Ready to discover Asturias, Spain? This 5 day Spanish road trip around Asturias will take you from mountain towns, alpine lakes and wildlife to pretty coastal cities and Asturian beaches. It’s definitely one of the best road trips in Spain, and best of all? It’s not overrun by tourists….yet!
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Guest Post By Kevin
Northern Spain Road Trip - Asturias
Let’s see the full details of one of the best road trips in Spain:
Day 1 - Lagos de Covadonga
We’ll start the first day by visiting Picos de Europa, the first National Park in Spain, created back in 1918.
To reach the Picos de Europa, you can either fly to the Bilbao Airport (this is what I did), or the León airport. There both almost the same distance to where you’ll drive, so pick whichever one is cheapest to fly to.
Once you get to the airport, pick up your rental car or campervan/motorhome and drive away to this wild part of Spain!
The National Park today is huge, but back in the days it was only a small area, around the Lagos de Covadonga. The Covadonga lakes are the heart of Picos de Europa, and it’s the perfect start to our road trip.
Sanctuary of Covadonga
On the road to the lakes, stop in Covadonga where you’ll get to see an epic basilica, and a sanctuary with a chapel built inside a cave, above a lake.
Mirador de Los Canónigos
When you take the window road going uphill to the lake, stop at the first turn where you’ll find the mirador de los Canónigos: a nice viewpoint with an unobstructed view over the Basílica de Santa María la Real de Covadonga.
Mirador de la Reina
After a few more turns on the hairpin road, and right before reaching the lake, stop at the mirador de la Reina. I spent a long time there, just watching the fog roll in the valley below; truly unreal!
Lagos de Covadonga
And finally, you’ll reach the lakes! The Lagos de Covadonga are 2 alpine lakes, surrounded by mountains, and with plenty of wild animals around: sheep, goats, horses and even wolves!
Take the time to discover the area, and go on a hike around the lakes; when the sun goes down, climb to the mirador de Entrelagos for the best view over the lakes.
Book a Campervan for Your Spanish Road Trip HERE
Check out the availability and prices of campervans or motorhomes in SPAIN –HERE!
Day 2 - Ruta del Cares and Fuente Dé
The second day of these Asturias holidays is still in Picos de Europa, but we’ll discover a different part of the park.
Bulnes
Start the day by driving to Poncebos, a small mountain village in the park. From there, you will find 2 amazing hikes for the morning.
The first one goes to the secluded mountain village of Bulnes. You can either do the full hike which takes around 3h; or you can take the funicular that will get you directly up the mountain, chill a bit at the top then hike back down.
Ruta del Cares
The other hike from Poncebos is the Ruta del Cares, one of the best hikes in Spain. Be warned, it’s a long hike that takes around 8h-return, so you could go for it but it will take you the full day.
If you want to do other things that day, simply start the hike and do the first leg of it: stop at the top after the first climb. There you’ll have great views over the valley, and you’ll probably get to meet some friendly locals (I’m talking about goats). Return to your car and you’ll be on your way to the next part of the road trip!
Fuente Dé
Fuente Dé is technically not in Asturias, as it belongs to the Cantabria province. However it’s still in Picos de Europa, and it’s a great stop.
The main attraction there is a cable car, climbing 753 meters (2,470 feet)to the top of the mountain. Park your car in the huge parking lot, take your ticket for the lift, grab a bite while waiting for your number to come up, then board the cable car and get lifted up top!
From the top of the mountain you’ll be greeted with a jaw-dropping view, from the El Mirador del Cable, an epic viewpoint.
You can then either take the lift back then, or hike down on the Ruta Puertos de Aliva.
Book a Car for Your Asturias Road Trip HERE
Check out the availability and prices of cars hire in Spain – HERE!
Day 3 - Somiedo Natural Park
Let’s continue this Spain road trip and leave Picos de Europa for another part of Asturias: Somiedo Natural Park.
One of the best part of exploring Somiedo is actually driving there, on the winding roads that lead to the heart of the park. Once you get to the park, there are plenty of things to do there.
Lago del Valle
One of the most beautiful alpine lakes I’ve seen, you can reach it by hiking for around 1h30 from the Valle de Lago village.
Lagos de Saliencia
Another great thing to see in the area is the Lagos de Saliencia. You thought seeing 2 alpine lakes in Lagos de Covadonga was great? Wait until you see the 3 lakes there!
Drive to the Alto de la Farrapona car park, and then you can go on a short hike around the lakes.
Simply enjoy being in the outdoors in Somiedo, as there are many other things to do, like riding horses through the valley, or going on a wild animal hunt! Wild animal you say? Yep. You can spot wolves and even bears in Somiedo!
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– 5 Day Road Trip Tour of NORWAY incl. the Fjords
– SPAIN: Road Trip – 5 Days in Asturias
– UK Road Trip Tips
OCEANIA:
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– Comparing the Best Motorhome & Campervan Hire – NEW ZEALAND
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SOUTH AMERICA:
– Why You Should Motorhome CHILE – A Unique Way to see Chile
Day 4 - Playa del Silencio and Cabo Vidio
Ready for day 4? We’ll leave the mountains and head to the Asturian beaches!
Playa del Silencio
This will be your first taste of the Costa Verde (green coast), the coastal part of Asturias. The Playa del Silencio is sure to take your breath away when you see it.
Drive to to the beach, park your car in the small dirt road, then walk the few meters to the edge of the cliff to see the beach below: a huge crescent beach, the perfect place to chill and enjoy the peace & quiet of the area.
Cabo Vidío
Cabo Vidío is the second spot we’ll visit on that day; a rugged coastline, with epic vistas and a lighthouse. Probably one of my favorite spot for lunch, grab some takeaway food then sit on the bench facing the cliff to enjoy a lunch with a view!
Spend the rest of the day driving along the coast, there are tons of beautiful things to see in the area, including the Mirador del Sablón, the Playa de Vallina, and the Playa de Oleiros.
Book a Campervan or Car for SPAIN HERE
Day 5 - Ribadesella and Llanes
And finally, the last day of our Northern Spain road trip.
For the last day in Asturias, we’ll discover the coastal cities of the Costa Verde.
Ribadesella
Ribadesella is probably one of the most epic coastal cities in Asturias, if not all of Spain. Yes, I said it.
This little town is built on the estuary of the Sella river, and the long sand beach of Playa de Santa Marina is the perfect place to relax (or surf, there are great waves there!).
If you want to visit a bit, walk in the meandering streets of the town and make sure to try some of the local food!
My favorite viewpoint in town is the Ermita de la Virgen de Guía, a small church on top of a cliff, with a crazy view over the beach below.
Llanes
Llanes is another great coastal city, also known for its rugged coastline. There are plenty of things to discover in the city, especially the medieval part: Chapel of Magadalena, Chapel of Sainte Anna, Palace of the Duke of Estrada and Palacio de Gaztañaga.
But most of all Llanes is great for the gorgeous beaches, scattered all around the town.
LAST CHANCE to Book a Car for SPAIN HERE
So there you have it, your 5 days Asturias Road Trip! I hope this travel guide helped you plan your upcoming trip, and that you’ll have a wonderful time in Asturias, Spain.