Month: February 2023

The climate of Asturias is decidedly gloomy and rainy. However, on many summer days, an area in the western part of the province provides a haven of sunshine and warmth, not to mention wild landscapes and a unique culture. That area is known as Los Oscos. Located directly south of the Eo estuary, it makes up the majority of the Oscos-Eo natural preserve. To get to the region, one must take a small, winding road from the coast up through a mountain pass known as “La Garganta”, or The Throat. On the drive up, windmills dominate the distant hills, and tiny towns line the road. There are a great deal of day trips waiting in the area, like Taramundi, a town dedicated to knife making, the house of El Marqués de Sargadelos, an old noble, and many hikes and nature outings.  However, the most impressive thing to see in Los Oscos is by far Mazonovo, a hamlet tucked away in a large canyon, and one of the last vestiges of the traditional industry of the area: ironworking.

How Iron was Worked in Los Oscos

The way iron was worked in Los Oscos was very unique. The iron ore itself was mined very far away in the Basque Country. It was then transported over 250 miles to western Asturias in massive blocks to be worked. But why? The reason is because the Oscos region has two very important elements other parts of Spain did not: rivers and wood. The use of the rivers in metallurgical work is an extremely unique and ingenious process.  The rivers were the power source for the “mazos”, or hydraulic hammers, that were built throughout the Oscos. These machines consisted of a manmade pool of water, that when released, turned a massive paddlewheel, which then operated a huge hammer that could shape and work huge blocks of iron very quickly. Historically, the smaller pieces were then taken by individual families to be worked at home forges and sold as products like nails, cooking utensils, knives, pots, and pans.

Mazonovo

Now, the artisans in the hamlet of Mazonovo are the only ones who carry on this old craft. They give tours of the forge, operate it, and let visitors create nails in the traditional way. The area surrounding the hamlet itself is extremely pretty. The hamlet is just a small clearing in a seemingly endless forest of ash trees. The creek, which is partially diverted to form the pool that operates the forge, flows through the hamlet, and frogs, fish, and snakes call its waters home. The blacksmith’s workshop, built in the 18th Century, is perfectly preserved. And at the top of the hamlet is a restaurant called L’Auga, or “the water” in the regional dialect, which serves delicious local foods.

Top: The outside of the hammer in Mazonovo. Behind the wooden structure sits a large pool of water, and when a gate is opened, the water pours onto the paddle wheel, turning the hammer, seen on the bottom

Top: The pool that feeds the workshop seen from the front of l’Auga restaurant, shown below

On the western end of the province of Asturias lies one of its most idyllic places, a large estuary that separates it from the neighboring Autonomous Community of Galicia. The estuary, named after the largest river that flows into it, the Eo, lies in one of the most sparsely populated places in the entire province, but in the summer, it comes to life, with tourists and holiday goers flocking to the area to experience the estuary itself, the towns that surround it, and the nearby beaches. Here are just a few of the things one can do in this western region of Asturias.

The Towns

Although very sparsely populated, four significant towns can be found on the shores of the estuary. These are, Ribadeo, Vegado, Castropol, and Figueras. Figueras is extremely small. It is not much more than a group of houses on a hill (my grandparents’ house is here) and a small harbor. The only industry keeping the lights on there is a shipyard which builds very large ships. It also has a palace overlooking the harbor. Vegadeo is located on the southern tip of the estuary, and the Eo River meets the estuary there. It is an ugly town for the most part, with an industrial feel, but it is the most important town on the Asturian side of the estuary. Traditonally, Castropol was the largest and most important town, but in the 1980s, a bridge was constructed to connect the western and eastern sides of the estuaries. This caused Castropol to suffer, as people began to make the much shorter drive across the bridge to Ribadeo. Nevertheless, Castropol is a nice town to visit, with traditional architecture and a few cafés. However, Ribadeo is now the main attraction. With hotels, restaurants, cafes, and bars it is where people go out on summer evenings.

The beaches

Some of the cleanest, most beautiful beaches in the world can be found on the western tip of Asturias. In the estuary itself, Arnao, Arnela, and San Román Beaches all offer very nice places to relax and swim in the calm waters, but they are rather small, and they disappear when the tide rises. The main attraction in terms of beaches is about a mile away from the mouth of the estuary. Much larger and open than the others, Penarronda Beach, aptly named because of its Peña Ronda, or “Round Boulder” in English, offers a plethora of activities for one to do, such as surfing, playing sports, or looking for small fish and crabs in its tide pools. The presence of the sun is rather rare in Northern Spain, so on those rare bluebird days, expect to spend all day at the beach.

The Estuary

The Ría del Eo has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. If you do not want to go to the beach, you walk on the miles and miles of paths that line its shores. Some attractions here include an abandoned tide mill and Las Torres de Don Lebún, a palace built near the water in the 16th Century. In the middle of the estuary there is a massive island of sand, known as el tesón. On low tide, it emerges from the water, and people with boats or strong swimming abilities go to it as if it were another beach. A passenger boat also gives a short tour of the estuary for about 5 Euros.

The Eo Estuary is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in Asturias, and it has a special place in my heart. There is something magical about it that I have never encountered anywhere else.

Above: Penarronda Beach, with its iconic boulder in the middle

Below: The estuary pictured from its mouth. Ribadeo is in the foreground on the right, Figueras on the left, and Castropol is straight ahead. The tide is high, but the patch of lighter colored water on the left hand side of the picture is the submerged Tesón