Aloha Asturias

Back in September we took a long weekend to Asturias, the northern most county in Spain and based ourselves in Gijon using Airbnb. This was by far the cheapest option as the hotels were at least double.

Packed into the four days, we also visited Oviedo, Cangas de Onis and Ribadesella. Transport links are excellent and very good value for money so there is really no need to hire a car.

Gijon is a small seaside town full of little boutique shops and breathtaking views out from the beachfront. The pace of life is very slow and you will definitely feel relaxed.

Gijon square

Another angle of Gijon square

The Gijon beach with great views

What you will notice is the siesta time where the whole town will shut down for a couple of hours in the afternoon and re-open in the evening apart from a couple of bars and/or restaurants. So you will need to plan shopping around this. 

The next day we went to Oviedo which is just like any other major city. It has the usual array of shops and layout. Altogether, it was nothing spectacular apart from the architecture and the Cathedral.

Oviedo architecture

Streets of Oviedo

Oviedo Cathedral

Day three we went to Ribadesella which is a small town on the Asturas shoreline and it's a very pretty town indeed. It's very nice to take a leisurely walk through and take in the sights. We also visited a cave however, we were not allowed to take photographs so we can't show you them on here. Shame really. 

There's plenty of places to eat but don't go for this one!

This restaurant, Casa Gaspar, offers sub standard greasy food and to top it off, we had a very stroppy waitor who clearly wanted us to leave as we were approaching siesta time.

Coloured stairs found in Ribadesella

The sleepy town of Ribadesella

For the last day, we went to the Asturias National Park. Be advised, set off in good time as it takes three hours to get there from Gijon but it's worth it just for the views alone. We took a gentle walk clicking pictures along the way. 

Views from our walk

A lake in the valleys offered a welcome break

For a cheap, relaxing break I would recommend going to Asturias. The Spanish are very welcoming and will speak English to you if you get stuck although it is always nice to try speaking Spanish and making an effort. In terms of finance, you don't need to take a lot as everything is fairly cheap and the food is great (apart from that one in Ribadesella). What Asturias does pride itself on is their Cider which is unsweetened and slightly flat. We did try it and it is very strong but the flavour is quite bitter.