Although I have lived almost my entire life in the United States, I consider the region of Asturias, in Spain, to be my second home, as most of my mother’s family still lives there and I still visit them every summer. In this blog, I hope to recount my favorite places in the province, from towns, to cities, to beaches and mountains. The history, geography, cuisine, and culture of Asturias is extremely unique and rich, just like the people who call it home.
Asturias is located on the northern extreme of the Iberian Peninsula, about equidistant from the Portuguese and French borders. The wedge-shaped region is one of the 17 “Comunidades Autonomas”, or Autonomous Communities of Spain. Unlike many other parts of Spain, it is not known for a hot dry climate, but a very wet and cool one, resembling England and Ireland much more than the rest of the country. Because of this, the region is nicknamed “Green Spain”. Asturias is split into three sub-regions, the West, the Center, and East, and all three have very distinct ways of life themselves. Asturias has three large cities, the capital, Oviedo, located in the center of the province, Gijón, its largest city, located directly north of Oviedo on the coast, and Avilés, a smaller city located west of Gijón. The three cities are connected by a freeway known as the “Y”, and most of Asturias’ population lives here.
The coast of Asturias outside of Gijón and Avilés is stunning, with beaches, harbors, and cliffs. The interior of the province is equally stunning, with steep, white limestone mountains known as the Picos de Europa. The coast and the mountains mark the traditional industries of Asturias, mining and fishing. The coasts were once hubs for fishing and whaling fleets, and the mountains were home to two major coal mining basins. However, Spain’s admittance to the European Union in the 1980s curbed both industries so severely that today, they are all gone. Over the last 40 years, Asturias has seen a massive population decline in almost all of its former mining and fishing towns, leaving the majority of the province empty and abandoned. Along with the cold, wet weather, and rugged, inhospitable terrain, these traditional industries shaped the attitude of the population of Asturias into a tough, resilient, resourceful, and gritty people.
Despite the massive loss of jobs and income, the absence of the mining and fishing industries have brought a lot of good to Asturias. Behind all the coal dust and heavy industry lie some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. In the summer, people from all across Europe flock to the province to enjoy the mountains, the sea, and the comparatively mild weather. The rivers, which once ran black because of the mining, are now pristine and beautiful. Their native salmon populations are slowly rebounding, creating a new sport fishing industry. The Picos de Europa Mountains, still pock-marked with old mine openings, are now home to some of the best rock climbing and hiking in all of Spain. However, Asturias’ most famous tourist destination by far is its coast. From its western to eastern tip, the towns which were once fueled by tuna fishing and whaling are now the sites of many people’s vacation homes. Staying in a small town in Asturias in the summer is one of the most unique experiences someone can have, as the small town attitude of the locals combines with the big city culture of the vacationers, creating and extremely fun time.
I love Asturias, and I cannot wait to write about all my favorite places and experiences in it!
Top: the Picos de Europa Mountains
Bottom: One of the hundreds of beaches Asturias has to offer
I love how you’re writing something that you have a personal connection to. It’s very interesting to hear you write about these scenes since I have never even been close to the area. I’m most excited to hear about the culture of the area since it seems somewhat disconnected from the areas around it.
Spain has such diverse landscapes and Asturias has the perfect combo of mountains and coastline. It’s really interesting to see the diversity, from the warmer climate of the south to the milder north, which definitely reminds me of Ireland (it’s also reflected in the culture for those northern regions). I’ll be adding Asturias to my bucket list.
One thing that I would really like to commend is your writing style. I could actually picture what was being stated because of the Austrians’ excellent visual imagery. It certainly sounds like a gorgeous location to visit when on vacation. I am very certain that it is a historical location and that Vienna is home to the oldest zoo in the world. An Austrian also created the sewing machine. It certainly seems as though the nation’s charming villages would catch you off guard and leave you feeling like you wandered into a Disney fairytale.
I really related to your opening paragraph. I have also spent a lot of my life in the United States, but Argentina truly feels like my real home. Also having family in Valencia I understand the beauty of Spain, but I was interested in learning more about Asturias given that its on the opposite side of the country. The pictures you included are beautiful and it was nice to see that the fish population is growing and that there is still so much beauty despite the heavy amount of mining.