Spain Travel – Asturias: Exploring Cangas de Onís and Covadonga
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Posted On :
Dec-10-2010
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Article Word Count :
1491
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My last day in Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, had arrived. After a nice breakfast I checked out of the Barcelo Oviedo Cervantes Hotel and started driving through the mountains towards a village called Arriondas. On my schedule for this rather drizzly and cool day was a canoe run down the Sella River with an outdoor adventure company called Frontera Verde. When I arrived there before noon, Juan Feliz, the owner, informed me that a big group had already left to go down the river. The prospect of
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My last day in Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, had arrived. After a nice breakfast I checked out of the Barcelo Oviedo Cervantes Hotel and started driving through the mountains towards a village called Arriondas. On my schedule for this rather drizzly and cool day was a canoe run down the Sella River with an outdoor adventure company called Frontera Verde. When I arrived there before noon, Juan Feliz, the owner, informed me that a big group had already left to go down the river. The prospect of staying dry on this clammy day seemed rather exciting, so Juan and I started working on an alternate program for today.
Juan and his father started Frontera Verde together in 1999 after Juan graduated from a business degree in Oviedo. Asturias calls itself “Nature’s Paradise”, and Juan strives to introduce travelers from all over the world to the outdoor opportunities in the Picos de Europa mountain region. Fronteraverde offers canoe trips on the Sella River, hiking, caving, canyoning, and multi-adventure programs that are geared towards specific target groups, such as school field trips, bachelor parties or corporate team building events. He also connects travelers with local lodging providers to give them the best deals on accommodation.
Since Juan has grown up in this area he has indepth knowledge of local attractions and places to visit. So we started to work on an alternate independent sightseeing program for me and he suggested that I explore the main town of Cangas de Onís, the historic village of Covadonga and the nearby mountain lakes Enol and Ercina which are jointly called the Lagos de Covadonga.
I thanked Juan for his suggestions and started my drive to Cangas de Onís where I checked into my hotel for the next two days, the Hotel La Cepada, which has a great hillside location. As a small mountain town of about 6,700 people, Cangas de Onís has huge historical significance as the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias and was established in 722 AD after the first major victory by a Christian military following the Islamic conquest. This watershed event started the Reconquista, the Christian recapturing of Spain from the Moors.
Built in 2001, the Hotel La Cepada has a gorgeous location above the village of Cangas and all the hotel rooms have large picture windows that provide gorgeous views over the town. Outside a huge terrace with table service invites guests to sit down and enjoy the superb vistas of Cangas de Onís and the Sella River Valley. The reception area features elegant sofas for guests to relax and a library area.
Even on this grey and drizzly day the views from my hotel room were phenomenal. My elegant room was appointed with a king size bed, a practical desk and working area, a mini-bar, satellite television, music and free Internet access. This would be a great base for the next couple of days to explore the Picos de Europa mountain region.
I briefly met José Manuel, the owner and general manager of La Cepada and asked him for some advice on where to go for lunch in Cangas de Onís and he recommended a wine bar called El Palco which is run by his wife. So I drove down into the village, parked the car and crossed the River Sella on a wooden bridge. Cangas is a small mountain town that is the regional tourism hub for people visiting the Picos de Europa National Park.
Vinateria El Palco is right in the heart of Cangas and serves a selection of more than 200 wines, typical Spanish tapas featuring different cheeses and meats, several varieties of toasts and succulent skewers of meat and fish with ingredients from local production. I chose a vegetable toast with gratinated goat cheese, followed by fabada, the hearty Asturian bean stew.
After this delicious lunch I had to head back to the hotel to grab my umbrella because it had started to rain now. Now properly equipped for this weather, I set off on this afternoon’s excursions. My destination was the tiny village of Covadonga, one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Asturias.
Covadonga played an important role as the site of the Battle of Covadonga which the Iberian Christians won over the occupying Moors in 722 AD. This event started the Reconquest, a 770 year endeavour to expel the Moors from Spain. The village is anchored by the Lady of Covadonga, a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary who was believed to have miraculously aided the Christians in their fight against the Moors. It is said that Don Pelayo, who led the Christian forces, retreated to a cave in the remote mountains of Asturias where a hermit had hidden away a statue of the Virgin Mary. He prayed to the Virgin for victory, and with Mary’s help Don Pelayo’s troops were successful in vanquishing the Moorish conquerors.
A shrine was dedicated to this miracle but it was destroyed by fire in 1777. The shrine was eventually replaced by a huge Basilica that was consecrated in 1901 after 24 years of construction. Built entirely of pink limestone, this impressive church has become the most important pilgrimage destination in Asturias. The nearby Holy Cave holds the current statue of Our Lady of Covadonga, which dates to the 16h century. Embedded within the steep mountains, Covadonga is a phenomenal site and I counted myself lucky to visit during low season because this village definitely teems with busloads of tourists during the busy summer months.
The walk up a winding road from the car park was pretty interesting in itself. I walked past a series of souvenir stalls, which sell religious gift and local mementos. Two large stone carved lions flank the entrance to the walk up to the Holy Cave which holds the tomb of Don Pelayo. The Museo of Covadonga explains the history of this significant location and the 4-star Gran Hotel Pelayo offers luxurious accommodation right next to this sacred place. The courtyard in front of the basilica houses the chapter house, and a bronze statue of Don Pelayo.
After leaving the most visited monument in Asturias, I continued my drive up the mountains. The western massif of the Picos de Europa was declared a National Park in 1918, the first national park in Spain and it was expanded in 1995 to include an even larger part of this mountain range that spans the Spanish provinces of Asturias, Cantabria and León. Due to its unique fauna and flora, it is also a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This area is unique because it represents the northern limit of many Mediterranean animal species, and the southern limit of many species native to northern Europe. Indigenous species include the Cantabrian capercaille, the Cantabrian brown bear, the Cantabrian chamois, the grey partridge, the Iberian wolf, and various birds of prey.
I wanted to head to two glacial mountain lakes, Lake Ercina and Lake Enol, but as I ascended the mountain I was surrounded by thick fog and drizzle. Even if I had made it to the top I would have absolutely had no view, which was a big disappointment. The vista from the Lagos de Covadonga is supposed to be stunning, but it was not to be today. I did, however, find out that the road I was driving on is part of the famous Vuelta de España, the Spanish equivalent of the Tour de France. The Lagos de Covadonga section is the most important climb of this professional bicycle race. With its length of 12.6 kilometers and its 7.3% average incline, it represents the most demanding section of the entire race. One 800 meter section of this road even features a 15% incline!
Frustrated by the weather, the lack of visibility and chilled to the bone I made my way back to the Hotel La Cepada to relax and warm up for a few hours in my comfortable room. In the evening I decided to stay in and explore the cuisine in the onsite restaurant called El Cenador de los Canónigos. Even the Prince of Asturias and his wife have enjoyed a meal here at the Hotel La Cepada!
Elena, one of the hotel employees, gave me a brief tour of the hotel and welcomed me warmly to the restaurant. I asked for her recommendation and she suggested that I try “merluza con patatas”, a delicious grilled hake with fresh potatoes.
For dessert I splurged on a millefeuille with hazelnut ice cream and enjoyed the night-time view over Cangas de Onís. Hoping that the weather would be better tomorrow for my activities in the Picos de Europa, I retreated to my room and enjoyed a bit of Spanish television before resting up for a busy day.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Spain Travel – Asturias: Exploring Cangas de Onís and Covadonga_44723.aspx
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Author Resource :
Susanne Pacher is a Travel Journalist specializing in Unconventional Travel you can get tons of great unconventional and unique travel information and tips if you Click Here
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Keywords :
Travel Adventures, Travel and Transitions, contest, travel tips, travel guides, travel stories, photos, insighst, reflections,
Category :
Travel and Leisure
:
Travel Tips
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