Asturias, Spain: Towns to Explore on Foot

Looking for things to do in Asturias? This region in northwestern Spain brings together the Cantabrian Sea, lush Atlantic landscapes, high mountains and a history shaped by resistance and local traditions. From prehistoric caves and Romanesque monuments to coastal cities and the peaks of the Picos de Europa, Asturias is a place to explore through both scenery and stories. Neywo offers free audio guides for 3 cities in Asturias, with 162 narrated places in total, available in 11 languages.

What to see and do in Asturias

Experience the meeting of sea and mountains

Asturias is part of Green Spain, a name that reflects its abundant rainfall, lush vegetation and broad mountain scenery. The region faces the Cantabrian Sea and rises southward into the Cantabrian Mountains, which form its natural border with León.

This geography gives Asturias its defining contrast. The coast opens towards the Atlantic, while the mountains make the interior more secluded and difficult to cross. The maritime climate brings mild summers and relatively gentle winters near the coast. Farther inland and higher in the mountains, conditions are colder, and snow can remain from October to May.

Explore the Picos de Europa National Park

The eastern mountains of Asturias include the Picos de Europa National Park, home to the region’s highest peaks. Torrecerredo rises to 2,648 metres, making it the highest mountain in Asturias.

The park is an essential part of the region’s highland landscape. It shows the scale of the Cantabrian Mountains and the way the interior has shaped Asturian history and identity.

Discover Asturias’s prehistoric past

Human history in Asturias reaches back to Homo erectus and Neanderthals. In the eastern part of the region, people of the Upper Paleolithic era left cave paintings, offering an early record of life in this Atlantic landscape.

Later cultures also left their mark. Bronze Age megaliths and burial mounds remain part of the region’s archaeological heritage, while the native Asturiense culture belongs to Asturias’s distinctive prehistoric story.

Look for the legacy of the Astures and Rome

During the Iron Age, Celtic influence spread across the territory. The local peoples were known as the Astures, and they lived in fortified hill towns called castros. Their presence can still be heard in some Asturian river and mountain names.

The Romans subdued the Astures under Augustus between 29 and 19 BC. Roman rule brought Asturias into recorded history, but the Astures were never fully conquered. The mountains continued to offer shelter and resistance in later centuries, helping the region preserve a strong sense of its own character.

Visit the monuments of Asturian Romanesque heritage

Asturias is known for its indigenous Romanesque artistic heritage. Among its most important monuments are Santa María del Naranco, Santa Cristina de Lena and San Miguel de Lillo.

The first Asturian kings built Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo on Mount Naranco, above Oviedo. They are among the clearest expressions of the region’s medieval architectural identity.

In the capital, you can continue exploring this heritage with Oviedo, where the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Saviour, Santa María del Naranjo, San Miguel de Lillo and San Julián de los Prados are among the narrated places available on Neywo.

Explore Oviedo and its historic centre

Oviedo is one of the best places to begin discovering Asturias’s history and architecture. Its narrated places include the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Saviour, as well as the monuments on Mount Naranco and San Julián de los Prados.

The city connects several periods of Asturian history in a compact urban setting. Medieval religious buildings, royal foundations and local cultural traditions all form part of the experience.

Visit Gijón’s varied heritage

Asturias’s largest city by the sea offers a different way to explore the region. Gijón has 43 narrated places on Neywo, including the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Contrueces, the Villa Romana de Veranes, the Aquarium of Gijón and the Asturias Railway Museum.

Together, these places cover religious heritage, Roman history, marine life and the industrial past. Gijón shows how Asturias’s story extends beyond mountains and medieval monuments into urban and modern life.

Discover Covadonga

In the mountains, Covadonga offers a focused introduction to one of Asturias’s important historic and cultural settings. Neywo’s guide includes the Museo de Covadonga and the Estatua de Don Pelayo.

Covadonga is also connected to the wider story of the Kingdom of Asturias and the region’s mountainous landscape. It is a natural starting point for discovering the eastern part of Asturias and the nearby Picos de Europa.

Notice the horreo in the countryside

Asturias’s local identity is also visible in its rural architecture. The horreo is a grain store raised on stilts, designed to protect grain from field mice.

Its practical construction has become one of the most recognisable features of the Asturian countryside. Like the region’s monuments, it reflects how local traditions developed in response to the landscape.

Listen for the sound of Asturian culture

Asturian culture is expressed through language and music as well as buildings. Spanish is the only official language, while Asturian, also known as Bable, is spoken and protected by law.

Traditional music is closely associated with the gaita asturiana, or Asturian bagpipe, which has a single drone. The regional anthem, Asturias, patria querida, began as a popular song before becoming the official anthem.

Festivals in Llanes celebrate important saints and the Virgin Mary, adding another layer to the region’s living traditions. Language, music, architecture and village celebrations all contribute to a culture rooted in local memory.

Explore Asturias with Neywo’s free audio guides

Download Neywo to discover Asturias independently through 9 walking tours covering 3 cities and 162 narrated places in total. Narration is available in 11 languages.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Choose a walk in Oviedo, Gijón or Covadonga, and let the stories accompany you while you explore. You can also continue your journey through Spain and discover more destinations with Neywo.