Cangas de Onis: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
In the early 8th century, a few years after the Muslim conquest, an Asturian noble called Pelayo beat a Muslim force in the gorge at Covadonga. Spanish tradition counts that victory as the start of the Reconquista, and Cangas de Onís became the first capital of the little kingdom that grew from it. This route links the town's old stones to the cave where the story is set. Half a day by car; the cave and basilica are busiest at Sunday mass.
A short history of Cangas de Onis
Cangas de Onís was the first capital of the Kingdom of Asturias, the Christian kingdom that arose in northern Spain after the Muslim conquest. In 722, according to tradition, Pelagius won the Battle of Covadonga, about ten kilometres from here, and it is from this that Spaniards begin counting the Reconquista. The capital moved away as early as the 8th century, and the town remained a small centre of a mountain valley. Over the River Sella stands a medieval bridge with a pointed arch, known as the 'Roman bridge', with the Victory Cross hanging beneath it. In 1918 the mountains above Covadonga were declared Spain's first national park, later enlarged into the Picos de Europa National Park.
The ten best sights in Cangas de Onis
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1Chapel of Santa Cruz
A small chapel built on top of a prehistoric dolmen, which you can see inside
2Holy Cave of CovadongaThe cave shrine where the Kingdom of Asturias began; 15 minutes by car
3Basilica of CovadongaPink limestone basilica above the cave; busy on weekends
4Monastery of San Pedro de VillanuevaRomanesque monastery by the Sella, now a parador; look at the carved portal
5El Buxu CaveSmall cave with Ice Age engravings; very few visitors a day, book ahead
6Cabrales Cheese CaveHow the blue cheese of the valley ripens in caves, with tasting
7Tito Bustillo CaveOne of the great painted caves of Spain, in Ribadesella; places are limited
8Jurassic Museum of AsturiasDinosaur museum on the cliffs at Colunga, 30 minutes away
9Roman BridgeThe town's symbol, with a cross hanging under its arch; best from the riverbank
10Lake EnolThe first of the Covadonga lakes, at about 1,000 metres; cars are restricted in high season
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Cangas de Onis →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Cangas de Onis:
Free walking tours in Cangas de Onis
Where Spain began again
In the early 8th century, a few years after the Muslim conquest, an Asturian noble called Pelayo beat a Muslim force in the gorge at Covadonga. Spanish tradition counts that victory as the start of the Reconquista, and Cangas de Onís became the first capital of the little kingdom that grew from it. This route links the town's old stones to the cave where the story is set. Half a day by car; the cave and basilica are busiest at Sunday mass.
- Roman Bridge · Despite its name the bridge is medieval, built long after the Romans left. The cross hanging under the high central arch is a copy of the Victory Cross, the jewelled cross that tradition says Pelayo carried at Covadonga; the original is in Oviedo cathedral.
- Chapel of Santa Cruz · An inscription says King Favila, Pelayo's son, founded a church here in 737, on top of a burial mound thousands of years older. The chapel was destroyed in 1936 and rebuilt, and through the floor you can still see the stones of the dolmen.
- Monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva · Favila did not reign long: in 739 he was killed by a bear while hunting. One of the carved capitals on the monastery's Romanesque portal shows the scene, and the monastery is now a parador hotel.
- El Buxu Cave · Long before any kingdom, Ice Age hunters engraved deer, horses and a bison on the walls of this small cave. Only a handful of visitors are let in each day, to protect the air inside.
- Holy Cave of Covadonga · The chapel sits in a cave in the cliff above a waterfall, and holds the statue of the Virgin that Asturians call La Santina. A plain tomb inside is said to be Pelayo's.
- Basilica of Covadonga · The neo-Romanesque basilica was built between 1877 and 1901 from a pinkish local limestone. In front of it stands a statue of Pelayo, and the terrace looks down the valley he is said to have defended.
Into the Picos
The Picos de Europa rise straight behind Cangas, and in 1918 their western massif became Spain's first national park. This route climbs first to the glacial lakes above Covadonga, then crosses to the Cabrales valley, where the cheese ripens in caves and a famous path cuts through a gorge. It is a long day of mountain roads; start early, carry layers, and check whether the lakes road is closed to cars that day.
- Mirador de la Reina · The 'Queen's viewpoint' on the road up to the lakes looks north over a sea of limestone ridges towards the coast. It is a good place to judge the weather: if cloud is filling the valleys here, the lakes above may be clear.
- Lake Enol · The lake was left by a glacier and sits at about 1,000 metres. Cows graze its shores in summer, and every year a statue of the Virgin of Covadonga is carried from the lake bottom for a festival — it is kept under the water the rest of the time.
- Pedro Pidal Visitor Centre · The centre is named after Pedro Pidal, the hunter and politician who pushed the 1918 law creating the park. In 1904 he and the shepherd Gregorio Pérez made the first ascent of the Naranjo de Bulnes, the most famous peak in the range.
- Lake Ercina · A short walk from Enol, Ercina is shallower and wider, with the high peaks behind it. From here marked paths lead into the mountains; even a 20-minute walk takes you away from the car park crowds.
- Cabrales Cheese Cave · Cabrales is a blue cheese made from raw milk and ripened for months in natural limestone caves, where the cool, damp air lets the blue mould develop. The exhibition in Arenas recreates such a cave and ends with a tasting.
- Cares Trail at Poncebos · The 12-km path to Caín follows a water channel cut into the cliffs between 1916 and 1921 for a hydroelectric plant. It is mostly level but has sheer drops and no railings in places; walk the first hour and turn back if you are short of time.
Down the Sella to the sea
The Sella river flows from Cangas to the sea at Ribadesella, and every August thousands of canoes race down it in the Descent of the Sella, with a party along the banks. This route follows the river to the coast and then east along cliffs, coves and beaches. About 120 km in all; the blowholes are only worth it in rough seas, and the caves need a booking.
- Mirador del Fitu · From the concrete tower on top of the Sueve range you see the coast on one side and the wall of the Picos on the other. On clear days it is one of the widest views in Asturias, and it is only a short drive off the road to the coast.
- Tito Bustillo Cave · Young cavers found the painted chamber in 1968, and named the cave after Celestino 'Tito' Bustillo, one of their group, who died in a mountain accident shortly after. The red and black horses and deer are among the finest Ice Age paintings in Spain.
- Santa Marina Beach · Ribadesella's town beach is lined with the villas of emigrants who came back rich from the Americas. At its western end, dinosaur footprints have been found in the rocks, part of the 'Jurassic coast' of Asturias.
- Bufones de Pría · The sea has carved shafts through the limestone cliff, and when big waves hit, water and air blast out of holes in the meadow above with a roar. On calm days you hear only a sigh, so check the swell before driving out.
- Gulpiyuri Beach · This beach lies in a hollow in a field, about 100 metres from the shore. Sea water reaches it through a tunnel under the rock, so it has real tides and waves although you cannot see the sea from the sand.
- Cubes of Memory, Llanes · The Basque artist Agustín Ibarrola painted the concrete blocks of the Llanes breakwater in bright colours in the early 2000s. The work turned a harbour defence into the town's most photographed sight.
Getting to Cangas de Onis and getting around
- Ribadesella Station · The nearest coastal rail stop, about 25 minutes by car; slow narrow-gauge trains
- Arriondas Bus Station · Buses to Oviedo and the coast; Cangas is 6 km up the valley
Cheap eats in Cangas de Onis
Asturias is cider country, and its food is built to go with it: fabada, a rich stew of large white beans with chorizo and black pudding, and cachopo, two veal fillets with ham and cheese, breaded and fried. Cangas adds the blue cheeses of the Picos. For the road, churros and pastries are cheap, and a sidrería serves raciones, plates to share, at any hour of the evening.
- Churrería El Rincón de las Delicias · Churros and hot chocolate, about 3-5 €
- Churrería Maguerit · Churros for breakfast before the mountains, about 3-5 €
- Panadería Mon · Bread and pastries for a picnic at the lakes, about 1-4 €
- Peñalver · Pastry shop; a cake or a box of sweets, about 2-10 €
- Sidrería La Cueva · A bottle of cider poured from a height, about 3-4 €
- Cremela · Ice cream near the bridge, about 3-4 €
- Café Bar El Secreto · Coffee and a pincho by the river, about 2-4 €
Museums in Cangas de Onis
- Tito Bustillo Cave and Centre · Painted cave plus a museum next door; book the cave well ahead
- Jurassic Museum of Asturias · Dinosaur skeletons in a building shaped like a giant footprint
- Cabrales Cheese Cave · A walk through a cheese-ripening cave, with tasting
- Pedro Pidal Visitor Centre · The story of the national park, beside the lakes
- Chapel of Santa Cruz · A dolmen under a chapel, a short walk from the bridge
Nature and day trips near Cangas de Onis
- Lakes of Covadonga · Two glacial lakes at 1,000 metres; shuttle bus in high season
- Cares Gorge · The divine gorge: a path cut into the cliff wall above the river
- Bufones de Pría · Blowholes that roar on stormy days; stay behind the walls
- Gulpiyuri Beach · An inland beach fed by a tunnel from the sea
- Desfiladero de los Beyos · A gorge road along the Sella south of Cangas
- Mirador del Fitu · Sea and mountains from one tower
Things to do in Cangas de Onis with kids
- Jurassic Museum of Asturias · Life-size dinosaurs; the best rainy-day plan in the area
- Dinosaur tracks at La Griega · Giant sauropod footprints on the rocks at low tide
- Bulnes Funicular · Seven minutes inside the mountain to a car-free village
- Santa Marina Beach · A long, safe town beach in Ribadesella
- Roman Bridge · Climb the hump and spot the hanging cross
Where to eat in Cangas de Onis
- Sidrería Vega Redonda · Cider house with Asturian classics
- Casa Dago · Restaurant in an old house in the centre
- Mesón El Puente Romano · Dinner beside the bridge
- Sidrería Los Arcos · Cider and raciones near the town hall square
- El Molín de la Pedrera · Regional dishes in the centre
- Sidrería El Polesu · Cider house at the eastern end of town
Frequently asked questions about Cangas de Onis
What is there to see in Cangas de Onis?
The top sights in Cangas de Onis are Chapel of Santa Cruz, Holy Cave of Covadonga and Basilica of Covadonga. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Cangas de Onis?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Cangas de Onis without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Cangas de Onis?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Cangas de Onis, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Where Spain began again.
How do you get to Cangas de Onis and get around?
The main ways are Ribadesella Station and Arriondas Bus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Cangas de Onis, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Cangas de Onis that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Cangas de Onis for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.