# Oviedo

The capital, for a rainy day or an evening in the cider houses. Everything can be done on foot.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/asturias/oviedo · Revisado: 2026-11-13

## What can I see in a day?

Oviedo is seen on foot and in a day, with two stops that need a watch: the cathedral in the morning and the pre-Romanesque of Naranco in the afternoon. In between, the old town and lunch on Calle Gascona.

The Cathedral of San Salvador is in the middle of the old town. It was built over the basilica that Alfonso II the Chaste had built, whose first altar was consecrated on 13 October 821, and what you see today is mostly 15th-century, in flamboyant Gothic. The ticket to the complex includes the Cámara Santa, the Gothic cloister and the diocesan museum; children under 12 with an adult go in free, and the last visit is an hour before closing. The tower is climbed separately, by reservation: 184 steps in three flights, in groups of 20 people, Monday to Saturday, on a one-hour visit with panels and QR codes.

The old town takes a couple of hours: the Fontán market, Plaza de la Constitución with the town hall, the convent of the Pelayas and the pre-Romanesque Foncalada fountain, from the time of Alfonso II. Next to the old town, the Campo de San Francisco is the city's big park, beside Calle Uría, the shopping street.

For lunch, Calle Gascona, the so-called cider boulevard, is full of cider houses and restaurants. It is the place to pour cider the traditional way and order things to share.

## How do I see the pre-Romanesque?

Oviedo has five pre-Romanesque monuments declared World Heritage in 1985 and 1998, within the Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of Asturias. They date from the 8th and 9th centuries, from the reigns of Alfonso II and Ramiro I.

Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, on the slope of Mount Naranco, about 3 km from the centre and 300 metres from each other. Santa María, from Ramiro I, was a palace before it was a church. The visit is guided in Spanish and always begins at Santa María. It costs €5 and is free on Mondays. Go up on city bus A2 and come down on A1, which run every hour and stop at Prerrománico.

San Julián de los Prados (Santullano), in the city itself, built between 812 and 842 under Alfonso II: the largest pre-Romanesque building in Spain. It costs €4 and is free on the first Monday of each month, from 10:00 to 12:30.

If you don't have much time, do the Naranco: the building and the views over the city justify it.

## What if it rains?

Oviedo is the rainy-day plan for Asturias. The Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias and the Museo Arqueológico de Asturias are free, the cathedral is covered and the old town has arcades and plenty of cider houses. With one rainy day and one sunny day, leave the rainy one for Oviedo and the other for the coast.

## What can I do within an hour?

Two very different plans half an hour away by car. To the south-west, the Senda del Oso by bike, the greenway on the old mining railway, is ridden in a gentle descent with a hire bike and a van to the start, from €28 with transfer. To the east, at San Martín del Rey Aurelio, the Pozo Sotón goes down in the cage to a real coal mine, at 386 metres, on a four-to-five-hour visit for €48, from age 16. In the city, and free, the Archaeological Museum, next to the cathedral, completes the pre-Romanesque day.

## How do I get there and get around?

By train, Oviedo is the best gateway to Asturias without a car. Since the Pajares bypass, the AVE from Madrid takes from 3 h 12 min. The Estación del Norte, on Calle Uría, also receives long- and medium-distance trains and Cercanías, and from it you walk to the old town along Calle Uría itself.

By plane, Asturias airport is about 45 minutes away by car, with a bus to Oviedo bus station, on Calle Empresario Pepe Cosmen.

By car, you arrive via the A-66 from León and the plateau, and the A-8 from the coast. Gijón is 28 km away and Avilés 29: Oviedo works as a base for all three cities. Once in, leave the car: the centre is done on foot and for the Naranco you have the bus.

Without a car, from Oviedo there are buses to the coastal villages, such as Cudillero, and Cercanías trains to Gijón and Avilés.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Camino del Norte, Cantabrian Coast, Picos de Europa
- Cerca: Cudillero (a 32.7 km), Villaviciosa and Tazones (a 36.0 km), Somiedo (a 44.6 km), Valgrande-Pajares and Fuentes de Invierno (a 49.8 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Cathedral of San Salvador, Cámara Santa and Tower** (1 h 30 · All ages; the tower has 184 steps · €8 adults; children under 12 with an adult, free): The ticket for the complex includes the high altar, the chapel of the Rey Casto, the Cámara Santa and the cloister. From November to February it opens Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00; in July and August, Monday to Friday with no midday break. There is no tourist visit on Sunday. The tower is climbed separately, Monday to Saturday, in groups of 20 and with a ticket bought on the cathedral's website.
What you will see
The cathedral occupies the centre of the old quarter, where Alfonso II the Chaste had a basilica built; the first altar dedicated to San Salvador was consecrated on 13 October 821. What you see today is mostly from the 15th century, after many alterations, with flamboyant Gothic predominating. Turismo de Oviedo highlights three things:

The high altarpiece, gilded, with 24 panels in five bays and five tiers, by Giralte de Bruselas and Juan de Balmaseda, who worked on it between 1511 and 1518. It ranks among the great Gothic altarpieces of Spain, with those of Toledo and Seville.
The chapel of the Rey Casto, at the end of the north transept. At its far end is the Royal Pantheon, the spot of the pre-Romanesque basilica that Alfonso II built as the first royal pantheon in Spain and which lasted until 1705. The sculpted Gothic portal is seen on leaving.
The Cámara Santa and the cloister, essential parts of the visit.

Opening hours by month

January, February, November and December: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00.
March, April, May and October: Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00; Saturdays, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 17:00.
June: Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 19:00; Saturdays, 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 17:00.
July and August: Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 19:00; Saturdays, 10:00 to 17:00.
September: Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00; Saturdays, 10:00 to 17:00.

Last entry is one hour before closing. On Sunday the cathedral opens only for worship.
Tickets
General admission costs €8 (ages 13 to 64); €7 for over-65s; €5 for students aged 13 to 17 and university students under 25; and €4 for pilgrims with a credential, large families and the unemployed. Children under 12 with an adult and people with disabilities enter free. There is a free audio guide on an app, in seven languages.
The tower is separate: 184 steps in three flights, with the openwork spire and views of the city at the top. The climb takes about an hour, accompanied but not guided, with panels and QR codes. There are three to five slots a day depending on the season, of 20 people, and the ticket is not included in general admission. Turismo de Oviedo gives €10 in one section and €8 in another: check when you buy on the cathedral's website.
What to combine
Next door is the Fine Arts Museum, free, and the walk around the old town and the Fontán. For the rest of the pre-Romanesque, San Julián de los Prados and Naranco.
- **Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo** (1 h 15 · All ages · €5; free on Monday mornings, without a guide): The palace of Ramiro I and the church of San Miguel de Lillo, 300 metres apart, on the slope of Mount Naranco, about 3 km from the centre. The guided visit starts at Santa María. From October to March it opens Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:30 and on Sunday from 10:00 to 12:30; from April to September, also in the afternoon. Go up on bus A2 and come down on A1. Telephone: 638 260 163.
What you will see
Santa María del Naranco was built by order of Ramiro I, who reigned between 842 and 850, as part of a palace complex for official or leisure occasions. Turismo Asturias calls it the most significant construction of European pre-Romanesque art. It is a rectangular building of two floors joined by an outside staircase. Below, a vaulted crypt; above, a great hall with a viewing gallery at each end, of three arches on columns with carved shafts. The eastern gallery, with its three arches, has for decades been a symbol of tourism in Asturias. Look at the fluted buttresses and the medallions with figures of animals and people that hang from the pilasters, inside and out. It was a church from the 12th century to the early 20th.
San Miguel de Lillo, about 300 metres along the road, was a basilica, but a collapse in the 11th century left only a third standing. Even so, it keeps window lattices, carved columns and capitals, figures from a Roman circus on the jambs of the porch and traces of painting. Both are part of the World Heritage Site of the monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of Asturias.
Opening hours and admission

Winter (1 January to 31 March and 1 October to 31 December): Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 14:30; Sundays and 31 December, 10:00 to 12:30. Monday, 10:00 to 12:30, free and without a guide.
Summer (1 April to 30 September): Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30 to 13:00 and 15:30 to 19:00; Sundays, 9:30 to 13:00. Monday, 9:30 to 13:00, free and without a guide.
Closed on 25 December, 1 and 6 January, and 8 and 21 September.

General admission costs €5; groups of more than 20 people, €4, and schoolchildren, €2. You can pay by card. Capacity is limited, so it is best to arrive with time to spare.
Getting there
By car, go up the Naranco road towards Ules to the car park, and from there it is 150 metres on foot along a path. By city bus, line A2 goes up to the Prerrománico stop and the A1 comes down, roughly every hour; timetables at tua.es. You can also walk up from the city: the road starts gently and steepens to 12% near the Sagrado Corazón.
Next to the monuments is the Pre-Romanesque Interpretation Centre, with activities and workshops, mainly for children. Complete the route with San Julián de los Prados and the cathedral of San Salvador.
- **San Julián de los Prados (Santullano)** (40 min · Adults and teenagers · €4; free on the first Monday of each month, from 10:00 to 12:30): Built between 812 and 842 under Alfonso II the Chaste, at the start of Santullano park, beside the road out towards Gijón. It is the largest pre-Romanesque church in Asturias and one of the oldest, and inside it keeps 9th-century wall paintings with painted architecture. You can walk there from the centre in about 20 minutes via El Milán.
What you will see
Turismo Asturias describes it as one of the most remarkable medieval works in Europe. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1998 and is dedicated to the saints Julian and Basilissa. It has a basilica plan, with a wide, bright nave, rare in a medieval building, and a transept higher than the nave, where the royal gallery stood. A window of more than four metres lets the light in. The Corinthian capitals of the main chapel are probably Visigothic in origin.
The most striking thing is the paintings. They cover walls and vaults in blue, yellow and red, and have no human or divine figures: they are geometric friezes, plant motifs, palaces and hangings that allude to the heavenly Jerusalem of the Apocalypse. At the top appears the cross of the Anastasis, a symbol of royal power. They were painted in fresco, marking lines with cords soaked in pigment and circles with a compass. Turismo de Oviedo considers it the largest surviving wall decoration of the early Middle Ages in Europe.
Opening hours and admission
The visit is guided, in sessions. According to Turismo Asturias:

1 October to 30 April: Monday to Saturday, sessions at 10:00, 10:45 and 11:30.
1 May to 30 June: Monday, at 10:00, 10:45 and 11:30; Tuesday to Saturday, also at 12:15, 16:00 and 16:45.
1 July to 30 September: Monday, four sessions between 10:00 and 12:15; Tuesday to Friday, eight sessions between 9:30 and 17:30; Saturdays, seven.
Closed Sundays and public holidays, and on 8 and 21 September.

Admission costs €4 per adult and €1 for ages 7 to 12; groups, by prior appointment, €3 per person. The first Monday of each month is free in the morning, without a guide. Bookings are made by email at visitasantullano1@gmail.com; Turismo Asturias gives the phone number 687 052 826 and Turismo de Oviedo, 607 353 999. Times change by season: confirm them before you go.
Getting there
It is at calle Selgas, 2, beside the El Milán campus. From the centre you walk there in about 20 minutes; Turismo de Oviedo suggests a walking route that starts from the Foncalada fountain. The motorway passes very close by, and works funded by the EU are under way to reduce its impact. The visit lasts about 40 minutes.
Complete the day with the rest of the pre-Romanesque: Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, on the hill, and the Cámara Santa of the cathedral.
- **Old Town, Plaza del Fontán and Calle Gascona** (2 h · All ages; fine with a pushchair · Free): From the cathedral, go down to plaza del Fontán and its market, continue to plaza de la Constitución, with the town hall, and walk up calle Gascona, the cider boulevard, to the pre-Romanesque Foncalada fountain. The centre is pedestrianised: it is the walk for any time of day, Sundays too.
Old Oviedo
Oviedo was born in 761 on a hill, at a crossroads, when the monks Máximo and Fromestano built a monastery dedicated to Saint Vincent; around it grew what was called round Oviedo, closed in by gates. Turismo Asturias recalls that the old quarter, which people here call El Antiguo, keeps almost intact its air of an old royal seat. From its streets you see several historic towers, among them that of Santa María la Real de la Corte, the Romanesque and Gothic ones of the cathedral and that of San Tirso el Real, founded by Alfonso II the Chaste.
El Fontán and its market
Centuries ago, the Fontán was a lagoon fed by springs on the outskirts of the city. Country people began to sell milk, vegetables, cheese and hens there, and so one of the oldest markets in Asturias was born, which was also a playhouse. Today the square is still very lively at market times. Turismo Asturias notes that the street stalls are liveliest on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with flowers, garden produce, books, music and antiques. Next door, the food market hall is devoted to food alone, with fresh produce, a café and a restaurant. Nearby are the town hall square and the church of San Isidoro.
Gascona and the Foncalada
Calle Gascona is the most representative area of the city's cider tradition, known as the cider boulevard, with life at any time of day and night. You can also have a culín of cider in the Fontán. On calle Foncalada, halfway down and below street level, is the pre-Romanesque fountain attributed to the reign of Alfonso II. It keeps part of the pool and a small temple with a Cross of Victory and a Latin inscription now very worn. Turismo de Oviedo presents it as the only example of early medieval hydraulic architecture in Spain.
How to do it
It takes about two hours at an easy pace, free and on foot; the centre is pedestrianised and works with a pushchair, and dogs on a lead. If you want to carry on, calle Uría, the shopping axis, leads to the Campo de San Francisco, the big park in the centre, with its Quino's Mafalda. For a meal, Casa Ramón, beside the Fontán, or Casa Fermín, beside the Campo de San Francisco. The cathedral of San Salvador is the starting point, and the Fine Arts Museum, free, is on the way. If you would rather have it explained, there is a guided tour of old Oviedo.
- **Guided Tour of Old Oviedo with an Official Guide** (2 h · Adults and teenagers): An official guide takes you around the old quarter: the founding of the city in 761, Alfonso II the Chaste, the cathedral, the San Tirso wall and the Royal Pantheon. You can extend it along calle Uría and the settings of La Regenta. There are no fixed departures: you ask for a date and a quote.
Who runs it
The tour is organised by Visitas Guiadas por Asturias, run by Regina Buitrago Martínez-Colubi, an official tourist guide of the Principality with the number GT-92. As well as guiding, she works with the media and presents the weekly programme Secretos de Asturias on YouTube. Turismo de Oviedo lists her in its directory of city guides. She works in Spanish and French.
What routes she offers in Oviedo
The basic route is the historic centre. It follows the first steps of the monks Máximo and Fromestano, who founded the city in 761 under King Fruela, and passes the cathedral, the eastern wall of San Tirso and the garden of the Reyes Caudillos, which the guide presents as the first royal pantheon in Spain. It can start at the Campoamor theatre, in the cathedral square or beside the statue of Clarín.
From there it can be combined with other themed routes:

La Regenta: Baroque Oviedo, the 19th-century calle Uría and the settings of Clarín's novel.
Jewish Oviedo: the company collaborates with the Network of Jewish Quarters of Spain, Caminos de Sefarad.
Cathedral: a special visit to the interior.
Pre-Romanesque: the city's 9th-century monuments.
Oviedo by night: the illuminated monuments, including plaza de la Escandalera.
Camino Primitivo: the origin of the Camino in Oviedo, linked to Alfonso II.

How to book and how much it costs
These are private, tailor-made tours, for individuals, families, groups and companies. The website does not publish fixed prices, duration or meeting point: you ask for a quote with the date, the number of people and the route you are interested in. Contact: 610 567 260 or regina@visitasguiadasporasturias.com, or the website form. Also ask whether the price includes admission to monuments such as the cathedral.
For the historic centre, allow a couple of hours and confirm it when you book. If it is your first time in Oviedo, it is a good way to understand the city before visiting the cathedral of San Salvador on your own or going up to Santa María del Naranco.
If you prefer to go independently
The walk around the old town and the Fontán can be done without a guide, and at the Oviedo tourist offices they give you free maps and visitor guides. For a meal afterwards, the El Ferroviario cider house or Casa Ramón.
- **Fine Arts Museum of Asturias** (1 h 30 · Adults and teenagers · Free): A couple of steps from the cathedral, in palaces of the old quarter: Spanish and international painting from the 14th to the 21st century. Admission is free, as it is at the Archaeological Museum of Asturias, in the former convent of San Vicente, beside the cathedral. In the rain, link the two.
What is inside
The collection exceeds 15,000 works. It began in 1980 with about 350 and brings together holdings from the former Provincial Monuments Commission, the Academy of San Salvador and the now defunct Provincial Council; since 1996 it has held the Pedro Masaveu Collection on deposit. Painting is the core: Hispano-Flemish panels, the Baroque of Zurbarán, Murillo and Carreño de Miranda, and names such as El Greco, Goya, Sorolla, Picasso, Dalí and Miró. Asturians carry a lot of weight, with Evaristo Valle and Nicanor Piñole. The museum itself singles out among its masterpieces the Self-portrait by Darío de Regoyos and Peasants of Gandía by Hermen Anglada-Camarasa. There is also sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography and more than a thousand film posters.
The buildings
The museum occupies part of a block beside the cathedral. The 18th-century Velarde palace was its first home and holds the historic collections, from the 14th to the 19th century. The Oviedo-Portal house, from 1660, by the Cantabrian architect Melchor de Velasco, at calle Rúa, 8, holds a good part of the 19th century. The extension, from the 21st century, shows the art of the 20th and 21st centuries and has a temporary exhibition room on floor -1. The reference address is calle Santa Ana, 1-3.
Opening hours and admission

Winter: Tuesday to Friday, 10:30 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30; Saturdays, 11:30 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 20:00; Sundays and public holidays, 11:30 to 14:30.
July and August: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:00; Sundays and public holidays, 10:30 to 14:30.
Monday, closed all year.

Admission and services are free. In 2026 it also closes on 1 January, 1 May, 21 September, 12 October, 1 November and 24, 25 and 31 December, and opens reduced hours on a few more days, such as 8 December. Telephone: 985 21 30 61.
How to organise your visit
Allow an hour and a half for the essentials. If you are short of time, choose one building: the historic collection at Velarde or contemporary art in the extension. The museum offers leaflets with different routes through the collection. It is in a pedestrian area, next to the Fontán market and plaza de Trascorrales.
It fits into the same walk as the cathedral of San Salvador, next door, and the old town and the Fontán. For a meal afterwards, Casa Ramón is on plaza de Daoíz y Velarde, beside the Fontán.
- **Bear Trail by bike, downhill from Entrago, 45 minutes from Oviedo** (2 h 30 · 20 km · All ages who ride a bike; seats and semi-tandems for little ones · Desde 18 € adult bike independently): The Senda del Oso (Bear Trail) is the greenway of the old mining railway that climbed from Tuñón towards Proaza and Teverga, among gorges, bridges and tunnels cut into the rock. What has made it so popular is the gradient: seen from the top, it is a gentle, continuous descent, so it can be done with children or if you are not used to riding a bike. It is about 45 minutes from Oviedo.
Two ways to organise it
With Centro BTT Valles del Oso, you park at Tuñón, kilometre 0, try the bike and they take you up by van to Entrago, kilometre 20. You ride down for about two and a half hours and reach your car, without waiting for a pick-up. The vans go up at 10:00, 11:15, 12:30, 14:00 and 15:00. With TeverAstur, you park at Entrago, at the top, pick up the bike there and ride 16 km down to the Buyera recreation area, in two or three hours; at the end you call and a van takes you back up, continuously from 13:00. TeverAstur also offers 26 and 46 km routes for those who want to pedal more.
Prices
At Valles del Oso, the 2026 season sets €18 for an adult bike independently and €15 for a child's; the descent with transfer, €28 per adult with a minimum of two, and €25 for a child's bike or the semi-tandem. The e-bike independently costs €50. It includes helmet, repair kit and assistance on the trail. TeverAstur shows its rates in the online booking when you choose date and bike.
With children and with a dog
Both companies have children's bikes, seats, semi-tandems and trailers. Valles del Oso hires dog trailers for dogs up to 25 kg; TeverAstur lets a large dog run alongside with a harness, hires trailers for those up to 12 kg and takes them in the van. Always on a lead.
- **Going down the Pozo Sotón mine, 386 metres underground** (4 h 30 · Adults without claustrophobia or heart or respiratory problems; from age 16 with authorisation · Desde 48 € per person): At Pozo Sotón you do not visit a museum with mock galleries: you go down a HUNOSA coal mine, in the miners' cage, and walk through its levels hundreds of metres beneath the mountain. It is in San Martín del Rey Aurelio, about 31 minutes from Oviedo. It is a whole morning, demanding and unforgettable.
The route
You change, receive a safety talk, the lamp and the self-rescuer, and go down in the cage 386 metres to the eighth level. Through the La Jota chimney you descend to the ninth, where they explain the communications with the outside, the emergency equipment and the ventilation. Then you walk about two kilometres of galleries to the north to the areas where coal was extracted: a vertical working with shearer, the advance of a gallery at La Lozana and a sublevel working, down which you go by an inclined plane to the tenth level, with a loading hopper and a plane flooded with water. In all, about 5 km inside the mine and between four and five hours. For those who cannot manage the chimney there is a simpler alternative route.
Price and conditions
It costs €48 per person, with a 10% discount for groups of ten or more. You must report at the pit at 8:20: anyone who arrives late loses the visit with no refund. The minimum age is 16; under-18s, with signed authorisation. The mine is not adapted for people with reduced mobility, and people with claustrophobia, arrhythmias or heart problems, asthma or other respiratory diseases, vertigo, epilepsy, pregnancy and other conditions the website lists may not go down. You cannot enter with a mobile phone, battery watch or food. The short two-and-a-half-hour visit appears in November 2026 as out of service.
What to bring
Two changes of underwear, because what you wear inside will not come back in good condition; if you forget, they give you mine clothes, men's only. HUNOSA provides the towels; bring flip-flops and your wash bag for the shower. Better without contact lenses, because of the dust.
- **Archaeological Museum of Asturias, in the San Vicente monastery** (1 h 30 · All ages · Desde 0 € ): Behind the cathedral, on Calle San Vicente, the old 16th-century Benedictine monastery of San Vicente holds the history of Asturias told through what has come out of the ground. In this building Father Feijoo lived and wrote all his work. Admission is free, and it is the logical complement to a morning of pre-Romanesque.
What you see
The exhibition occupies three floors and runs from Prehistory to the beginning of the Modern Age, with original pieces explained in context, models, technical drawings, reconstructions, maps and audiovisuals. There is a room dedicated to the Asturian World Heritage assets, the caves with rock art and the monuments of the Kingdom of Asturias, and another that tells how the museum itself was formed, in parallel with the beginnings of scientific archaeology in the region.
Hours
Wednesday to Friday, from 9:30 to 20:00. Saturdays, from 9:30 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00. Sundays and public holidays, from 9:30 to 15:00. Closed Monday and Tuesday. The Principality warns that it may change with the season: if you go on a public holiday, call first on 985 208 977.
How it fits into the day
If in the morning you go up Naranco to see Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, here you understand who built them and what was there before. From the door you are in the old town: the Plaza del Fontán and Calle Gascona are a few minutes' walk away for lunch.

## Dónde comer
- **El Ferroviario Cider House** (Cider house, Oviedo, €€). Qué pedir: fried monkfish, oven-roasted ribs or corn cakes with xata roxa, and the smoked Pría cheese tart
- **Casa Fermín** (Restaurant, Oviedo, €€€). Qué pedir: the fabada with its compango or the pixín with cider sauce; to try the whole house, the seasonal tasting menu, and the CasadiellesFermín for dessert
- **Casa Ramón** (Restaurant, Oviedo, €€€). Qué pedir: the fresh fried line-caught squid, to share, and the fried monkfish, the speciality; for a spoon dish, the fabada

## Car-free: The Best Car-Free Gateway to Asturias
Oviedo is the city in Asturias that works best without a car: you arrive by AVE from Madrid in a little over three hours or by bus from the airport, the centre is pedestrianised and the city bus goes up to Naranco. From here, too, trains leave for Gijón and Avilés and buses to the coast.
Presupuesto orientativo: 80–140 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Eurostars Hotel de la Reconquista** (Hotel): The Hotel de la Reconquista occupies Oviedo's former Provincial Hospice, which operated as such from 1752 to 1965 and has been a hotel since 1974. The building has been a Bien de Interés Cultural since 1973 and is a national monument. It is a five-star hotel of the Eurostars chain, beside the San Francisco park, between the Calle Uría shopping district and the old town.
The Gil de Jaz hospice
The Baroque façade, with a great coat of arms over the door, faces Calle Gil de Jaz. Inside, the hotel is organised around covered inner courtyards, one of them the Patio de la Reina (Queen's Courtyard), and it keeps the octagonal chapel designed by Ventura Rodríguez. Along the corridors and in the lounges there is a collection of tapestries, paintings, sculptures and period furniture. Every October the hotel welcomes the prizewinners, the juries and the annual gathering of the Princess of Asturias Awards.
142 rooms and 4 suites
The rooms have classic decoration, with carpet and wooden furniture. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00. Breakfast is served on weekdays from 7:00 to 10:30 and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 7:30 to 11:00; if you prefer it in your room, the chain sells it as an extra for €22 per person. The website warns that maintenance work is under way that may cause occasional noise in some areas: if that matters to you, ask for a room away from it when you book.
It does not admit pets. Groups of more than six rooms may have their own payment terms.
La Regenta, beneath the courtyards
The hotel's restaurant, La Regenta, looks onto the Patio de la Reina and serves Asturian and international cooking with a contemporary approach; it opens for lunch from 13:30 to 15:30 and for dinner from 20:30 to 23:30. Next door is the American bar, for a drink at the end of the day. If you prefer to go out, Casa Fermín is on Calle San Francisco, beside the same park.
For conferences and weddings it has a convention centre of over 9,000 m², with 16 divisible rooms, and a shopping arcade.
Car, train and old town
Oviedo's railway station, on Calle Uría, is less than five minutes' walk away, and the bus station is close. If you come by car, you enter by the A-66 or the AS-2 and the hotel's car park is covered, at €23 a night: leave the car there until you go, because the cathedral, the Fontán and Calle Gascona are all explored on foot. For the Naranco, take bus A2.
Phone numbers: hotel, 985 241 100; the chain's reservations, 913 342 196, 24 hours.
- **Exe Hotel El Magistral** (Hotel): At number 3 calle Jovellanos, on the edge of the historic centre of Oviedo, the Magistral is a three-star hotel of the Exe brand, part of the Eurostars chain. Its location explains it: you walk out of the door and within minutes you are at the cathedral, plaza del Fontán, the medieval wall or the Campoamor theatre. It is open all year.
Jovellanos, 3: the old quarter round the corner
The hotel is a few metres from the historic centre. Nearby you have the University of Oviedo, the Filarmónica and calle Gascona, the street of the cider houses. The walk around the old town and the Fontán is done on foot from reception, and for a meal, Casa Ramón, on plaza de Daoíz y Velarde, is next to the market. The plan Sunday in Oviedo, which combines Naranco, the Fontán and the cider of Gascona, can be done from here without a car, with bus A2 to go up to Naranco.
52 rooms and a long breakfast schedule
It has 52 rooms and 89 beds, according to Turismo Asturias, with heating and air conditioning, a lift, a bar-cafeteria, room service and laundry. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00.
Breakfast is served Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 10:30 and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 8:00 to 11:00, which lets you sleep a little longer at the weekend. Its price is not published on the website: you see it when you book.
It was the first hotel in Asturias with the Q for Tourist Quality mark and has the Principality's Tourist Excellence Award. For a couple's getaway, the chain sells a romantic experience for €25, with chocolates, a bottle of cava and check-out at 14:00.
No garage, with an airport transfer
It has no garage of its own: next door there is a public car park, with no advance booking, at €13 a day. If you arrive by train, the station is a walk along calle Uría, and you will not need the car for anything in the city. On request and subject to availability, the hotel arranges a transfer to Asturias airport, about 35 minutes by car: ask in advance.
Three rooms with natural light
It has three rooms with natural light, for up to 60 people, with audiovisual equipment for hire. Groups of more than five rooms may have their own payment terms and supplements.
Telephones: hotel, 985 215 116; the chain's central reservations, 913 342 196, 24 hours.
### Servicios
- **Oviedo Station**: AVE from Madrid in about 3 h 12 · Commuter trains to Gijón and Avilés · At the end of calle Uría, 15 minutes on foot from the cathedral
- **Asturias Airport Bus**: Alsa line airport – Avilés – Gijón – Oviedo · Arrives at Oviedo bus station

## By car: Park on Arrival and Forget It
By car you arrive on the A-66 from León and the A-8 from the coast. Once in Oviedo, the car is surplus: the centre is pedestrianised. Use it to get out: Gijón and Avilés are less than half an hour away and Cudillero about 45 minutes.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–150 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Eurostars Hotel de la Reconquista** (Hotel): The Hotel de la Reconquista occupies Oviedo's former Provincial Hospice, which operated as such from 1752 to 1965 and has been a hotel since 1974. The building has been a Bien de Interés Cultural since 1973 and is a national monument. It is a five-star hotel of the Eurostars chain, beside the San Francisco park, between the Calle Uría shopping district and the old town.
The Gil de Jaz hospice
The Baroque façade, with a great coat of arms over the door, faces Calle Gil de Jaz. Inside, the hotel is organised around covered inner courtyards, one of them the Patio de la Reina (Queen's Courtyard), and it keeps the octagonal chapel designed by Ventura Rodríguez. Along the corridors and in the lounges there is a collection of tapestries, paintings, sculptures and period furniture. Every October the hotel welcomes the prizewinners, the juries and the annual gathering of the Princess of Asturias Awards.
142 rooms and 4 suites
The rooms have classic decoration, with carpet and wooden furniture. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00. Breakfast is served on weekdays from 7:00 to 10:30 and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 7:30 to 11:00; if you prefer it in your room, the chain sells it as an extra for €22 per person. The website warns that maintenance work is under way that may cause occasional noise in some areas: if that matters to you, ask for a room away from it when you book.
It does not admit pets. Groups of more than six rooms may have their own payment terms.
La Regenta, beneath the courtyards
The hotel's restaurant, La Regenta, looks onto the Patio de la Reina and serves Asturian and international cooking with a contemporary approach; it opens for lunch from 13:30 to 15:30 and for dinner from 20:30 to 23:30. Next door is the American bar, for a drink at the end of the day. If you prefer to go out, Casa Fermín is on Calle San Francisco, beside the same park.
For conferences and weddings it has a convention centre of over 9,000 m², with 16 divisible rooms, and a shopping arcade.
Car, train and old town
Oviedo's railway station, on Calle Uría, is less than five minutes' walk away, and the bus station is close. If you come by car, you enter by the A-66 or the AS-2 and the hotel's car park is covered, at €23 a night: leave the car there until you go, because the cathedral, the Fontán and Calle Gascona are all explored on foot. For the Naranco, take bus A2.
Phone numbers: hotel, 985 241 100; the chain's reservations, 913 342 196, 24 hours.
- **Exe Hotel El Magistral** (Hotel): At number 3 calle Jovellanos, on the edge of the historic centre of Oviedo, the Magistral is a three-star hotel of the Exe brand, part of the Eurostars chain. Its location explains it: you walk out of the door and within minutes you are at the cathedral, plaza del Fontán, the medieval wall or the Campoamor theatre. It is open all year.
Jovellanos, 3: the old quarter round the corner
The hotel is a few metres from the historic centre. Nearby you have the University of Oviedo, the Filarmónica and calle Gascona, the street of the cider houses. The walk around the old town and the Fontán is done on foot from reception, and for a meal, Casa Ramón, on plaza de Daoíz y Velarde, is next to the market. The plan Sunday in Oviedo, which combines Naranco, the Fontán and the cider of Gascona, can be done from here without a car, with bus A2 to go up to Naranco.
52 rooms and a long breakfast schedule
It has 52 rooms and 89 beds, according to Turismo Asturias, with heating and air conditioning, a lift, a bar-cafeteria, room service and laundry. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00.
Breakfast is served Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 10:30 and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 8:00 to 11:00, which lets you sleep a little longer at the weekend. Its price is not published on the website: you see it when you book.
It was the first hotel in Asturias with the Q for Tourist Quality mark and has the Principality's Tourist Excellence Award. For a couple's getaway, the chain sells a romantic experience for €25, with chocolates, a bottle of cava and check-out at 14:00.
No garage, with an airport transfer
It has no garage of its own: next door there is a public car park, with no advance booking, at €13 a day. If you arrive by train, the station is a walk along calle Uría, and you will not need the car for anything in the city. On request and subject to availability, the hotel arranges a transfer to Asturias airport, about 35 minutes by car: ask in advance.
Three rooms with natural light
It has three rooms with natural light, for up to 60 people, with audiovisual equipment for hire. Groups of more than five rooms may have their own payment terms and supplements.
Telephones: hotel, 985 215 116; the chain's central reservations, 913 342 196, 24 hours.

## By plane: From Asturias Airport by Bus
Asturias airport is about 45 minutes from Oviedo by car, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities. For Oviedo you do not need to hire a car: the Alsa bus drops you at the bus station and the centre is done on foot.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Eurostars Hotel de la Reconquista** (Hotel): The Hotel de la Reconquista occupies Oviedo's former Provincial Hospice, which operated as such from 1752 to 1965 and has been a hotel since 1974. The building has been a Bien de Interés Cultural since 1973 and is a national monument. It is a five-star hotel of the Eurostars chain, beside the San Francisco park, between the Calle Uría shopping district and the old town.
The Gil de Jaz hospice
The Baroque façade, with a great coat of arms over the door, faces Calle Gil de Jaz. Inside, the hotel is organised around covered inner courtyards, one of them the Patio de la Reina (Queen's Courtyard), and it keeps the octagonal chapel designed by Ventura Rodríguez. Along the corridors and in the lounges there is a collection of tapestries, paintings, sculptures and period furniture. Every October the hotel welcomes the prizewinners, the juries and the annual gathering of the Princess of Asturias Awards.
142 rooms and 4 suites
The rooms have classic decoration, with carpet and wooden furniture. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00. Breakfast is served on weekdays from 7:00 to 10:30 and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 7:30 to 11:00; if you prefer it in your room, the chain sells it as an extra for €22 per person. The website warns that maintenance work is under way that may cause occasional noise in some areas: if that matters to you, ask for a room away from it when you book.
It does not admit pets. Groups of more than six rooms may have their own payment terms.
La Regenta, beneath the courtyards
The hotel's restaurant, La Regenta, looks onto the Patio de la Reina and serves Asturian and international cooking with a contemporary approach; it opens for lunch from 13:30 to 15:30 and for dinner from 20:30 to 23:30. Next door is the American bar, for a drink at the end of the day. If you prefer to go out, Casa Fermín is on Calle San Francisco, beside the same park.
For conferences and weddings it has a convention centre of over 9,000 m², with 16 divisible rooms, and a shopping arcade.
Car, train and old town
Oviedo's railway station, on Calle Uría, is less than five minutes' walk away, and the bus station is close. If you come by car, you enter by the A-66 or the AS-2 and the hotel's car park is covered, at €23 a night: leave the car there until you go, because the cathedral, the Fontán and Calle Gascona are all explored on foot. For the Naranco, take bus A2.
Phone numbers: hotel, 985 241 100; the chain's reservations, 913 342 196, 24 hours.
- **Exe Hotel El Magistral** (Hotel): At number 3 calle Jovellanos, on the edge of the historic centre of Oviedo, the Magistral is a three-star hotel of the Exe brand, part of the Eurostars chain. Its location explains it: you walk out of the door and within minutes you are at the cathedral, plaza del Fontán, the medieval wall or the Campoamor theatre. It is open all year.
Jovellanos, 3: the old quarter round the corner
The hotel is a few metres from the historic centre. Nearby you have the University of Oviedo, the Filarmónica and calle Gascona, the street of the cider houses. The walk around the old town and the Fontán is done on foot from reception, and for a meal, Casa Ramón, on plaza de Daoíz y Velarde, is next to the market. The plan Sunday in Oviedo, which combines Naranco, the Fontán and the cider of Gascona, can be done from here without a car, with bus A2 to go up to Naranco.
52 rooms and a long breakfast schedule
It has 52 rooms and 89 beds, according to Turismo Asturias, with heating and air conditioning, a lift, a bar-cafeteria, room service and laundry. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00.
Breakfast is served Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 10:30 and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 8:00 to 11:00, which lets you sleep a little longer at the weekend. Its price is not published on the website: you see it when you book.
It was the first hotel in Asturias with the Q for Tourist Quality mark and has the Principality's Tourist Excellence Award. For a couple's getaway, the chain sells a romantic experience for €25, with chocolates, a bottle of cava and check-out at 14:00.
No garage, with an airport transfer
It has no garage of its own: next door there is a public car park, with no advance booking, at €13 a day. If you arrive by train, the station is a walk along calle Uría, and you will not need the car for anything in the city. On request and subject to availability, the hotel arranges a transfer to Asturias airport, about 35 minutes by car: ask in advance.
Three rooms with natural light
It has three rooms with natural light, for up to 60 people, with audiovisual equipment for hire. Groups of more than five rooms may have their own payment terms and supplements.
Telephones: hotel, 985 215 116; the chain's central reservations, 913 342 196, 24 hours.
### Servicios
- **Asturias Airport Bus**: Alsa line airport – Avilés – Gijón – Oviedo · Arrives at Oviedo bus station

## As a family: A Flat, Pedestrian City with Short Monuments

The centre of Oviedo is pedestrianised and almost flat, so it goes well with a pushchair. The visits are short and the cathedral is free for under-12s with an adult.

### What works best
The cathedral, free for under-12s; the older ones can go up the tower

Santa María del Naranco, going up on bus A2: they already enjoy the ride

The old town and the Fontán, with arcades for the rain

### Where to sleep
Exe Hotel El Magistral, beside the old town

Eurostars Hotel de la Reconquista, with big courtyards

### Where to eat
El Ferroviario cider house, with a spacious dining room

Casa Ramón, squid to share

### Bear in mind
The cathedral has no tourist visit on Sunday

The tower has 184 steps: not for the little ones

In the rain, the Fine Arts and Archaeological museums are free

### Qué hacer as a family
- Cathedral of San Salvador, Cámara Santa and Tower
- Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo
- Old Town, Plaza del Fontán and Calle Gascona
- Bear Trail by bike, downhill from Entrago, 45 minutes from Oviedo
- Archaeological Museum of Asturias, in the San Vicente monastery

## With teenagers: Tower, Royal Palaces and Cider to Watch

Teenagers get more hooked on the cathedral tower and a 9th-century king's palace on a hill than on a museum. Give them a map and let them guide you around the old town.

### What works best
Climbing the cathedral tower: 184 steps, with booking

Santa María del Naranco, a royal palace from eleven centuries ago with views of the city

A tailor-made guided tour of old Oviedo

### Where to sleep
Exe Hotel El Magistral, for getting around the centre on their own

### Where to eat
El Ferroviario cider house: watching the cider being poured is part of the plan

### Bear in mind
The tower is booked separately and goes in groups of 20

On Monday mornings Naranco is free, without a guide

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Cathedral of San Salvador, Cámara Santa and Tower
- Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo
- Guided Tour of Old Oviedo with an Official Guide
- Bear Trail by bike, downhill from Entrago, 45 minutes from Oviedo

## Consejos

### Go to the Naranco on a Monday
Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo don't charge admission that day. If it is also the first Monday of the month, Santullano is free in the morning.

### Book the cathedral tower
Groups are of 20 people and there are few slots a day. It is bought separately from the cathedral ticket.

### Eat on Gascona, dine in the old town
At lunchtime, a cider house; in the evening, a stroll around the Fontán and the squares before dinner.

### Park once and forget it
If you arrive by car from the coast, park on arrival and forget about it until you leave.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long do I need to see Oviedo?
One day for the cathedral, the old town and the Naranco. Two if you want museums, Santullano and lunch and dinner without rushing.

### How much does the pre-Romanesque cost?
Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, €5 together, with a guided visit and free on Mondays. Santullano, €4, free on the first Monday of each month in the morning.

### Do the museums charge admission?
The Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias and the Museo Arqueológico de Asturias are free.

### Can I climb the cathedral tower?
Yes, by reservation, Monday to Saturday: 184 steps on a one-hour visit, separate from the cathedral ticket.

### Do I need a car?
No. You arrive by AVE or by bus from the airport, the centre is seen on foot and the city bus goes to the Naranco.

### Oviedo or Gijón as a base?
Oviedo to see monuments and get around by train and bus; Gijón if you want a beach. They are 28 km apart.