Page 111 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

ASTURIAS AND C ANT ABRIA  109

Church and cemetery overlooking the sea from the headland at Luarca
lively town of Llanes. Among the Environs town hides a medieval heart
attractions of this old forti fied The large Parque Natural de of some char acter, especially
seaport, with its dramatic Somiedo straddles the moun- around the Plaza de España.
mountain backdrop, are ruined tains bordering León. Its high The Iglesia de San Nicolás Bari is
ramparts and good beaches. meadows and forests are a decorat ed with frescoes and has
sanctuary for wolves, brown a Renaissance cloister. The
bears and capercaillies, as well Iglesia de Padres Franciscanos
4 Teverga as a number of rare species of contains a fine 14th-century
wild flowers. chapel and holds the tomb of
Asturias. * 1,700. @ La Plaza.
n Dr García Miranda s/n, San Martin The park has 4 glacial lakes, the first Governor of the US state
de Teverga, 985 76 42 93. Open 15 and is peppered with herds- of Florida. All around are arcaded
Jun–15 Sep: Tue–Sun; rest of year: Sat men’s traditional thatched huts, streets. The international airport
& Sun only. ∑ tevergaturismo.com known as teitos (see p31). outside Avilés serves all Asturias.
This area is rich in scenery,
wildlife and ancient churches. 5 Avilés 6 Gijón
Near the southern end of the Asturias. * 80,100. k £ @ n Asturias. * 273,000. £ @
Teverga gorge is La Plaza. Its Calle Ruîz Gómez 21, 985 54 43 25. ( n Puerto Deportivo, Espigón Central
church, Iglesia de San Pedro de Mon. _ San Agustín (last week Aug). de Fomento, 985 34 17 71. ( Sun.
Teverga, is a fine example of _ Semana Negra (mid-Jul), La Virgen
Romanesque architecture. West Avilés became the capital of de Begoña (15 Aug). ∑ gijon.info
of La Plaza is Villanueva, with Asturias’ steel industry in the
its Romanesque Iglesia de 1800s and is still ringed by big The province’s largest city, this
Santa María. The 20-km (12-mile) factories. Even though it is industrial port has been much
Senda del Oso path skirts the sometimes criti cized for having rebuilt since the Civil War when it
edge of a bear enclosure. little to offer the visitor, the was bombarded by the Nationalist
navy. The city’s most famous son
is Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos,
an eminent 18th-century author,
reformer and diplomat.
Gijon’s Old Town is on a small
isthmus and headland. It
centres on the arcaded Plaza
Mayor and the 18th-century
Palacio de Revillagigedo, a
Neo-Renaissance folly now
housing a cultural centre. The
beach is popular in summer.
P Palacio de Revillagigedo/
Centro Cultural Cajastur
Plaza del Marqués 2. Tel 985 34 69 21.
Open Tue–Sun for temporary
The pretty 12th-century Iglesia de San Pedro at La Plaza exhibitions. 7

108-109_EW_Spain.indd 109 26/09/17 11:00 am