On the road around eastern Asturias

The eastern part of the Principality of Asturias is a wedge of green and limestone land. A natural environment in which there are high peaks, deep valleys, lakes, rivers and beaches. A prehistoric and earthy place. In Ribadesella is the rock cave ofTito Bustillo and in Cangas de Onís, during the Reconquest, the Asturian monarchy was born. It is a land where zthe landscape fills the larders for the makers of those infamous stews, the cooks and the confectioners, thanks to the labours of farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen. All their work makes them the ambassadors of Asturian gastronomy. A tourist attraction in addition to the architectural, cultural and natural assets of the region.

From the Alto de la Cruz de Llames, popularly known as the Fitu viewpoint, you can see a large part of the Asturian coast, especially from Lastres to the east. On clear days you can see part of the Picos de Europa mountain range. A National Park with treasures such as the highest peaks of the Cordillera Cantábrica and a landscape modelled by the effect of ice and water on the limestone, where the legendary history of Asturias took shape.

A succession of mountains in which caves are invisible from afar and in which cheeses such as Cabrales and Gamonéu del Puerto are stored to mature, thanks to the work of the area's shepherds who double as cheese-makers. An effort that was recognised in 1994 by the Prince of Asturias' Foundation for their fundamental role in the conservation of the landscape in the Picos de Europa.

Gamonéu del Puerto is an artisan cheese made from a blend of unpasteurised milk from cows, goats and sheep, which is then smoked and left to mature in caves around the Picos de Europa. The 45-euro per kilo price tag makes it the most expensive cheese in Spain. The production process requires that the few producers who continue to make it, such as the veteran Covadonga Fernández, head of the Gumartini dairy, shut themselves away in shepherds' huts in the mountains, close to Lake Enol, from June until November, or 'until the snow falls', as Covadonga would say.

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In Colunga, very close to the coastal town of Lastres with its steep streets, is the Jurassic Museum of Asturias. A place that has two exhibition spaces. One outdoors, in which there are various replicas of dinosaurs and the other indoors, with valuable information about dinosaurs, how they lived and their extinction.

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Not quite so educational is the Descenso Internacional del Sella or Fiesta de las Piraguas (canoe festival), held at the beginning of August every year in Arriondas. This is a town where American architecture tells part of the story of the Asturians who went to America (they were called 'Indianos' as the US was known as Las Indias in those days), made their fortune and returned to build palatial mansions.

The canoeing descent has been declared of International Tourist Interest and turns Arriondas into the international capital of canoeing with its famous 19km route from Sella down to Ribadesella, a town located at the mouth of the river that divides it in two. On the western bank are the 'Indiano' residences and newer buildings, with incredible views of the Bay of Biscay and easy access to the beach of Santa Marina, a real luxury.

On the eastern side is the port and fish market, where the day's catch is auctioned off. Fish such as the royally-named Kingfish, caught in the Cantabrian Sea and straight to the grill to top the tasting menu at La Huertona restaurant, on the western bank of the Sella. Its back is red, its belly and flanks are pink. It has a large head and disproportionately large eyes in order to see in its habitat, some 200-400m underwater. Its meat is white, fine and tastes like seafood. He is the king of the deep and a delicacy.

The cavern is a 700m-long gallery, with adjoining caves, displaying a succession of cave paintings of horses and reindeer, both painted and scratched onto the rock. In the Tito Bustillo cave, the rock paintings were created over time and overlap each other, depending on the preferences of those who inhabited the cave between 22,000 and 10,000 years BCE. You can also visit the adjoining Cuevona de Ardines which was inhabited later than the Tito Bustillo cave. Nearby is the Tito Bustillo Rock Art Centre, providing a very interesting overview of prehistoric Asturias.

Also popular with tourists is the track that runs across meadows, criss-crossing through the 'Cliffs of Hell', between the hamlet of Cuerres, which is close to the Guadamía beach and Ribadesella. A route that runs through scrubland, cows and goats where you can see how the land has been sculpted by the sea over the centuries and spot the boats out fishing from the neighbouring port of Ribadesella. All of this under the watchful gaze of seagulls, cormorants, buzzards and kestrels, Mother Nature's drones scanning both land and sea, making their nests in those vertical cliffs that attract as much as they scare.

The easternmost end of the route offers the best view of Bufones de Pría, holes and chimneys in the cliff that, at high tide and when the surf's up, cause great jets of water to shoot up several metres high. An impressive experience that gives an idea of the incredible force of the sea.

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INSIDER GUIDE

Where to stay

Hotel Puebloastur

In the remote hamlet of Cofiño, at the foot of the Sierra del Sueve, between the Cantabrian Sea and the Picos de Europa, is hidden the Hotel Puebloastur. Formerly a nobleman's house, now a sanctuary where nature, art, well-being and good food converge. It has two restaurants, Puebloastur and Gourmet, with many dishes just needing a spoon to enjoy them. www.puebloastur.com/es

Where to eat

Casa Marcial

The restaurant is run by chef Nacho Manzano and his sisters Esther and Sandra. The tasting menu is Manzano's way of sharing with diners how the local landscape awakens his senses, inspiring him to express those feelings through creating traditional dishes with a creative twist. https://casamarcial.es/

El Corral del Indianu

In Arriondas. José Antonio Campoviejo became a self-taught cook by reading the cookery books and magazines provided by his wife, Yolanda Vega. Today the two are the visible face of the restaurant. The tasting menu reflects José Antonio's feelings when he talks about cooking. Here we can find dishes as tasty as white velvet soup (roasted, smoked cauliflower), summer truffle, grilled oysters, toasted butter on rye, macaroni with sweetcorn and sabadiego (a local, black chorizo), Gamonéu del Puerto cheesecake, smoked eel, and more. https://elcorraldelindianu.com/

La Cerezal

At 2km from Ribadesella. The house special is arroz caldoso (a soupy rice) with lobster. A spacious place, a large dining room, next to the road, very close to the 'Cliffs of Hell', book in advance in summer. El TexuIts strong point is the grill. You don't have to depend on the waiters to top up your glass with cider as they leave a self-service dispenser on the table.

Lastres

In Lastres you can eat at La Botica and take away some canned food from Casa Eutimio. The cannery joins onto the restaurant from which it has adopted its name. It is run by María Busta, one of the youngest members of the Club de Guisanderas de Asturias, whose goal is to ensure all their loyal customers get to take home the traditional, authentic flavours of an Asturian stew from times past. https://conservaseutimio.com/