"Boñar, Leon, Spain" Boñar by asturnut

Me in Bonar picking wild-flowers in the park

I stayed in the province of Castilla-Leon for about a month in the summer of 1995 and a week in August of 1996 (I missed out on a chance to sing back-up for Barry Manilow to be in Leon that week!) I stayed in a small town called Boñar. During the off season, Boñar only has a population of 2000 people. During the summer it's a little more. Most of the nearby villages has 100 or fewer inhabitants. The smallest, Orones only has a population of 11 (and I think that might count the town cow!) So, Boñar is pretty remote away from the hustle and bustle. It's nice and quiet, where a lot of people from Asturias have houses for summer vacation to get away from the cramped living conditions in Asturian cities.

Map of Boñar

There's not a tremendous amount of distractions in Boñar, except make friends and hang out. This is a great place to experience
"real" rural life in Spain. There are no movie theaters or shopping malls or anything to distract you from really getting a feel for the true heart of the Spanish people and the way of life. I had a really great time there just getting to know people.

If you have a reason to be passing through the area (hiking, biking, etc) or are looking to ski, Boñar is a wonderful place to stop and relax.

As you can see by the map Boñar is quite a small town and is navigable by foot and bike.

• Pros:Fantastic people, nature
• Cons:Not a lot of action
• In a nutshell:Real, untouristy Spain.