Costa Verde Route: Llanes

Llanes is a municipality in the autonomous community of the Principality of Asturias and is famous for being one of the municipalities that best preserves the tourist tradition of Asturias. Its old town, declared a Historic-Artistic Site, is one of the best-preserved in the Principality and retains examples of civil, religious, and military architecture.

In Llanes, you can engage in numerous activities, from enjoying its nature trails with unique landscapes to visiting its more than 30 beaches, dreamy coves, and sandy areas. You can explore its tradition, history, and culture and visit its golf course, one of the best in northern Spain.

Additionally, Llanes boasts a variety of attractions, as mentioned earlier, including its old town where you can find the walls, the Torreón (tower), and the Basilica of Santa María del Concejo. Other highlights include the port and beaches such as Toró, Puertu Chicu, and Sablón, as well as numerous palaces like Posada Herrera Palace and Duque de Estrada Palace.

The history of the town of Llanes dates back to the 13th century when it gained independence under the reign of Alfonso IX. It was then that the construction of the walls, the Torreón, and the Basilica of Santa María began.

Between the 15th and 18th centuries, it was also a significant port in the fishing industry, trading various products such as salt and its fishing banks where we found numerous species like sardines, red bream, whales, and many other species.

The Costa Verde Express Train is a comfortable and glamorous luxury train that mimics the style of the classic trains from the golden age of railways but with the most current technologies. Thanks to the Costa Verde Express, we will have the opportunity to explore the entire green coast of Spain (Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia), in addition to enjoying its landscapes, culture, and gastronomy. It offers various itineraries between Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela and vice versa; Oviedo to Bilbao and vice versa; and León to Bilbao.

Regarding gastronomy, notable mentions include Llanes cheeses where cider houses and restaurants allow you to enjoy different cheese boards with many varieties, and you can also buy them by weight at the weekly markets. Seafood highlights include shellfish and velvet crabs, although spider crabs, lobsters, and tuna are also common. Lastly, a reference to the sweet treats, including the regional favorites like frixuelos, casadielles, and rice pudding, as well as Peñasanta ice cream and layered cakes made with walnuts or hazelnuts.

The general climate in Asturias is oceanic, with abundant rainfall distributed throughout the year and mild temperatures both in winter and summer. Summers are comfortable and dry; winters are cold and wet, and it is partly cloudy year-round.