Fishing ports of western Asturias

The beautiful rugged coastline of Western Asturias, from Avilés to the Galician border, is nowadays famous for superb beaches but in medieval days, when the sea was a vital source of food rather than pleasure, a fine array of fishing ports grew up

Luarca
The Asturian flag flies over the port of Luarca

between the cliffs. Local fishermen still brave the seas and you’ll find their catch served at the numerous family-run bars and restaurants which huddle round the historic harbours.

From charming Cudillero to lively Luarca, pretty Puerto de Vega to brave Ortiguera, you are in for a treat. Exploring by car is the easiest, but the lovely little FEVE narrow gauge railway hugs the coastline and gives a different way, a different kind of adventure.

Rio Nalón
At the mouth of the imposing Rio Nalón is the resort of San Juan de La Arena, famous for its elvers, and across the estuary San Esteban de Pravia’s faded, crumbling buildings, reflect its glorious past as the main port for sending coal and timber from Asturias to far flung countries. Local cider and a feast of fish and seafood  now bring the visitors in to its traditional bars and quayside restaurants.

Cudillero
A little further west is perhaps the most attractive of all the ports. Cudillero sits in a natural amphitheatre, its traditional seaside houses with their glass-fronted “galerias” tumbling down to the sea. Down  on la Plaza de la Marina tempting seafood bars and restaurants spill out onto the street, and you can soak in the comings and goings of the local fishing fleet over a leisurely lunch of freshly caught fish, many with local names hard to recognise even with your best Spanish!

 
Luarca, la Villa Blanca
“La Villa Blanca de La Costa Verde” – the white town of the green coast – Luarca,

Colourful fishing boats
Colourful fishing boats typical across the north

made its fortune as a great whaling port ( the whale still depicted on its coat of arms); today its busy harbour is filled with colourful fishing boats and yachts, its architecture  rich with splendid “casas de los Indianos” and modernista buildings. It’s a town worth exploring – don’t miss the “lonja”, the covered fish market, decorated with tiled murals depicting the town’s fishing history where at midday the day’s catch is auctioned, the ancient table high above where on stormy days the fishermen decided whether or not to brave the sea, the Aula del Mar museum with a fascinating exhibition of giant squid… and in the cemetery lies Severo Ochoa, a local lad given the Nobel prize for medicine.

Puerto de Vega
Go west again and a drive through the woods past a 16th century palace leads you down to tiny picturesque Puerto de Vega with its “lonja” and “cofradia de pescadores”, its narrow cobbled streets and fishermen’s cottages. Whaling was once the mainstay of the inhabitants of this village; now the main catch is tuna which you can sample along with all kinds of delicious regional dishes at the local restaurants.

Ortiguera 
Another lovely surprise is sleepy, dreamy Ortiguera, whose slate-roofed fishermen’s cottages set amongst vegetable patches lead down to a tiny harbour where a single fishing boat comes in daily with its catch. High above stand the lighthouse and 17th century chapel, and a moving monument dedicated to all those villagers who lost their lives at sea. Grand “Casas de Los Indianos” and some very smart modern homes mix with gardens and cottages, and down steep steps is the  beautiful, sandy beach of Arnelles.

Fiesta time
All of these fishing ports are a delight, but their added attraction at certain times of the year, mainly in the summer, is when they hold their annual fiestas – very much local affairs, full of tradition and music and colour and this is when they become particularly magical and special.

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