a well-timed signal to attack Spain's Moorish conquerors, thereby taking the invaders by surprise. The
Reconquista and eventual unification of all Spain is therefore said to have started in this very place.
The Asturian coast: especially the beaches in and around the summer resort of Llanes, and the Playa del Silencio near Cudillero fishing
village.
Other Places of Interest
- Ceceda village: Of particular interest are the traditional horreo grain silos, raised on stilts so as to keep field mice from getting at the grain.
- The Dobra River: famous for its unusual colour and natural beauty
- The ‘senda costera’ (coastal way) between Pendueles and Llanes: This partly-paved nature route takes in some of Asturias' most spectacular coastal scenery, such as the noisy bufones (large water spouts created naturally by the erosion of the sea) and the
Playa de Ballota.
- The unusual rock formation on the beach at Buelna village which are best viewed at low tide.
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