Tito Bustillo Rock Art Centre
1 h 30All audiences; rainy dayAll year except January; Wednesday to Sunday
Museum · 1 h 30 · €5.45 · free on Wednesdays · Wednesday to Sunday
From €5
How to do it
From OviedoAn hour
From Santander1 h 20
Rock artCentre €5.45 · cave closed until March 2027
SurfingLessons from €40
What to do
What to do in Ribadesella
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Grúa walk and La Guía chapel
1 hAll audiences; steps at the endDog-friendlyAll year
Walk · 1 h · Free · The Mingote panels and the viewpoint over the estuary and Santa Marina
Tito Bustillo Cave
1 hVery limited places; book earlyMarch to October; in 2026, 4 March to 30 October
Cave with Palaeolithic art · 15 people per session · €4.14 · closed until March 2027
From €4
How to do it
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
Ribadesella, 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 Ribadesella
From March to October, when the Tito Bustillo cave is open and the weather suits the beach. August brings the International Sella Descent and the town fills up. In winter, the rock art centre stays open Wednesday to Sunday, but several hotels close, and in January the centre does too.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
Ribadesella 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 to the town, everything else on foot
Ribadesella is an hour from Oviedo and an hour and twenty minutes from Santander on the A-8. Park once: the town, the bridge, Santa Marina and Tito Bustillo are all less than fifteen minutes' walk away. You will need the car again for Vega, Tereñes and Cangas de Onís.
70–140 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Villa Rosario, at Santa…
- Getting aroundA-8 from Oviedo or Santander
- Where to eatGüeyu-Mar, on Vega beach
- ServicesTourist office on Paseo Princesa…
Where to sleep
- Hotel Villa Rosario, at Santa Marina, open all year
- Hotel Ribadesella Playa, on the same promenade, closed in winter
Getting around
- A-8 from Oviedo or Santander
- Cangas de Onís and Covadonga, half an hour away
Where to eat
- Güeyu-Mar, on Vega beach
- La Huertona, above the town
Services
- Tourist office on Paseo Princesa Letizia
Indiano villas by the sea
The Santa Marina promenade was built up from 1907 with indiano villas, and two of them are now hotels on the sand. With a Michelin star in the same mansion, the getaway works without moving the car.
From €180per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Villa Rosario, indiano mansion…
- Getting aroundOn foot along the promenade…
- Where to eatAyalga Villa Rosario, one Michelin…
- ServicesTourist office on Paseo Princesa…
Where to sleep
- Hotel Villa Rosario, indiano mansion, open all year
- Hotel Ribadesella Playa, on the sand, spring to autumn
Getting around
- On foot along the promenade and across the bridge to the centre
Where to eat
- Ayalga Villa Rosario, one Michelin star
- Güeyu-Mar and La Huertona, fish grills
Services
- Tourist office on Paseo Princesa Letizia
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Ribadesella 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.
Dinosaurs, prehistoric paintings and an urban beach
Ribadesella has close at hand what works best with children: cave art, dinosaur footprints and a flat beach with a promenade. Everything is nearby and splits easily into short outings.
- What works bestThe Tito Bustillo rock art…
- Where to sleepHotel Ribadesella Playa, with triple…
- Where to eatBring a snack for the…
- Good to knowThe Tito Bustillo cave closes…
What works best
- The Tito Bustillo rock art centre, with workshops for families; €3.29 for ages 4 to 11
- The dinosaur footprints at Punta el Pozu and Tereñes
- The Grúa walk, with the Mingote panels, and the climb to the Guía chapel
- Surf lessons at Santa Marina from age 6
Where to sleep
- Hotel Ribadesella Playa, with triple rooms, spring to autumn
- Hotel Villa Rosario, all year
Where to eat
- Bring a snack for the beach; the grills are for long, unhurried lunches
Good to know
- The Tito Bustillo cave closes from November to February; it reopens in March 2027
- At Tereñes, only at low tide and in good weather
- On Wednesdays the rock art centre is free
What to do as a family
Waves, Jet Skis and Grilled Fish
Ribadesella works well for a group of friends who want sea, a little adrenaline and good food without moving the car: Santa Marina beach is across the bridge, the cliff coast is ten minutes away and the fish grills fill up at midday. A weekend fits together like this: Saturday morning, surfing or jet skiing; the afternoon, a stroll along the estuary and the Guía chapel; and dinner, grilled fish. Sunday is for the Tereñes cliffs before heading back. With the group it is worth deciding early what to do at sea, because both surfing and jet skiing depend on sea conditions.
- What works bestsurf lesson at Santa Marina
- Where to sleepHotel Ribadesella Playa
- Where to eatGüeyu-Mar
- Keep in mindIn August the International Descent…
What works best
- The surf lesson at Santa Marina: two hours with equipment included, from €40 per person and from age 6, so anyone in the group can join
- The guided jet ski ride along the cliffs and sea caves of the Dinosaur Coast: one hour, €100 solo or €130 for two, and no licence needed
- The cliffs and dinosaur footprints at Tereñes, a free one-hour walk for the following morning
- The Paseo de la Grúa and the Guía chapel, with the viewpoint over the estuary, for the end of the afternoon
- If you come for the Sella canoe descent, Ribadesella is where it ends: sleep here and head back in a relaxed way
Where to sleep
- The Hotel Ribadesella Playa, above Santa Marina, with rooms with sea views and buffet breakfast included; closed in winter
- For a tighter budget, the Ribadesella youth hostel is next to the beach and from €21 a bed
Where to eat
- Güeyu-Mar, fish grill at the foot of Vega beach, with sardines and wild fish grilled over charcoal; lunches only, Wednesday to Sunday
- La Huertona, also charcoal-grilled, with a terrace among plants; budget from €100 per person and closed on Tuesdays
Keep in mind
- In August the International Descent of the Sella arrives and the town fills up: book accommodation well in advance
- The Tito Bustillo cave is closed until March 2027; the rock art centre remains open Wednesday to Sunday
- Surfing and jet skiing depend on the sea: leave a day's margin in case of cancellation
What to do with friends
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingin style
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Villa Rosario
Why we like it: An indiano mansion and a modern building facing Santa Marina beach, open all year, with the Michelin-starred Ayalga restaurant.
Hotel Ribadesella Playa
Why we like it: Villa on Santa Marina beach with sea-view rooms and buffet breakfast included. Closed in winter.
From €60
View details
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| The town and harbour | Grúa walk, Guía chapel, tourist office | |
| Santa Marina | Beach, emigrants' villas, hotels and surfing | |
| Vega and Tereñes | Dinosaur footprints, dune beach, grill |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Ribadesella
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Güeyu-Mar
What to order: grilled sardines and wild fish
La Huertona
What to order: the fish of the day on the grill, which the staff recite with its price; elvers in season
Ayalga Villa Rosario
What to order: the tasting menu
Nearby
Near Ribadesella
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Go to the rock art centre on a Wednesday
It is free, although that day it opens only in the morning in winter.
- 2Book the cave as soon as the dates come out
With 150 places a day, in summer it sells out.
- 3Tereñes at low tide
The rock is slippery and the waves arrive without warning.
- 4In August, check the calendar
On the Sella weekend the town fills up and prices rise.
Ribadesella is the town where the Sella reaches the sea. On one side of the estuary are the harbour, the old town and the Guía chapel; on the other, across the bridge, Santa Marina beach with its villas built by returned emigrants. And a few minutes away, the Tito Bustillo cave, with Palaeolithic art that is World Heritage, and a coast of Jurassic cliffs with dinosaur footprints. It is the finish line of the International Sella Descent, which has been held for almost ninety years.
How do I get there from Oviedo, Santander or León?
By car, on the Cantabrian motorway, the A-8. From Oviedo it is an hour; from Santander, an hour and twenty; from León, a little over two hours via the Huerna motorway and Oviedo, or via the Pontón pass and Cangas de Onís. Ribadesella is half an hour from Cangas de Onís, so it combines well with Covadonga in a weekend.
Where do I park?
Leave the car in the town or next to Santa Marina and get around on foot: from the harbour to the beach is ten minutes over the bridge, and the Tito Bustillo rock art centre is west of the bridge. You need the car for Vega beach and Tereñes, to the west.
Can you see the Tito Bustillo cave?
Not right now. The cave opens seasonally: in 2026, from 4 March to 30 October, and it returns in March 2027. 15 people enter per session and 150 a day, for €4.14. What is open is the rock art centre, with the story of the discovery and reproductions of the great panel: in November and December, Wednesday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:30 and at weekends from 10:30 to 18:00, for €5.45. On Wednesdays, free. In January it is closed.
What can I do on the sea if I don't surf?
Cangas Aventura leaves from the centre of the town, next to the tourist office, with one-hour guided jet-ski routes along the cliffs and caves of the Dinosaur Coast, no licence needed, for €100 for a single rider and €130 for two. For teenagers who want a whole week of surfing without their parents, Surf Camp Ribadesella has weeks only for under-18s aged 12 to 17 in June and July, from €700.
How long do I need?
A day is enough for the rock art centre, the Grúa walk and the Guía chapel, lunch and the afternoon at Santa Marina. With a night, add a surf lesson in the morning and the cliffs of Tereñes with their dinosaur footprints, or the Sella descent by canoe from Arriondas, which ends near the town.
When to go
From March to October, with the cave open and the beach at its best. July and August are the busiest months, and in August comes the Sella Descent, the only festival in Asturias of International Tourist Interest: if you are not coming to see it, avoid it. In winter the town is quiet, the rock art centre stays open Wednesday to Sunday and Santa Marina fills with surfers; some hotels, such as the Ribadesella Playa, close.
Where do I eat and sleep?
For Sunday lunch, Güeyu-Mar, a fish grill on Vega beach, or La Huertona, above the town; for an occasion, Ayalga, with a Michelin star. To sleep, the Hotel Villa Rosario, in a returned-emigrant's mansion above Santa Marina and open all year, or the Hotel Ribadesella Playa, on the sand, from spring to autumn.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is the Tito Bustillo cave open?
No. It closed on 30 October 2026 and reopens in March 2027. The rock art centre does open, Wednesday to Sunday.
How much does the rock art centre cost?
€5.45 general admission and €3.29 reduced. On Wednesdays it is free.
How long does it take from Oviedo?
An hour by car on the A-8.
Where can you see dinosaur footprints?
At Punta el Pozu, at the end of Santa Marina, and on the Tereñes cliffs, west of the town.
Can you surf with no experience?
Yes. Surf Camp Ribadesella gives two-hour lessons at Santa Marina from €40, from age 6.
Which hotels open in winter?
The Villa Rosario is open all year. The Ribadesella Playa closes in winter.