7-Day Asturias Spain Itinerary: The Perfect Week in Green Spain
July 16, 202613 min read
7-Day Asturias Spain Itinerary
Meta description: The ultimate 7 day Asturias itinerary through Spain's greenest region — coastal villages, Picos de Europa peaks, cider houses, and hidden beaches.
Tucked into Spain's rugged northern coast, Asturias feels like a secret the rest of Europe hasn't fully discovered yet. Emerald mountains crash into a wild Atlantic, medieval fishing villages perch above hidden coves, and the food — from bubbling fabada stews to hand-poured cider — tastes like a love letter to the land. This 7 day Asturias itinerary is designed to give you the region's soul without exhausting you, blending must-see highlights with the slow, sensory pleasures that make an Asturias Spain trip unforgettable.
Trip Overview
Who this itinerary is for: This 7 days in Asturias Spain plan is ideal for active couples, small groups of friends, and adventurous solo travelers who love a mix of hiking, coastal drives, cultural exploration, and long, wine-soaked meals. Families with older kids (10+) will also love the beaches, cave paintings, and mountain lakes. It's less suited to travelers wanting nightlife-heavy urban trips — Asturias is nature and gastronomy first.
Budget range (per person, excluding flights):
Budget: $850–$1,100
Mid-range: $1,400–$1,900
Luxury: $2,800+
Best time to visit: Late May through mid-June, and September, offer the sweet spot — warm days, low crowds, wildflowers in the Picos, and the sea just about swimmable. July and August are lovely but busier, especially on the coast. Avoid November through February unless you love moody weather and empty trails (some mountain roads close).
Base location: Rather than one hub, this Asturias travel plan uses three bases: Oviedo (2 nights) for culture and cider houses, Cangas de Onís (2 nights) for the Picos de Europa, and Llanes (3 nights) for the eastern coast. Splitting the stay keeps daily driving to under 90 minutes and lets you unpack meaningfully in each region.
Discussion
Loading discussion…
Day 1: Arrival in Oviedo — Cider, Cathedrals & Old Town Wandering
Morning (10:00 AM – 12:30 PM)
Fly into Asturias Airport (OVD) and pick up your rental car — you'll want one for this Spain 7 day trip. Rentals run $35–$55 per day for a compact; book in advance through Europcar or a broker like Discover Cars. It's a 30-minute drive to Oviedo. Drop your bags at your hotel (try Hotel Rosal for budget or Eurostars Hotel de la Reconquista for luxury) and head straight to Oviedo's old town.
Afternoon (12:30 PM – 5:00 PM)
Start with lunch at Sidrería El Fartuquín on Calle Oscura — order the cachopo (breaded veal stuffed with ham and cheese, easily shareable, about $18) with a bottle of natural cider ($5). Watch the waiter pour it from overhead in the classic escanciado style.
After lunch, explore Oviedo Cathedral (entry $8, closed Sundays) with its stunning Cámara Santa, then wander the pedestrianized old town — Plaza del Fontán, the pastel façades of Plaza de la Constitución, and the cheerful Woody Allen statue on Calle de las Milicias Nacionales.
Evening (7:00 PM – 10:30 PM)
Stroll Calle Gascona, Oviedo's famous "cider boulevard." Dinner at Tierra Astur Gascona is a rite of passage — try the fabada asturiana (white bean stew with chorizo and blood sausage) for $16 and a cheese board featuring Cabrales, the region's blue-veined star.
Pro tip: Cider houses fill up fast on weekends. Arrive by 8:00 PM or reserve ahead through their website.
Alternatives: If you land early, take a 20-minute drive to Monte Naranco to visit the UNESCO-listed pre-Romanesque churches of Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo ($5 combined entry).
Day 2: Gijón & the Coast — Sea Breezes and Seafood
Morning (9:00 AM – 12:30 PM)
After breakfast at Camilo de Blas (chocolate con churros, $5), drive 30 minutes north to Gijón, Asturias's biggest coastal city. Park near the marina and walk up to the Cimavilla old fisherman's quarter. Climb to the Elogio del Horizonte sculpture by Eduardo Chillida for sweeping Cantabrian Sea views.
Afternoon (12:30 PM – 5:30 PM)
Lunch at Restaurante Auga overlooking the harbor — a mid-range splurge ($45–$60 per person) for exquisite grilled turbot or hake. On a budget? Grab pinchos at any bar on Calle Corrida ($15–$20).
Spend the afternoon at Playa de San Lorenzo, the city beach curling along the promenade. If you'd rather learn than lounge, visit the Roman Baths of Campo Valdés ($3.50) or the excellent Railway Museum ($3).
Drive back to Oviedo (30 minutes) with a stop at Playa de Xagó, a wilder dune-backed beach popular with surfers.
Evening (8:00 PM – 11:00 PM)
Back in Oviedo, have dinner at Casa Fermín, a refined Asturian institution. Menu del día around $40; à la carte tasting menus start at $75. Order the pitu de caleya (free-range chicken slow-cooked in cider).
Alternatives: Swap Gijón for Avilés, a smaller but hugely charming coastal town with a striking Oscar Niemeyer cultural center ($5 entry).
Day 3: Into the Picos de Europa — Cangas de Onís & Covadonga
Morning (8:30 AM – 12:00 PM)
Check out of your Oviedo hotel and drive 75 minutes east to Cangas de Onís, gateway to the Picos de Europa. Photograph the iconic Roman Bridge (actually medieval, but no less stunning) with its dangling Cross of Victory. Grab coffee and casadielles (walnut pastries) at Panadería El Molín for $4.
Afternoon (12:00 PM – 5:30 PM)
Drive 15 minutes up to Covadonga, the spiritual heart of Asturias. Visit the Santa Cueva shrine set into a mountain cliff and the neo-Romanesque Basilica (free). Have a simple lunch of tortos de maíz (corn cakes topped with meats or eggs) at Restaurante El Mirador de la Reina, about $18 per person.
In the afternoon, continue up the winding mountain road (or take the seasonal shuttle bus, $11 round trip, mandatory in July–August) to the Lagos de Covadonga. The twin glacial lakes Enol and Ercina sit at 1,100m surrounded by grazing cows and jagged peaks. Walk the 6km PR-PNPE 2 circular trail (2 hours, easy-moderate).
Pro tip: Weather changes fast up here. Bring layers even in summer — I've been in shorts at Cangas and sleet at the lakes on the same day.
Evening (7:30 PM – 10:00 PM)
Check into Parador de Cangas de Onís (luxury, converted monastery) or Hotel Los Robles (mid-range). Dinner at Sidrería Los Arcos — try the arroz con pitu (rice with mountain chicken) for $17 and finish with arroz con leche quemado, Asturias's beloved caramelized rice pudding.
Alternatives: Prefer beach over mountains today? Skip Covadonga and detour to Ribadesella and its Tito Bustillo cave paintings (book ahead, $8).
Day 4: Hiking the Ruta del Cares — Spain's Most Spectacular Gorge Walk
Morning (7:30 AM – 12:30 PM)
Get an early start — the Ruta del Cares is arguably Spain's most dramatic day hike, and crowds build after 10 AM. Drive 1 hour to Poncebos, park ($3), and begin the 12km one-way trail carved into a limestone gorge between Poncebos and Caín. It's flat-ish but exposed, with sheer drops that will thrill hikers and terrify anyone with vertigo.
Most people walk out and back (24km total, 6–7 hours). Bring 2 liters of water per person, snacks, and sun protection — no shade, no shops on the trail.
Afternoon (12:30 PM – 5:30 PM)
Turn around at Caín (halfway point, roughly 3 hours in) or push through to eat at Restaurante La Ruta in Caín, where a home-cooked menú del día runs $18. Head back the way you came — the views hit different in afternoon light.
Not up for the full trail? Walk 4–5km in and return; the most dramatic sections are within the first hour.
Evening (7:30 PM – 10:00 PM)
Drive back to Cangas (1 hour, exhausted, happy). Dinner should be easy — El Molín de la Pedrera offers hearty Asturian classics; the cachopo here is legendary ($22). Grab a nightcap of pomada (cider-based cocktail) and collapse into bed.
Alternatives: For an easier day, do the Ruta de las Xanas near Oviedo — a 5km gorge walk suitable for families (2 hours, free).
Day 5: Coastal Drive to Llanes — Villages, Bufones & Beaches
Morning (9:30 AM – 12:30 PM)
Check out and drive east along the AS-263 coastal road, one of the loveliest stretches of northern Spain. Stop first at Ribadesella (30 minutes from Cangas) for a coffee overlooking the Sella estuary. If you missed it earlier, visit the Tito Bustillo Cave here — home to 20,000-year-old Paleolithic paintings ($8, advance booking essential).
Afternoon (12:30 PM – 5:00 PM)
Continue 40 minutes east to Llanes, your base for the next three nights. Check into your hotel — try La Posada de Babel (mid-range countryside chic) or Parador de Cangas de Onís annex options. In town, Hotel Don Paco is a solid budget pick.
Lunch at Sidrería El Bodegón on the port — grilled octopus and a bottle of cider for around $22 per person. Afterward, walk the harbor to see the Cubos de la Memoria, Agustín Ibarrola's painted concrete blocks along the breakwater.
Drive 15 minutes east to Playa de Gulpiyuri, a mind-bending inland beach fed by underground sea tunnels. Park at the signed lot and walk 15 minutes across meadows. Then hit Playa de Torimbia, a crescent-shaped clothing-optional beach reached via a 10-minute cliff path.
Evening (8:00 PM – 10:30 PM)
Back in Llanes, dinner at El Retiro in the nearby village of Pancar — Michelin-recognized, refined Asturian cuisine, tasting menus around $85. Budget alternative: Casa Canene for grilled seafood at $25 per person.
Alternatives: Trade beaches for the mountain-hugging Ermita del Cristo del Camino viewpoint or the medieval castle at San Vicente de la Barquera (30 minutes into Cantabria, but worth it).
Day 6: Bufones, Cider Houses & Slow Coastal Living
Morning (9:00 AM – 12:30 PM)
Have breakfast at Confitería El Marinero in Llanes — pastries and coffee for $5. Drive 20 minutes east to Puertas de Vidiago to see the Bufones de Pría, natural blowholes where the sea shoots geysers of spray through cliff-top holes when waves are high. Best at high tide with an onshore breeze. Free, with an easy 20-minute walk from parking.
Afternoon (12:30 PM – 5:30 PM)
Head 25 minutes inland to Nueva de Llanes for the ultimate Asturian experience: a llagar (working cider house) tour. Sidra Castañón offers 90-minute tours with tastings, orchard walks, and a traditional espicha meal — expect chorizo cooked in cider, tortilla, cheese, and endless pours of the good stuff. About $35 per person, reservations essential.
Afterward, walk it off at Playa de San Antolín or the nearby ruins of the medieval Monasterio de San Antolín de Bedón.
Evening (8:30 PM – 11:00 PM)
Return to Llanes for a low-key evening. Grab pinchos and cider along Calle Manuel Cué. Sidrería La Marina does a wonderful pulpo a la brasa (grilled octopus, $18) with sea views. Stroll the illuminated harbor before bed.
Alternatives: Prefer more hiking? Trade the cider tour for the Senda Costera Llanes — a 10km cliff path connecting hidden coves (free, self-guided).
Day 7: Cudillero, Farewell Seafood & the Drive Back
Morning (8:30 AM – 12:00 PM)
Check out and drive 2 hours west back toward the airport, with a detour to Cudillero — Asturias's most photogenic fishing village. Painted houses tumble down a natural amphitheater to a tiny working harbor. Park in the upper lot ($2/hour) and walk down; the climb back up is brutal but worth it.
Afternoon (12:00 PM – 4:00 PM)
Have your farewell meal at Restaurante La Sirena or Casa Miguel — both do outstanding caldereta de pescado (fisherman's stew, $22) and grilled catch of the day. Wander the harbor, buy some tinned Cantabrian anchovies to take home (they're a revelation), and climb to the Cementerio de Cudillero viewpoint for one last sweeping look at the coast.
Evening (4:00 PM onward)
Drive 45 minutes to Asturias Airport for your evening flight, or extend your Asturias Spain trip with a night in Avilés if you have a late-morning departure the next day.
Alternatives: Have more time? Continue west to Luarca and the wild coastline of the Costa Verde — remote, dramatic, and even less touristy.
Packing Essentials
Waterproof hiking shoes — Asturias is called "green Spain" for a reason; expect wet trails even in summer
Lightweight rain jacket — weather shifts fast, especially in the Picos
Layers, including a fleece or midweight sweater — mountain evenings are cool year-round
Swimsuit and quick-dry towel — for hidden coves and Gulpiyuri
Reef-safe sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat — the sun at altitude is deceptively strong
Reusable water bottle — tap water is excellent throughout
Small daypack — for the Cares hike and coastal walks
Trekking poles — helpful for the Cares gorge if your knees complain
Cash (€100–€200) — many rural cider houses and small restaurants are cash-only
Power adapter (European Type F)
Motion sickness tablets — mountain roads are windy
A camera or good phone lens — for those Cudillero and Covadonga shots
Binoculars — bear-watching is possible in Somiedo if you extend
Cider house experiences (like Sidra Castañón) — reserve at least a week ahead
Michelin-recognized restaurants (El Retiro, Casa Fermín) — book 2–3 weeks ahead
Arrange on arrival:
Beach visits, casual sidrerías, most hikes (except the Cares in peak August, when parking fills by 9 AM)
Cathedral entries and museum visits
Money-saving tips:
Order the menú del día at lunch — three courses with wine or cider for $15–$20
Use BlaBlaCar or ALSA buses between main towns if skipping the rental
Shop at Alimerka or Día supermarkets for picnic supplies for the Cares hike
Book directly with small hotels via email — they'll often beat Booking.com rates by 10%
Asturias rewards travelers who slow down, and this Asturias travel plan is built to give you that rhythm: dramatic days balanced with lingering meals, mountains balanced with sea, and just enough structure to keep you moving without ever feeling rushed. ¡Buen viaje!
