Santa Trega, was declared a National Cultural Heritage Monument in 1939 and is also a Property of Cultural Interest.

From the top of the mountain, you have some marvellous views of, for example, the Río Miño (the natural border between Spain and Portugal), Caminha (a Portuguese village) or of the Atlantic Ocean.

At the mouth of the Río Miño, you can see the island of A Ilha Ínsua, which belongs to Portugal. It houses a building that dates from the XVth century. It was a convent until it became a military fort a century later.

If you look north, you have a beautiful panoramic view over the coast of A Guarda and of Monte Torroso which shelters the fishing village.

Once you have taken in all these views, go back down the route you came up on and stop to explore the Castro de Santa Tecla, one of the most well-known and emblematic ‘castros’ (iron age fortified settlements) of Galicia.

Thanks to the good state of conservation of this fortified village, you have a rough idea of what they were originally like and how the houses were distributed in these settlements.

The Castro de Santa Trega is a rather large, fortified village, where you can easily identify the streets and houses. Although they are no longer intact, you can clearly see where they once stood. Actually, there are two that have been restored, which really helps to imagine how life was in these settlements.

If you have the chance to visit Santa Tecla… don’t think twice about it! It is a magical place where history, culture and nature exist all together.

Keep in mind that, at least when I went there, it isn’t free of charge to go up the mountain. In any case, the price was practically symbolic and possibly helps towards preserving it so more of us can discover and enjoy it. I only wish more places like this were in such good condition!

Sources:

Galiciamaxica.

Wikipedia.

Cabrales is perfect for rural tourism, active tourism and natural tourism. You can walk through its lush forests or hike along the desert-like limestone rock of the Picos de Europa, all in the same day. You can do very easy and pleasant routes in this municipality, for example, the famous Senda del Cares, also known as the Garganta Divina (divine gourge), which is a ravine that was formed by a glacier. You can climb the emblematic Picu Arriellu (Naranjo de Bulnes), climb up the renown Torrecerrado, or fish and simply enjoy the gurgling rivers Cares and Casaño…

But Cabrales is not just countryside and amazing natural spots… Cabrales is also history, culture, gastronomy and a perfect combination of all three.

The caves of La Covaciella, El Bosque and Los Canes, with their prehistoric cave paintings, are the first signs of inhabitants of these lands.

There are also traces of the Roman settlement that there was in Cabrales, and you can still see part of the Roman road that led up to the top of Caoro, leading on to Sotres and Aliva, there it divides and leads to Liébana and Valdeón. The Way of Caoro, (“La Senda del Caoro”), was built by the Romans to transport the precious minerals mined in Cabrales.

Of course, we can’t end without mentioning the famous Queso Cabrales – the local gastronomic product par excellence of the municipality. This cheese is a clear example of the combination of history, culture and tradition, given that it still maintains to this day its original essence and artisan production. When it first appeared is not exactly known, but it is mentioned in documents dating from the 17^th century.

If you want to learn more about this municipality, its inhabitants and try the Queso Cabrales, go and visit it at any time of the year. But if you like food fairs and shows, the last Sunday of August might be the best time to enjoy a great day out in the country amongst the kind people of Arenas de Cabrales, and where the Certamen de Queso Cabrales (the Cabrales cheese show) takes place.

Asturias hides an infinite number of new places for visitors, and all which are interesting for tourists to discover. For example, there is the Municipality of Cabranes, which is rich in nature, culture, arts and crafts, gastronomy…

The capital of Cabranes is Santa Eulalia (Santolaya), set in central-eastern Asturias, in the Cider Region, and shares its borders with the municipalities of: Piloña, Villaviciosa and Nava; the latter two also belong to the Cider Region.

This place has many virtues, but the most emblematic is its natural surroundings. Meadows, valleys and indigenous forests in particular, all which make up a beautiful natural environment that captivates the tourist with its spectacular views.

Cabranes is, almost in its entirety, countryside, which means you can enjoy many sign-posted routes that run through the municipality. From high points, you can see plenty of indigenous forests and mountains that make up this municipality and you can also enjoy amazing panoramic views of the Sierra del Sueve and of the Picos de Europa.

The countryside of this municipality is in perfect harmony with other tourist attractions, such as its history. The buildings blend in with its natural surroundings and create a beautiful and attractive sight. A perfect example is San Julián de Viñón, a temple dating from the transition of the pre-Romanesque to the Romanesque, and which has been declared of Cultural Interest; as well as the many ‘horreos’ (raised granaries) found in the hamlets of Cabranes.

Talking of hamlets, we have to mention one of the most important ones in Cabranes… Torazo, which received the Premio al Pueblo Ejemplar de Asturias en el año 2008 (Prince of Asturias Award for the Exemplary Village of Asturias, 2008).

Finally, after visiting this municipality of the Cider Region, what better way to end our visit but to enjoy its wonderful gastronomy: beans, free-range chicken, smoked hams… but its star products are: Boroña (cured sausage wrapped in corn flour pastry) and Rice Pudding. In fact, each of these products has its own annual contest:

Rice Pudding Festival (a festival of cultural interest): in Santa Eulalia, which takes place on the second Sunday of May.

Boroña Festival: in Torazo, on the first Saturday of June.

Many of you will have visited Cangas de Onís and the many monuments found there, the first of which being The Roman Bridge.

In fact, it is not certain to whom this bridge belongs, whether to the municipality of Cangas de Onís or of Parres. This is because the bridge, or “El Puentón” (as it is called locally), crosses the River Sella and joins both municipality.

What is certain is that it is an important historical and cultural heritage left to us in Asturias. In fact, it was declared a Historical-Artistic Monument in 1931.

This structure is one of the most representative of Cangas de Onís and the Principality of Asturias.

The Roman Bridge dates from the High Middle Ages, although it was built on the remains of a Roman bridge. It has 5 arches and in the centre hangs the Victory Cross (Cruz de la Victoria) that King Pelayo carried in the battle of Covadonga in 722AD.

This monument had great importance up until the 19th century, as it was the only bridge that still existed to cross the River Sella, joining the provinces of Cantabria and Asturias.

The Roman Bridge of Cangas de Onís is striking, but personally I find it has a special magic when it is lit up at night.

Cangas de Onís is a city imbued in history, in fact, it was the first capital of Asturias when this was the Kingdom of Asturias. All this history is alive in the numerous monuments of the town. Although the most emblematic is the Roman Bridge, today I shall tell you about: Palaciu Pintu.

The Palaciu Pintu is in the centre of Cangas de Onís, next to the market square, where there is a market every Sunday and I recommend you visit it.

This building dates from the 20th century, although it is built on something a lot earlier from the 17th century. The colourful façade of the palace gives the palace its name: Palaciu Pintu – the painted palace.

This building lays between the Church of Cangas de Onís and the statue of King Pelayo.

I recommend you visit it by day and at night, because the building changes depending on the angle and in the different light.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is over 530 years old, although it wasn’t until 1478 that it was founded as a city because originally it was a military base. The following link provides more information on the history of the city. (Click).

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has many tourist spots. Below is a selection of these attractions and I shall talk about them in forthcoming articles:

• La Playa de las Canteras (Quarry beach)
• Alfredo Kraus Auditorium.
• Santa Catalina Park: between the Playa de las Canteras and the Puerto de Luz (Port of Light), you will find one of the many museums on Las Palmas: the Science and Technology Museum.
• Vegueta – Triana.
• Plaza Santa Ana.
• Cristopher Columbus Museum.
• Calle de los Balcones. (Balcony Street)
• San Telmo Park.

These are some of the many tourist attractions this capital city has to offer. I recommend you visit it and if you mingle with its people… you’ll appreciate Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from a different perspective.

I have passed by Ávila several times either because of sport or work and I have often wondered what there might be beyond these city walls as I drive by.

I finally found the moment to pass through this immense wall and visit every nook and cranny of this city and also film the video included in this article to show you what this marvellous walled city is like. This city was also declared a World Heritage in 1985.

If only the walls could speak! How many stories they would tell! The wall, by the way, is in perfect condition.

The cultural legacy that Ávila holds is of great importance, given that Ávila is: culture, history, art, architecture… This is all possible thanks to the co-existence of different cultures, typical of Spanish medieval cities: Jewish, Mudéjar (Moors) and Christian.

Ávila is a city to be visited with time to spend the entire day there, which means you’ll be able to see the wall in the different times of day. It really is worth the visit.

Some time ago we were on a shoot in the province of Toledo and as it is a tourist destination we visited the region while we were there.

Toledo, the capital of this province in central Spain, is of extreme beauty, but it is not the only urban nucleus that we found here which holds a valuable and important cultural heritage. A clear example is the destination and subject of this article: Torrijos.

Torrijos holds a lot of history and, in my opinion, its people are very proud of their town. You only have to see how well kept the monuments in Torrijos are.

The aim of this article is to offer you an alternative or an additional trip should you visit Toledo. So I shall leave you with a series of links below for you to browse which have further information on Torrijos:

- History.

- Monuments ( Colegiata, Palacio Pedro I, La Capilla del Cristo …) (Collegiate Church, Palace of Peter I, Christ Chapel…)

Ponferrada is a beautiful city which the River Sil runs through. Its many ruins hold great cultural importance, providing evidence of the different civilisations that lived there in the past.

One of these ruins is the Ponferrada Castle, declared a Historic Artistic Monument in 1924.

In 1178, Ponferrada was governed by the Templar Knights to provide shelter to pilgrims who were on the pilgrimmage of the Way of St James, because this castle was situated on a crossroads on the Way of St James between León and Villafranca.

If you have a chance to visit Ponferrada, don’t miss a visit to this Templar Castle…it is a monument of unusual beauty, which you have to see with your own eyes to really feel what it represents.

By the way, I should like to point out the route that runs along the side of the castle… perhaps a little hard going, but it’s worth doing.