Hotel Posada del Valle: The Asturian Coast line

Whatever way you look at it, it is beautiful. There are sandy beaches, rocky coves, gusty headlands and sheltered harbours. One of my favourite estuaries is the river Niembro in Barro, there is a beautiful church and cemetery hugging the river, something you see in paintings and wonder where it can be…
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The church at the Niembro river estuary

On from the village there is a lovely coastal path leading you to the beach of Torimbia, a golden shell of sand with gentle waves, I love it in the winter when you can be alone with the seagulls and your footprints in the sand.

Torimbia beach

There are many paths along the coastline some better than others, but most have magnificent views, from above Torimbia you can see the Picos de Europa snow topped mountains, it is wonderful to look 360 degrees and take in the sea , the headlands and the mountains, turn again it is real. Walking on from here you reach the river Bedon, and then on to a pebbly beach, San Antolin, here in the mouth of the river lie the remains of an old monastery with its hidden history. There is a tale of a rich nobleman in the 11th century who killed a young couple in anger, because he was in love with the damsel. Later he regretted this and built the monastery, then spent the rest of his life as monk. The monastery became abandoned in the 17th century for unknown reasons.

Rugged headlands

Walking on along the headlands and across fields, sometimes a little prickly with yellow gorse, you stumble across Gulpiyuri an inland treasure, a unique inland beach, it has beach and sea surrounded by rocks, grass and shrubs, with the sea entering through a hidden tunnel, it is a very strange feeling to sit there and not see the big open sea.

The inland beach of Gulpiyuri

Continuing along the rugged cliff tops you reach Playa La Huegla an inlet with a magnificent rocky arch as though protecting this little bay. The first time I saw this I paddled across the river to the beach on the other side walked around the corner as the arch came in sight I let out a Whew! Nature in all its splendor. We go to see manmade buildings and gaze and marvel but this must be truly marvelous too…

Joe at Playa La Huelga

Another favourite beach is Cuevas de Mar, I think the name says everything, but this is my starting point, I wander over the headland which on a stormy day can have some incredible blow holes, the rush of the sea below, the whistling of the air and the drawing in of the sea only to be released a minute later with an enormous spray of water, many times we are surprised by the force of the air and get a surprise soaking. Up ahead is the small Ermita (chapel)of San Antonio, where lies the remains of the family of Conde de la Vega del Sella, a lovely place to rest, occasionally with goats grazing nearby.

Blow holes!

The coast has many variations from cliff top walking to beautiful green meadows that seem to stretch out its hands to the sea, I love to see the cows slowly plodding along or ruminating on a feast of wild flowers and pasture with the seagulls flying overhead. There are 483 kms of coastline in Asturias from East to West, so there is a lot to discover from fishing ports, to Lighthouses standing as giants to warn the sailors of the nearby coast, not forgetting the dinosaur footprints which hold many a tale of adventure, and perhaps a little imagination.