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Souvenirs, the Ribadesella Edition

Souvenirs, the Ribadesella Edition

Highlights from a two-week family vacation in Asturias

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Sep 01, 2024
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Souvenirs, the Ribadesella Edition
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Villa Rosario; Ribadesella, as seen from the Ermita de La Guía lookout

Hello from Ribadesella! We’ve been here for the last two weeks for Philippe’s family reunion, using this quaint beach town as our starting point for adventures along the eastern coast and the Picos de Europa mountain range. The weather hasn’t always been on our side, which, frankly, is to be expected—after all, as the locals say, “lo verde se paga” (“the green must be paid for”). But we haven’t let it spoil our fun. Here are some highlights and what to know if you go!

What the town is like …

There are plenty of beautiful beach towns in Asturias, but I can’t imagine a more idyllic base for adventures on the oriente side than Ribadesella. The beach is sandy and walkable, with a promenade lined with grand homes and family-friendly chiringuitos. From the center of town, you can access dozens of hiking trails, and there are activities galore—surfing, canoeing, sailing, horseback riding, birdwatching, the list goes on. Additionally, because Ribadesella is relatively close to the Camino del Norte, one of the coastal routes of the Camino de Santiago, you’ll see scores of backpack-carrying pilgrims passing through town. We’ve also been surprised by how lively it’s been, with seasonal events like cave music concerts, food festivals, and, of course, the annual Ribadesella canoeing race down the Sella River.

The Ermita de La Guía chapel sits atop a promontory overlooking town

Our digs …

We’re staying at the home of an Asturian family with deep roots in Ribadesella (they used to own the neighboring Villa Rosario, a beautiful casa de Indianos turned landmark hotel on Playa de Santa Marina). The house has five bedrooms and a large seafront garden overflowing with hydrangeas. It’s been so nice to wake up and see surfers paddling out into the water, and to stroll the promenade at sunset.

Best meal …

We haven’t eaten out much since our house has a kitchen and we’re traveling with kids, but we’ve had two really stellar meals during our daily sightseeing excursions. In Gijón, we enjoyed a fabulous meal at Zascandil, a bustling local spot in the El Carmen neighborhood. The owner was a charming host, and the seafood—all sourced from Asturias and Cantabria—was so fresh and delicious that we couldn’t resist ordering seconds. Meanwhile, in the medieval town of Cangas de Onís, we had a great lunch of cider, fabada bean stew, and torrija at El Molín de la Pedrera before driving to the majestic, pink-stone Basilica de Santa María la Real de Covadonga. In hindsight, though, I think the move would’ve been to hit up one of the many rustic roadside sidrerías/parrillas like Alto Sella that lead to the pilgrimage site. The smell of barbecue smoke wafting through the air, combined with the lively chatter of locals enjoying cider and grilled meat, made us wish we’d saved our appetites for one of those spots instead.

Basilica de Santa María la Real de Covadonga; Alto Sella restaurant

Favorite encounter …

One afternoon, we hiked east from Ribadesella to the small inland village of Collera. In the town square, we met an elderly man playing a game that looked like a cross between bowling and pétanque. He explained that the sport, bolos asturianos, has been played for centuries and has a small but devoted following across northern Spain, with variations in Cantabria and the Basque Country. He had been an avid player until three years ago, when he underwent open-heart surgery; we were catching him on his first game back since the operation. Philippe asked if he could explain the rules, and the man laughed, saying it can take years to truly understand the game—apparently, there are more than 20 ways to score points, depending on where the ball lands and what pin it hits. Anyway, we stood there for a few minutes, watching this 80-year-old man whirl the ball above his head in an elaborate, practiced motion, then chuck it toward the pins on the other side of the lawn, a big grin stretched across his face.

Most fun thing we did …

Last Wednesday, the sun unexpectedly came out, and we decided to seize the moment by renting jet skis and exploring the coastline east of Ribadesella toward the Bufones de Pría sea geysers. We zipped along the coast, weaving in and out of narrow caves where the whooshing waters filled up and drained with the currents. SO FUN.

Hiking along the cliffs; our jet ski adventure

That said, my favorite activity by far has been hitting the trails around town, particularly the route that starts at Playa de La Atalaya and runs along the cliffs toward the Acantilados del Infierno. Philippe and I both agreed that it’s one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful landscapes we’ve ever seen in Spain—emerald hillsides plunging into sapphire seas, and the kind of big, in-your-face nature that I associate with my home country of Canada, for example, but had never encountered on the Iberian Peninsula. The metallic jangle of cowbells ringing through the hills also added a certain magic.

Thing I wish I knew …  

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