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Asturian Towns: Cangas de Onis – Gateway to the Picos

May 11, 2023 by Leave a Comment

In the heart of the eastern part of Asturias, the town of Cangas de Onis is a beautiful destination that is rich in history and natural beauty. From its stunning medieval bridge to its vibrant cultural scene and outdoor recreation opportunities, this charming town has something to offer every traveler.

One of the most iconic landmarks in Cangas de Onis is the Roman Bridge, which dates back to the 1st century AD and is one of the oldest bridges in Spain. The bridge is a testament to the town’s long and storied history, and visitors can take a stroll across it to soak up the views of the surrounding countryside. In addition to the bridge, the town is home to several other historic landmarks, including the 12th-century Church of Santa Maria, which features a stunning Romanesque façade and intricate carvings.

Beyond its historic attractions, Cangas de Onis is also a hub for culture and the arts. The town is home to several museums and cultural centers, including the Museum of the Covadonga Shrine, which explores the history and religious significance of the nearby shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga. Covadonga is known for its stunning natural beauty and incredible architecture, one of the most popular attractions in Covadonga being the Basilica of Santa Maria la Real de Covadonga. This impressive structure was built in the late 19th century and is dedicated to Our Lady of Covadonga, who is regarded as the patron saint of Asturias. The town is also close to the Covadonga Lakes, which are a popular and stunning visitor attraction.

The basilica at Covadonga

For those who love the great outdoors, Cangas de Onis is a paradise. The town is known as the gateway to the Picos de Europa mountain range, which offers a wealth of opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and other outdoor activities. From the challenging summit of Pico Urriellu to the gentle slopes of the Ruta del Cares, there are trails and routes to suit every level of fitness and experience.

Cangas de Onis town centre is filled with stunning buildings

Cangas de Onis is also famous for its gastronomy. The town is home to a range of traditional Asturian restaurants and cider houses, where visitors can sample the region’s hearty and flavorful cuisine. Some of the local specialties include fabada (a hearty bean stew), cachopo (a breaded and fried meat dish), and of course, sidra (a crisp, refreshing apple cider). The town is also home to several local markets, where visitors can purchase fresh produce, cheeses, and other artisanal products.

Overall, Cangas de Onis is a hidden gem in the heart of Asturias that offers visitors a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Whether you’re interested in exploring the town’s rich heritage, immersing yourself in its vibrant cultural scene, or simply enjoying the great outdoors, Cangas de Onis is a destination that should not be missed. With its stunning Roman bridge, delicious cuisine, and exciting events, this charming town is a true gem of the Asturias region.

Living close to Cangas de Onis can give you the best of both worlds – a peaceful and beautiful home in amazing countryside but with the convenience of a bustling town nearby. Some of the properties we have available in the vicinity are:
A hidden gem tucked away just above the town…

A luxury villa with swimming pool and private access to the river…

A detached stone-built house in 9000m2 of land with its own forest

You can check out our blog about the neighbouring town of Arriondas here…

 

 

Filed Under: Asturias, Asturias towns, Life in Asturias Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Winter in Asturias

January 17, 2023 by Leave a Comment

As we enter the second half of January, winter is finally arriving here in northern Spain. Over the weekend, from our home high in the Cordillera Cantábrica mountains of central Asturias, we watched a steady trip-trap of horses being led down from their grazing on the high plateaus, as farmers prepped for the predicted arrival of Storm Gérard. Our house is at 700m above sea level  and we are surrounded by high mountain passes and even higher peaks so it’s a great spot from which to witness the unfurling of winter. 

Given the forecast we decided to undertake the same pilgrimage as our farming neighbours, up onto one of those high plateaus. Our hike up to the Braña of Vicecenturo (approx 1,300m altitude) from the Puerto de Marabio (1,000m alt.) was, however, for pure pleasure; to simply breathe in the fresh mountain air and drink in the spectacular views before Gérard would keep us indoors for a few days. Here’s a selection of snaps from Saturday:

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Sure enough, today rain and wind have raged and the rivers are running in full spate, mini waterfalls sprout at the sides of the road that cuts through the steep-sided gorge at the bottom of our valley. On the early morning school run we passed the snow plough heading towards Puerto Ventana, on the border with León, where the snow will already be fast accumulating. 

Our usually spectacular views have been obscured and it’s been a great day for head-down office work, cracking on with all those mundane Monday tasks.  And all the while we are happy in the knowledge that when the rain does stop and the sun comes out it will be to dazzle upon gleaming white-capped peaks.

The excitement is palpable within the large winter and mountain sports community who have had to wait longer than usual for their playground to come into condition. The ski stations are scheduled to open on the weekend and the cross-country skiers and snowshoers will be out in force all over the Cordillera!

P.S. We know that weather and climate is a fascination for anyone with an interest in Asturias. Would you like to see more weather-related posts to get a feel for what the lived experience is? Please put your questions and suggestions below in the comments or email us at info@spanishpropertynorth.com

P.P.S. If you fancy visiting the trails and crags of Teverga for yourself then check out our holiday rental apartment in the heart of San Martín de Teverga

Below are some photos from the last big snow we had, in January 2021 when Storm Filomena passed through and when we got out snowshoeing at Marabio.

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Filed Under: Asturias, Life in Asturias, Weather and climate Tagged With: , , ,

More than just an estate agent…

March 14, 2017 by

I’ve never liked the term ‘estate agent’. There are far too many negative stereotypes associated with it. I am not that person. So I was delighted to read this piece written by some Danish clients of mine and find that they had coined a new title for me. Ambassador? I’ll take that…. 🙂

Read their beautifully written story here – and get inspired!

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We are Signe, Tarje and Roar, Danes and recent homeowners in the rocky part of Asturias; Quiros. We met Mary more or less by chance after having spent half a year on the road with our baby Roar. Before that we were working as respectively an academic and a nurse, but we have always had that nagging feeling that fulfilling the ideals of society was properly not the road to meaningful and happy lives for us. The courage to do something about it, however, only came with parenthood. And while it does take a lot of courage to break away from your routine, we have learned along the way that the shackles don’t just fall off simply because you start to rattle.

We had an idea that we wanted to find a place in Catalunya – and start building towards self-sustainability. However, while Spain is littered with old ruins in need of love – finding a suitable one for sale turned out to be an insurmountable task. While we liked the experience, Catalunya seem to be hit hard by drought-spells and increasing heat – and didn’t really feel like home to us. With a few rock climbing images from Asturias, our heads turned west, and the lushness here immediately felt right.

It is only after you have gone through the process yourself you realize how much work Mary has put into finding properties suitable for expats. Mary calls herself an estate agent, but we feel a more descriptive title would be ambassador. Of course she runs a business, but you can immediately tell her main focus isn’t improving her own margins, but bridging the substantial cultural gap it is for northern Europeans to buy property in Spain.

One show of the abandoned village Eros – halfway up a mountain – and we were sold. We are now a few months in, the house seems to have stopped crumbling down – the once omnipresent brambles are starting to reappear less and less and we are making the first moves at making our house liveable and our garden edible.

 

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Sun and ski – a February half-term holiday in Asturias

March 2, 2017 by

If you’re a regular reader of our blog you may already have met Mick Wyldbore-Wood as he previously shared his experience of buying a house through us. Well, it’s not quite a year since he completed his purchase and last week I was thrilled to see via Facebook just how much he and his family are enjoying their new property in Asturias.

A half-term break in February might not sound like the most promising time for a holiday in northern Spain but parents can’t be choosers. The Wyldbore-Woods are an intrepid bunch anyway and wouldn’t let the potential for some wintry weather put them off – in fact, they came fully equipped for skiing and hoping for snow. The mountains didn’t let them down and they managed to check out the three (yes, three!) nearest ski stations on different days and much to the kids’ delight.

Best of all they got to intersperse their days skiing with days at the beach soaking up some glorious winter sun in temperatures akin to a fine British summer’s day. With the mountains and the sea within an hour and a half’s drive of each other in Asturias, it’s a great combination for active holidaymakers. It’s even perfectly possible to ski and surf in the same day if you’re feeling particularly energetic!

It certainly means you can cram an awful lot into a relatively short holiday and that’s before we mention the wonderful regional cuisine. Mick and Claire were lucky enough to sneak in a romantic Valentine’s dinner at the Michelin-starred El Corral del Indianu in Arriondas. Definitely one for the bucket list.

Big thanks to the Wyldbore-Woods for sharing their fab video of their half-term break in Asturias with us! How much does it make you want your own holiday home in Asturias?!

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Escape to the Continent

June 13, 2015 by

We’ve been really looking forward to watching the Asturias episode of BBC’s ‘Escape to the Continent’ since we helped the production team with filming last October. Yesterday our long wait came to an end and we have to say it was worth the wait. If you haven’t seen it already then check it out on BBC iplayer.

Magical morning views from one of the properties featured in the show

Magical morning views from one of the properties featured in the show

If you don’t know Asturias very well then it’s an excellent, highly visual introduction to the region as well as to the Asturian property market. If you’re already a fan of the area then you can just sit back and enjoy the spectacular scenery whilst keeping a beady eye out for places and people you recognize!

And if the show gets you itching to buy one of the properties featured I can tell you *SPOILER ALERT* that two of the properties are still available for sale. And one of them has just had a big price drop, making it even more attractive. Look away now if you don’t want to know which one 😉

Now on at €130,000!

Now on at €130,000! Eco water mill in Pilona Our reference MR340

If you want to know more about the water mill for sale near Sevares then click here. And if you’re hankering after those spectacular views of the Picos de Europa mountains that you got from the glass-fronted galeria of the house in Cabranes then*Update* This property has now sold!* Or if you’d like to find out more about any aspect of buying property in Asturias or the realities of life as an ex-pat here then do feel free to get in touch. We’re always happy to help!

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El Jardinero Inglés – The English Gardener

April 6, 2015 by

There was great excitement today at Spanish Property North headquarters when this large, purple truck pulled up at our door.

IMG_3089.JPGThe cavalry had arrived.

But before I explain, let me first tell you a cautionary tale of an over-optimistic, overly-romantic ex-pat, with eyes bigger than her belly, who took on too much land, with too little knowledge and quickly found herself in a pickle, with weeds and brambles threatening to consume all before them. Armed only with a whimsical scythe our heroine was quickly overwhelmed.

So I she did the obvious thing. Ignored it all. Gaining a permanent crick in her neck from avoiding looking at the disaster that was her hopefully envisioned garden field. The thing is, the climate in Asturias is perfect for growing. It really is. The only problem is that if you don’t plant up and manage your land cleverly then nature will take over. If you don’t decide what grows, then she will. And she does seem to have a perverse liking for brambles and nettles and other unpleasantries. Punishment for neglect, I guess.

The good news is that there is no need to suffer in this way. Help is at hand. If you, like I, don’t have the necessary tools, time or training to get the best out of your garden (or field!) you can do what I did and call in ‘El Jardinero Inglés’ (The English Gardener – an added bonus for newly-arrived expats, the boss is English so no language difficulties to navigate).

I have to say, it’s one of those things you just wish you’d done sooner. I’ve seen that big, branded purple van knocking about for years now and yet it was only last week that I got around to ringing the number and asking for help. I think I thought they just specialized in bigger, posher jobs than mine. Turns out, if it’s a garden or growing related job then they can turn their hand to it. And all for a very reasonable price. Highly recommended.

Watch out for photos of my newly-scalped (and accessible!!) field coming soon to a social media account near you…

 

 

Filed Under: Life in Asturias Tagged With: , , ,

Photos from the School Run

September 26, 2014 by

Autumn is in the air. Finally, there is a fresh crispness to the temperatures and a faint russet tone is creeping into the woodlands. Sweet chestnuts are starting to appear underfoot. Soon amaguestu will be upon us. Families are slowly settling back into the school routine, having started back on September 11th after a lengthy 3 month summer holiday.

Once again we are slaves to the alarm clock. We must be breakfasted, presentable and assembled at the bus stop by eight thirty a.m.  And make no mistake about it, here in Spain eight thirty in the morning is pretty much right next door to the middle of the night. The Spanish are not naturally early risers.

Still, for me anyway, the pain of the early start is completely anaesthetized by the glorious beauty of the school run. As my son happily rides his first bike the 500 or so metres to the bus stop, I stride briskly alongside him, hand at the ready for the occasional quick shove on the steeper sections, my head raised to take in the views on all sides.

The photos below were all snapped on yesterday and today’s school run, on my iphone. Not a bad way to start the day, eh?

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If you fancy swapping your school run for one with a better outlook, check out this lovely family home with views to the Picos and woodland paths on the doorstep.

Gorgeous traditional house in idyllic location

Gorgeous traditional house in idyllic location

 

 

 

 

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Asturian Still Life

August 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment

IMG_1612.JPG I took this snap on my phone yesterday as I wandered back from my neighbours’ house at twilight. It’s a bench that sits on the side of the road a few metres from our house. The Asturian countryside has a high bench to people ratio. In our tiny hamlet there is a total of 4 benches and a permanent adult population of 18. Benches are, of course, for sitting on. This one, as you can probably make out from the photo, is under a large fig tree and is the perfect spot to rest out of the heat of the midday sun and to while away half an hour or so, watching the world go (slowly) by or chatting to a friend. A few metres away around the corner in the plazuela (not quite so big or grand as a village square) is another, shadeless, bench; better suited to cooler winter days when there is nothing more nourishing to soul and body than to sit for a while with face upturned to the sun. But back to this bench. Alongside the fig leaf you see poking through the back slats is a well-ripened pepper and underneath the seat is a pair of discarded clogs, both indicators of its location next to the entrance of my neighbour’s huerta (veggie plot). This is the spot where she kicks off her ‘madrenas’ as she exits the field. These Asturian clogs, with their stilts for traction and to keep them out of the mud and their ample size to accommodate the wearing of slippers within, may be funky looking but they are eminently practical. (Before you ask, no, I haven’t got a pair. I haven’t *quite* worked up the courage yet. For now I’m sticking to wellies.) I’ll often see Rosi’s impressive harvest haul piled high here before she stores it in the barn or leaves it to dry under the eaves of the horreo. Often she’ll leave some fresh pickings on the bench for me to take for our tea. It sure beats the supermarket. If you fancy some bench-sitting in Asturias yourself why not take a look at some of the lovely country houses we have for sale in Asturias. With some land to work you’ll have a great excuse to buy yourself some clogs!

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Latest Price Reductions

March 17, 2014 by

Finally, the market seems to be picking up. A combination of returning confidence, impatience on the part of buyers who want to move on with their plans and increasingly keen pricing has seen very encouraging levels of sales in the first quarter of 2014. Looking at some of the latest price reductions it’s no wonder that property is starting to move. These beauties are definitely priced to sell.

Country house hotel. Price slashed. Originally in excess of €700,000 now just €350,000

Country house hotel. Price slashed. Originally in excess of €700,000 now just €350,000 Ref C183

 

Traditional Asturian house for sale in Villaviciosa

Detached traditional Asturian house set in walled, mature gardens Ref MR898 €130,000

 

Gorgeous stone built house in stunning mountain location

Gorgeous stone built house in stunning mountain location. Asking price slashed by over €100,000 Ref MR1011

 

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