Through the heart of Asturias
Bears & Waves
Welcome to Asturias
Mountains, rivers, and waves
Outdoor Adventure
Local Experiences
bear watching
Gastronomy
About the Trip
This trip is a perfect opportunity to get to know first-hand the geographical contrasts of Asturias and do it in a fun way: walking, riding, paddling, and surfing. And of course, watching wild bears in the wild!
You will also have time to learn about the rich history that beats at every step, meet and listen to the stories of the locals who maintain their traditional way of life and, of course, savor the gastronomic treasures of the region.
ABOUT SOMIEDO NATURAL PARK
Somiedo Natural Park is one of the most important and best preserved protected areas of Asturias, one of the last strongholds where nature is pure. Its rugged landscape, ranging from 400 meters to almost 2,200 meters, contains an important population of bears. Its beautiful landscapes, its fauna and flora, its rich gastronomy and its people make this corner a privileged place.
Best time to travel
Group tours are scheduled every week during the months of the high bear-watching season: MAY, JUNE, and SEPTEMBER, and they do not coincide with the high summer season.
The months of APRIL, JULY, AUGUST, and OCTOBER are also excellent months to visit the area, but bear sightings are not likely. Or maybe yes.
Curated by Javier Gonzalez
Editor in Chief WideOyster Magazine
Javier is a mountain sports enthusiast. His last decades as an adventure travel journalist have been spent around the world: trekking and sea kayaking expeditions, splitboarding, rafting, horseback riding, and, of course, wine tasting. Javi is an Adventure Media Advisory Group member and now handles the global edition of WideOyster.
ASTURIAS
Asturias, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, is one of the most representative regions of “Green Spain.”
Its peculiar landscapes, far from the cliché of the sun and beach of the south of the peninsula, are the beautiful scenery of a trip full of attractions for any restless traveler.
Asturias has high mountains populated by wild bears and an untamed coast full of beautiful beaches. There are mountain villages anchored in time and some of the most beautiful fishing villages in Spain. But there is also very rich gastronomy, famous for the quality of the raw materials from the sea, the orchard, and the mountains, as well as a rich history with abundant pre-Romanesque remains and culture with a significant Celtic influence.
➊ Welcome to Asturias!
Adventure begins
A local guide will be waiting for you at the airport to transfer you to Pola de Somiedo, in the heart of the natural park that will be the setting for our adventures in the following days.
Depending on your flight’s arrival time, we can enjoy a horseback riding tour in the afternoon after checking in at our hotel.
No time? Don’t worry: we will be able to do it in the following days. In the evening, we will have our first contact with the local gastronomy during dinner, a moment that we will also take advantage of for the briefing of the next day.
➋Hiking & Bear Sighting
Somiedo Natural Park
Today, we will get into one of the most beautiful valleys of the Natural Park of Somiedo: the Lake Valley. It is a long but straightforward hike, but it reaches a spectacular lake of glacial origin as a reward. In the afternoon, it will be time for one of the program’s highlights: wildlife watching.
In bear season (spring and late summer), we will likely be able to observe them with the help of binoculars or the naked eye! from the observation points our specialized guides will take us to.
➌ Camino Real de la Mesa
A story at every step
Today we are going for a walk. We will start the day with a transfer to the area of the Saliencia Valleys, one of the most beautiful high mountain lakes in Spain.
Depending on our desire to walk, we can do the shorter route (10 Km) or the longer one (20 Km). We will have the opportunity to enjoy high mountain landscapes dotted with ancient buildings where the “Vaqueiros de Alzada” used to live in summer.
At the end of the path, a transfer will take us to Teverga, where we will have time to rest our legs in the selected hotel.
➍ Cowboys territory
Belmonte de Miranda
We continue our adventure in the Camín Real de la Mesa. On horseback? Walking? Both? Either way, we will walk on a trail off the beaten path. And this path was once one of the busiest roads in northern Spain!
We are in a wild territory, where wolves roam freely in numerous herds, bears make frequent incursions, and in mid-mountain landscapes, horses and cows are the real protagonists. And if it is a clear day, maybe we can glimpse the Cantabrian Sea in the distance… our destination in a few days!
In the evening, we will have time to recharge our batteries with a good dinner with local products and maybe a relaxing spa bath!
➎ By the river and by the coast
Down the river to the coast
Today we paddle a section of one of the principal rivers of Asturias: The Nalón. It is a river of calm waters, which stands out for its soft and pastoral landscapes. So we will have time to have a picnic and -if time permits- even take a swim.
Upon arrival, we will be rewarded in a typical Asturian inn, perfect for regaining strength before checking into our hotel.
In the afternoon, we will enjoy a scenic walk along the “Ruta de Los Miradores,” overlooking the rugged coast of the Cantabrian Sea.
➏ surfing asturias
Time for Waves
We did it! A few days ago, if you think about it, you were up in the high mountains hiking in bear territory, and suddenly we’re at the beach. And it’s surfing time! We have two options, depending on the weather, the state of the sea, and what you feel like doing:
Option 1: ride the Pravia estuary on a Stand Up Paddleboard. A unique way to get to know the historical and industrial legacy of the area actively.
Option 2: Have you tried surfing? We can receive an initiation class that we assure you will make you have fun with the waves on this beach. In both cases, we will have the opportunity to finish the trip at sunset in one of Spain’s most beautiful fishing villages. Maybe with a few bottles of cider?
➐ time to say “adios”
Well, it’s all coming to an end. From the hotel, it is a short transfer to the airport. So, you will indeed have time to have breakfast and pack your bags calmly 🙂
We hope you enjoyed this trip through the heart of Asturias.
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