Covadonga Sanctuary: Santa Cueva and basilica
1 h 30All audiencesAll year
Visit · 1 h 30 · Free · 8:00 to 20:00 · 8 km from Cangas de Onís
From OviedoAn hour
From Santander1 h 40
CovadongaFree, 8:00 to 20:00
LakesBus compulsory in season
What to do
What to do in Cangas de Onís and Covadonga
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Roman bridge and Santa Cruz chapel in Cangas de Onís
45 minAll audiencesDog-friendlyAll year
Walk · 45 min · Free · The bridge over the Sella and the chapel built on a dolmen
Sunday market in Cangas de Onís
1 hAll audiencesDog-friendlyAll year, on Sundays
Market · 1 h · Sunday morning · Cheeses and garden produce
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Cangas de Onís and Covadonga, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Cangas de Onís and Covadonga
All year for Covadonga. May, June, September and October are the best months for the Lakes, with fewer people and the road open or the bus running. In July and August everything fills up. In winter it can snow up top and fog hides the Lakes.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
Cangas de Onís and Covadonga your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
By car, with a seasonal rule
Cangas de Onís and Covadonga are done by car, except the road to the Lakes on restricted-access days, which is climbed by bus from Cangas. Covadonga is 8 km from the town.
65–130 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepParador de Cangas de Onís…
- Getting aroundA-8 to Arriondas and N-625…
- EatEl Molín de la Pedrera…
- ServicesCovadonga Sanctuary information
Sleep
- Parador de Cangas de Onís, in the Villanueva monastery, with an electric charger
- Hotel Nochendi, in the centre, so you can walk to the Lakes bus
Getting around
- A-8 to Arriondas and N-625 to Cangas
- In season, bus to the Lakes from Cangas
Eat
- El Molín de la Pedrera, in the centre
- El Corral del Indianu, in Arriondas, for a special meal
Services
- Covadonga Sanctuary information
- Bus to the Lakes, in season
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Cangas de Onís and Covadonga for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
A holy cave, a pink basilica and the Sunday market
With children, Covadonga is short and eye-catching: the cave above the waterfall, the coin into the pool and the basilica. Cangas adds the bridge and the Sunday market. If there is energy left, the Lakes are up above.
- What works bestThe Santa Cueva and the…
- SleepHotel Nochendi, in the centre
- EatEl Molín de la Pedrera…
- Bear in mindIn season, you can only…
What works best
- The Santa Cueva and the pool, where you throw a coin
- The Roman bridge in Cangas, with the cross hanging
- The Sunday market
- Level I canyoning with Cangas Aventura, from age 6
Sleep
- Hotel Nochendi, in the centre
- Parador de Cangas de Onís, in Villanueva
Eat
- El Molín de la Pedrera, with half portions
- El Molín de Mingo, a restaurant with a garden
Bear in mind
- In season, you can only go up to the Lakes by bus
- The Santa Cueva has steps: a baby carrier is better than a pushchair
What to do as a family
Covadonga Sanctuary: Santa Cueva and basilica
Roman bridge and Santa Cruz chapel in Cangas de Onís
Sunday market in Cangas de Onís
Mirador de la Reina, on the road to the Lakes
Canyoning in the rivers of eastern Asturias
Sella Adventure Park, a circuit among the trees in Arriondas
Horse Ride along the Royal Road to Isongu and Corao
Canyons, Rafting and Cider in Eastern Asturias
Eastern Asturias brings together in a small space what a group of friends wants for an adventure weekend: a big river, canyons, caves and a cider house where everyone can dine at one table. Cangas de Onís and Arriondas are the base, and the Sella is the thread running through it all. A long weekend is easy to organise: Saturday on the river (canoe or rafting, depending on the water), Sunday a canyon or a cave, and in between, cider and an unhurried dinner. Cangas Aventura organises canyoning, caving and rafting, so it is worth asking about a group price and combining several activities in a single booking.
- What works bestSella canoe descent
- Where to sleepHotel Nochendi
- Where to eatEl Molín de la Pedrera
- Keep in mindRafting depends on the water…
What works best
- The Sella canoe descent, the classic group plan, starting from the Arriondas area
- Rafting on the Sella: eight-person rafts with a guide, from age 14, two hours; only with enough water flow and with a minimum group of four, so it is best if you all go together
- Canyoning in the rivers of the east, level I to III, half a day and from €55
- Caving in a cave in the east, half a day, from age 12 and €35
- The Parque Aventura Sella, two hours of ziplines and Tibetan bridges beside the river, for those who prefer air to water
- Buggy routes around Cangas de Onís, if the group wants an engine
Where to sleep
- The Hotel Nochendi, small, in the centre of Cangas, with twelve rooms, almost all facing the river: ideal if the whole group fits and wants to go out on foot
- For a calmer plan, the Parador de Cangas de Onís, in the monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva, on the banks of the Sella
Where to eat
- El Molín de la Pedrera, a cider house in the centre with Asturian cooking and half portions, made for sharing
- El Molín de Mingo, an eating house in an old mill in Peruyes, among meadows and woodland, with regional cooking
Keep in mind
- Rafting depends on the water flow: ask when booking and keep the canoe or the canyon as an alternative
- Canyons and the canoe require being able to swim and clothes that can get wet
- In August the Descent of the Sella fills the area: book in good time and don't count on parking easily
What to do with friends
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
© ParadoresHotelParador de Cangas de Onís
Why we like it: The former Benedictine monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva, on the banks of the Sella and 2 km from Cangas de Onís: 64 rooms, spa, riverside garden and dogs up to 25 kg.
Small hotel
Hotel Nochendi
Why we like it: Small hotel in the centre of Cangas de Onís, with 12 rooms most of which look onto the river, and the El Molín de la Pedrera restaurant.
From €65
View details
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Cangas de Onís | Bridge, market, restaurants, bus to the Lakes | |
| Covadonga | Santa Cueva, basilica, museum | |
| Villanueva and Arriondas | Parador, the Sella, active tourism |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Cangas de Onís and Covadonga
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
El Molín de la Pedrera
What to order: crunchy Cabrales with hazelnuts, a tapa of fabada and oven-roast shoulder of kid; half portions to try more
The menu marks gluten-free dishes
El Molín de Mingo
What to order: home-style Asturian cooking; ask about the day's stews
El Corral del Indianu
What to order: the Sensaciones or the Degustación menu; if it is not on the menu, order the fabada as an extra
Nearby
Near Cangas de Onís and Covadonga
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Covadonga early or at the end of the day
Coaches arrive mid-morning; at 8:00 or after 18:00, the sanctuary is quiet.
- 2Lakes by bus, no stress
In season, buy your ticket in advance at buslagoscovadonga.es.
- 3The market is on Sunday
If you are looking for cheese to take home, plan the day to be in Cangas on Sunday morning.
- 4Warm clothes for up top
At the Lakes, at over a thousand metres, it is colder than in Cangas.
Cangas de Onís is the town of the bridge over the Sella and the first capital of the kingdom of Asturias. Eight kilometres away, up the mountain, is Covadonga: the Santa Cueva (Holy Cave) hanging over a waterfall and the pink-stone basilica facing Monte Auseva. And higher still, about 12 km from the basilica, the Covadonga Lakes, in the Picos de Europa National Park. It is the gateway to the western massif of the Picos.
How do I get there from Oviedo, Santander or León?
By car. From Oviedo it is an hour on the A-8 to Arriondas and then the N-625. From Santander, an hour and forty on the A-8, exiting at Arriondas or via Llanes and Posada. From León it is a little over two hours, via Oviedo or via the Pontón pass and the Beyos gorge, slower but very beautiful. Ribadesella is half an hour away: they combine well in a weekend.
Can you drive up to the Lakes?
It depends on the day. On the restricted-access dates (in 2026, Easter, May weekends, 1 June to 18 October with some exceptions and some autumn long weekends) the road from Covadonga to the Lakes is closed to cars and you go up on the bus to the Lakes, which leaves from Cangas de Onís and from several car parks. The rest of the year you drive up, taking care in fog and, in winter, snow. Covadonga can always be reached by car.
Where do I park?
In Cangas, in the car parks on the edge of the town; on Sunday, with the market, arrive by mid-morning at the latest. The Mirador de la Reina, on the road to the Lakes, has its own car park; on restricted-access days, follow the access plan from Turismo Asturias.
What is there for an adventurous afternoon?
In Arriondas, 9 minutes away, the Parque Aventura Sella has zip lines and bridges among the trees on the river bank, from age 7, for €20 for children and €25 for adults, with a 16:00 session for families. When the river is running high, Cangas Aventura takes the upper Sella down by rafting, from age 14. If the day is rainy, caving goes ahead just the same underground.
How long do I need?
A day is enough for Cangas and Covadonga: the Sunday market and the Roman bridge in the morning, lunch and the afternoon at the sanctuary. With a night, go up to the Lakes first thing, stop at the Mirador de la Reina on the way back and, if you come with teenagers, add canyoning or caving with Cangas Aventura, or the Sella descent from Arriondas.
When to go
Covadonga can be visited all year: the basilica and the Santa Cueva open from 8:00 to 20:00 and are free. For the Lakes, the best months are May, June, September and October. In July and August the sanctuary and the town fill up, and in winter fog and snow can close off the view of the Lakes. On Sundays there is a market in Cangas, and the sanctuary has Masses at various times: check the hours on its website.
Where do I eat and sleep?
In the centre of Cangas, El Molín de la Pedrera, a cider house with Asturian cooking and half portions. For a special meal, El Corral del Indianu, in Arriondas, with a Michelin star and open on Sunday lunchtimes; for somewhere quiet among meadows, El Molín de Mingo, in Peruyes. To sleep, the Parador, in the monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva, beside the Sella, or the Hotel Nochendi, in the centre, within walking distance of the Lakes bus.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to visit Covadonga?
Nothing. The basilica and the Santa Cueva are free and open from 8:00 to 20:00.
Can you drive up to the Covadonga Lakes?
Outside the restricted-access dates, yes. At Easter, in summer and on some long weekends, only by bus from Cangas de Onís.
How long does it take from Oviedo?
An hour by car to Cangas de Onís; Covadonga, ten minutes more.
Which day is the market in Cangas de Onís?
Sundays, with garden produce and cheeses.
What can you do with teenagers?
Canyoning from €55 or caving for €35 with Cangas Aventura, and the Sella descent by canoe.
Can you combine it with Ribadesella?
Yes, they are half an hour apart. Both fit into a weekend.