"Asturias/Asturies "Paraiso Natural"" Top 5 Page for this destination Asturias by asturnut

Several years ago I fell in love with a little part of Spain no one has ever heard of. When most people envision Spain, they think of places like Sevilla, Madrid, Cordoba and Barcelona. Images of a hot, dry landscape, flamenco music, paella, bullfights and soccer come to mind. A land full of the mysterious influence of the Moors, Jews and other Arabs was what I envisioned. What I found instead, was a mountainous, lush green paradise, "Pariaso Natural," Asturias.

Asturias, is a small autonomous principality in the northermost portion of Spain flanked by the mountains in the south and the sea to the north. The location protected Asturias from the influence of many of the invaders that have flowed through the rest of Spain throughout the centuries. Unlike other parts of Spain, invaders from the NORTH made their lasting mark in Asturias. The result is a folk-culture, music and cuisine that is distinct from that of the rest of Spain. Visitors to the region (rare as they are) are often surprised by how Asturias, both in climate and culture reminds them of what they would expect to find in Ireland or Scotland. Because of the sheltered location of Asturias, the Celtic influence planted there years thousands of years ago remains an intregal part of the Asturian identity even today.

Asturies and the rest of northern Spain is an excellent choice for "travelers" not "tourists". It's an excellent destination for rural tourism, which has been uncorrupted by the tourism industry. Visitors and travelers to Asturies will not be disappointed by her ancient ruins, modern cities, warm people, fascinating folk-culture & music, wonderful food, unspoiled beaches and vibrant nightlife.

Thanks to Jorge Tutor for this spectacular photo of the Pifcos de Europa. For more wonderful pictures from all over the world, visit his website www.jorgetutor.com

Typical country home in the mountains

The north of Spain has the beautiful Picos de Europa running through it. This long mountain range has long isolated the inhabitants of this area from outside influence. For this reason you will observe that the cultures of the various regions of this area vary greatly from the south of Spain and even in cuisine, cultures and language from region to region (particulary Pais Vasco-Basque land.) The beautiful Picos de Europa provide wonderful sightseeing, skiing and hiking.

(photo: Uncle Xose's country house in the mountains.)

Rocky Asturian coastline in Cudillero

With over 300 km of coastline Asturias has some wonderful beaches. Although they are not "mediterranean" beaches, the Cantabrian Sea running along the northern coast of Spain has provided the area with some great beaches and wonderful vistas. The Asturian coastline is varied- some beaches are sprawling with massive sandy beaches for sunning and swimming, others are small and private, others have rocky cliffs that offer a spectacular view. There are many, lesser known beaches that have some very impressive rock formations and caves all carved by the hands of the sea. One thing is for sure-- in Asturias no two beaches are the same!

Information about Asturias:
The following include information about accomodations, museums, parks, beaches etc. Unfortunately only in Spanish (unless otherwise noted), but you can use an online translator like www.freetranslation.com and have no problem!

www.asturiasdigital.com -- Asturias Digital is a great website, one of my favorites. You can sign up and they will e-mail you a gorgeous photo of Asturias everyday.

www.ventananorte.com -- Ventana Norte is my new favorite! Lots of pictures.

www.principadodeasturias.com -- PrincipadodeAsturias.com is the premier site for information for tourists about Asturias. For example: It lists every beach and gives specific details about each one. Includes info about food, recreation, accomodations, maps, etc.

www.asturtravel.com --
all kinds of information for the traveler about Asturias. Includes lots of info about nature travel.

www.infoasturias.com -- InfoAsturias, a very comprehensive site, recommended by my Asturian friend.

Asturian periodicals online:
www.lanuevaespana.es/turismo -- La Nueva Espana is a very good newspaper and it's a good site
www.lavozdeasturias.com -- La Voz de Asturias is a difficult site to navigate, but it has some some great 360 degree panoramic photos.

• Pros:Amazing food, people & landscape.
• Cons:I can't think of a single con.
• In a nutshell:The best of all worlds...