What to do · Llanes
Pría Blowholes
Information
- Price
- Free
- Duration
- 1 h
- Season
- Autumn and winter, with a heavy swell
- Who it's for
- All ages, always behind the fence and away from the openings
On the coastal platform at Llames de Pría, in the west of the Llanes council area, the sea has opened chimneys in the rock. With a heavy swell and high tide, water shoots out of them in tall columns with a roar. On a calm day hardly anything happens: check the sea state and the tide table before you go, and keep away from the openings.
What they are and when to see them
Turismo Asturias explains how they form: sea and rain dissolve the limestone and open cracks and chimneys that connect the sea with the surface of the cliff. In gentle waves, the water hitting below pushes air through these galleries and you hear a snort. In a strong swell, air and water come out under high pressure in very tall jets. The same source stresses that the show is better on days when the sea is rough and, above all, at high tide.
That is why the good season is autumn and winter, when there are more days of heavy swell. In summer, with a calm sea, you will usually see little more than the landscape. Before you go, check the wave forecast and the time of high tide, and try to arrive close to it.
Getting there and walking
Leave the car in Llames de Pría and continue on foot along the cliff to the blowholes. Turismo Asturias also suggests a circular route that starts and ends in Llames, easy and about four hours, along the cliffs and the blowholes; if you only want to see them, an hour is enough for the walk there, back and a while at the viewpoint.
The ground is meadow and very broken limestone, with holes and cracks in the surface. Wear closed shoes and keep to the marked paths.
Safety
The blowholes are dangerous up close. In a heavy swell the jet comes out with great force and wet rock is slippery. Always stay behind the fence and away from the openings, even if it seems nothing is coming out: a wave can arrive without warning. Hold children by the hand and keep dogs on a lead. Do not go near the cliff edge either.
What to combine
They are in the west of the council area, on the way to Ribadesella. You can pair them with a swim at Torimbia, near Niembro, in summer, or with a return to the town for the San Pedro walk at sunset. At the Llanes tourist office, in the old fish market, they will tell you how to get there.
Tips
- Go at high tide with a heavy swell Turismo Asturias sums it up: rough sea and high tide, and the show is bigger.
- Stay behind the fence Even when no water comes out, a wave can arrive without warning.
Frequently asked questions
When do the Pría blowholes work?
With a heavy swell, and best at high tide. In a calm sea you hardly see them.
How long does it take?
An hour to see them; the circular route along the cliffs from Llames, about four hours.
As a familyWith teenagers
