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.

There are many ways you can enjoy the country-side of this region: hill walking, rock climbing, mountian biking…

This time, we shall enjoy this acclaimed tourist attraction by mountain bike as we ride a 60km route that runs through the municipalities of: Ribadesella, Parres and Caravia. You can also walk it, but in which case you will have to split it into two days, at least.

This route was designed by the Bike Maratón Montes del Sella mountain bike group, who celebrated their second marathon on 10 April 2011 with approximately 600 participants.

As I have only done this route once – on the day of the Bike Marathon – I’ll tell you about my experience. But first, I should mention that part of this competition ran through private property, so I shall mark an alternative for you on the map so you don’t pass through there.

At Playa de Ribadesella, a charming fishing village in east Asturias, we set off towards Cuevas del Agua; passing alongside the famous Cave of Tito Bustilloand crossing through the enchanting cavern of La Cuevona de Cuevas del Agua, which was lit all through the cavern with candles, expressly for the II Bike Maratón Montes del Sella and which left us with goose-pimps – such a captivating image it was.

Once at Cuevas, we advanced along a track to the private property I mentioned above – to avoid it you would have to continue along the main road for a while. As we ascended Cuevas to the road, we were privileged to see some spectacular views over the River Sella and the surrounding hillside.

Once on the road we rode down to Tresmonte, Sinariega and Cayarga soon after, where we turned right to go up Pico Moro and continue the Bike Marathon route

Once on our route, we had a lovely and spectacular ride down through an avenue of trees until we reached Bode.

From Bode we continued on to Pendás along a road which, at the end of the village, became a track, known as the Ruta de la Verde. Which meant, of course, that we rode along to Collía in what felt like a picture postcard and with the Picos de Europa in the distance.

We crossed Collía and along the road we went until Andeyes, but before we reached the hamlet, we turned off along a beautiful track that ran under the shade of many trees, but it was stony (you had to pay attention so as not to fall) which also made it fun; and finally we arrived at Bodes.

Now the tough part begins, from Bodes we went up the main road AS-260 along a pretty steep hill.

The first cramps were starting to be felt and many must have thought: “OK, that must be the hardest part over with”. Nothing further from the truth! We still had the acid test to go through, the ascent to Llana del Bustaco. A 3 km climb with an approximately 32% gradient.

We reach the AS-260, we cross the road and hell begins. Although it is tough, even though you are in pain… the effort really is worth it for the views that you will see as you go up and the amazing panoramic views we had from the Llana de Bustaco. The views from the Picos de Europa and part of the Sierra del Sueve are indescribable, given that Bustaco is set in this mountain range.

We continued on from Bustaco towards the Mirador del Fito along a mountain ledge. For this entire section, the views over east Asturias are spectacular: Lastres or La Isla, are some of the coastline we could see.

We’re almost there; from the Mirador del Fito we continue along a track until we reach Berves and then on to the Lighthouse of Ribadesella passing through the lovely Vega Beach, which was declared a Natural Monument, amongst other reasons, for its dunes.

From the lighthouse, we descend to Ribadesella along the sea-side promenade of the town to reach our starting point, the end to our adventure.

You might think this is quite a tough route and I’m not going to tell you otherwise – it is. But it is worth the while; I’ll leave you my opinion below:

Is it tough? Yes, the toughest 6 hours of my life, but it was worth it.

Would I do it again? Definitely, as soon as I can.

Is it worth while? It’s one of the most amazing routes I have ever done. The surroundings you ride through are really breathtaking and ideal for this kind of activity.

To end, I’d like to give my sincerest congratulations to everyone who organised and collaborated with the Bike Marathon Montes del Sella. It was an tough competition, but one which no doubt, will become a reference for future marathons, at least in northern Spain.

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.

I’m sure many of you have not visited an infinite number of places, but not because you don’t know how to get there but because you are unaware they exist. This happens to me a lot, so I try to lose myself on purpose, in order to discover new places and sometimes I end up in places like this, The Cuevas del Agua Cavern.

La Cuevona (Cavern) is set in the village of Cuevas del Agua in the municipality of Ribadesella.

There is only one way to reach this village by car: through a naturally-formed tunnel. But you can also get there on foot or by bicycle along various routes, one of which you can do by crossing over the Rio Sella (although you can’t today because the bridge is broken at the moment) or by travelling from Arriondas to Ribadesella along the road of Fuentes (see the map below).

The Arroyo de Cuevas (the river of Cuevas) has shaped the 300m long cavern, known as La Cuevona. It is a beautiful geological formation, where the passing of time is evident thanks to its singular stalactites and stalagmites, their beautiful features highlighted by the cave lighting.

Undoubtedly, this is one of those breathtaking places that we always hope to find to break from visiting the same places of interest and overcrowded with tourists. Of course, there are places that are a must-see, for example, if you come to Asturias, you can’t leave without having visited the Lakes of Covadonga (amongst many other things). But I think it’s a good idea to mix ‘must-sees’ with an adventurous attitude towards tourism to make your trip all that more enjoyable…

A while back I wrote about this village in the north of Gran Canary Island… well actually, I wrote about its church San Juan Bautista de Arucas.

This is the second time I have visited this village and it doesn’t cease to amaze me. Not only for its urban area, which by-the-way, has been declared of historical interest, but also because of its people, its lovely spots and of course, the views from the Mountain of Arucas.

I recommend you visit it taking your time to see all the village of Arucas, but if you don’t have much time, then prioritise. What I did was: visit San Juan Bautista, the Municipal Park of Arucas and then I walked up the Mountain of Arucas.

As San Juan Bautista de Arucas was covered in another article (you have the link to it above at the beginning of this post), I’ll show you the Municipal Park of Arucas and the Mountain of Arucas.

I’ll start with the park: you’ll discover many lovely areas, all of which are different to each other, making them perfect spots to relax in. It is not surprising that these impressive gardens have slowly taken shape over the centuries with many indigenous and exotic plants, as well as trees that have been imported from different continents; and there are two main landscape models:

• English: characterised by the wooded areas.
• Versailles: characterised by ponds and flower beds in geometric shapes.

Before you leave Arucas, walk up the mountainside and enjoy the lovely views over the north of the Gran Canary Island and the village of Arucas, where the church of San Bautista de Arucas rises up majestically above the other buildings.

The Guayadeque Gully is one of the largest on the Canary Islands and the natural separation between the municipalities of Ingenio and Agüimes is of great archaeological importance, given that this was the most populated area of the island in ancient times.

This spectacular place is amazingly beautiful: you can clearly see how the climate has eroded the land, exposing a very wild landscape; ochre hues, indigenous flora, the conservation of ancient settlements in caves (now used as homes)… all this – and more – has led to the Guayadeque Gully to be named the “Guayadeque Nature Reserve” but it was later reclassified as “Natural Monument” (which is the name it holds today). For more information, Click here.

If you are able to visit this Natural Monument, I’d advise you to do the following: as you enter the gully, stop and take your time to observe the impressive landscape around you; then, walk up to the shrine in the Montaña las Tierras – you’ll be left speechless! Oh! And of course, you’ll spot flora, fauna and views on your way up!

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.