# Ribadesella

The Tito Bustillo rock art centre, Santa Marina beach, dinosaur footprints and surfing at the mouth of the Sella, an hour from Oviedo.

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

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.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Cantabrian Coast, Picos de Europa, Camino del Norte
- Cerca: Cangas de Onís and Covadonga (a 13.7 km), Llanes (a 25.1 km), Cabrales (a 26.6 km), Villaviciosa and Tazones (a 30.4 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Tito Bustillo Rock Art Centre** (1 h 30 · All audiences; rainy day · Desde 5.45 € per person): While the cave is closed, the centre is the way to see the art of Tito Bustillo, a World Heritage Site since 2008: a permanent exhibition in six areas, with reproductions and audiovisuals, that goes from the discovery, by lowering down a shaft, to the Ardines massif, the hunters and artists who painted it, the Main Panel, a canvas more than 20,000 years old, the treasures hidden in the rest of the cave and its path to World Heritage status.
On your own or with a guide
On your own, they recommend an hour; there is a handheld guide and audio guides in several languages, linked to a mobile app. The guided visit lasts about 45 minutes and is for all ages. From February to June and from September to December there is one at weekends and open public holidays, at 13:00; in July and August, Wednesday to Sunday, at 11:30, 12:30, 16:30 and 17:30. To take it, when buying online choose a session marked with a guided visit. In November, December and February, guided visits or the "Pintamos con arte" ("We paint with art") workshop are also offered in English or French.
Workshops and other spaces
It has workshops for families, such as painting with pigments and brushes as in Prehistory. In the instrument workshop there are six display cases with replicas and seven panels explaining how stone was knapped and bone and antler worked. There is a temporary exhibition room, a shop with specialist books, educational games and crafts, and a café-restaurant, El cielo de Ribadesella, with seasonal hours: in October and on 1 November it opens at weekends and public holidays.
Opening times and price
From 1 November to 31 December it opens Wednesday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:30, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10:30 to 18:00; it closes on Monday, Tuesday, 24, 25 and 31 December and all January. In February, the same winter hours; from March to June and in September and October, from 9:45 to 17:30 on weekdays and until 18:30 at weekends; in July and August, Wednesday to Sunday from 9:45 to 19:00. General admission costs €5.45 and the reduced rate €3.29; on Wednesdays it is free.
Accessibility and groups
Groups book in advance, on 985 185 860. There are adapted visits for people with intellectual disabilities, with audio description, with a sign-language interpreter and for older people with special needs. Tickets are bought on the Turismo Asturias sales website.
Getting there
It is on Avenida de Tito Bustillo, west of the bridge over the Sella, next to the Ardines massif and about 300 metres beyond the cave. By the A-8, exit 326 if you come from the west or 319 if you come from Cantabria. In season, reception for the Tito Bustillo cave is here: you must show up half an hour before your session. To stretch your legs afterwards, cross the bridge towards the Grúa walk.
- **Grúa walk and La Guía chapel** (1 h · All audiences; steps at the end · Free): The Paseo de la Grúa follows the harbour's edge towards the mouth of the estuary. In the old days the brigantines that took emigrants to America left from here, and the walk keeps the air of that era, with its farín (small lighthouse), the Fonte del Cay, the sea views and an old shellfish tank turned into a natural swimming pool.
The Mingote panels
Along the walk there are six panels by the cartoonist and humorist Antonio Mingote that give a humorous synopsis of Ribadesella's history. Reading them all is part of the walk, and with children it is a good excuse to go from one to the next until the end, where the climb begins.
The climb to La Guía chapel
Almost at the end of the walk, a path of steps climbs to the 16th-century chapel of La Guía, at the top of Mount Corberu. Inside is the Virgen de Guía, patron saint of sailors, and alongside are some real cannons pointing at the horizon. The other way up is a path beside La Atalaya park, at the end of the Paseo del Muelle; you can go up by one and down by the other and close a loop.
What you see from the top
From the viewpoint you see the whole of Santa Marina beach, the mouth of the Sella and the estuary, Mount Somos and the Mofrechu. It is the best place to understand what the town is like: the harbour and old town on one side of the river and the promenade of villas on the other.
Duration and difficulty
The walk is flat and suitable for everyone; the climb to the chapel is steps, so with a pushchair you only get as far as the foot of the path. Between going, climbing and coming back, allow a good hour. It is free and can be done all year; in a north wind, wrap up at the top, because the mountain is exposed to the sea. In rain the steps are slippery: go up slowly. Dogs can go, on a lead.
Getting there
Start at the harbour, on the old-town side, a few minutes' walk from the centre. At the tourist office, on Paseo Princesa Letizia, they give you a map of the town.
How to combine it
Before or after, take a turn around the historic centre, restored and pedestrianised, with the Casa de los Ardines, the Prieto Cutre palace, now the town hall, and the church of Santa María Magdalena, with frescoes by the Uría Aza brothers. On Wednesdays there is a market, with origins in the 13th century. From the top you will see opposite Santa Marina beach and its villas, reached by crossing the bridge, and the Ardines massif, where the Tito Bustillo cave is.
- **Tito Bustillo Cave** (1 h · Very limited places; book early · Desde 4.14 € per person): The Tito Bustillo cave holds one of the most complete ensembles of Palaeolithic art on the Cantabrian coast, with twelve groups of paintings and engravings spread throughout the cavity. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2008, along with other caves in Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country. It was discovered a little over half a century ago by a group of Asturian cavers, in the Ardines massif, next to the Cuevona.
What you see
To preserve it, only the Main Panel is visited, and only for a few months a year. It is the most important chamber in the cave for its number of figures and variety of techniques: almost a hundred depictions, mostly deer, horses and reindeer, as well as ibex, bison, an aurochs and seventeen signs, painted in red, black and violet and some engraved. From the viewing point you can mostly make out the large two-colour horses and reindeer, of the Magdalenian period, from between 17,000 and 12,000 years ago, painted over a large red patch. Beneath there is an older phase, from before about 20,000 years ago, with red signs.
Season, sessions and prices
In 2026 it opened from 4 March to 30 October, Wednesday to Sunday, with the first session at 10:15 and the last at 17:00. It is now closed and reopens in March 2027. Each session is a maximum of 15 people, and 150 enter in total per day. General admission costs €4.14 and the reduced rate, for ages 7 to 11 and other groups, €2.12. On Wednesdays entry is free, with an invitation.
How to book
In high season you must buy online, and it is best to do so in advance. The visit is guided and in Spanish only. You must report to the reception at the rock art centre, about 300 metres beyond the cave, at least 30 minutes before your session. Groups of 20 or more book by phone, on 985 185 860, or at info@centrotitobustillo.com.
Before you go in
The visit lasts an hour and covers more than a kilometre and a half inside the cave. Inside it is about 13 ºC and the ground is muddy, damp and slippery: bring a coat and footwear with grip. The minimum age is 7. No photos or videos may be taken, and you may not bring food, drink or pets; as there are no lockers they recommend not bringing a rucksack.
Getting there
By the A-8, take exit 326, west of the town, and before the bridge over the Sella turn right onto Avenida de Tito Bustillo; or at 319, cross the bridge and turn left. Alsa buses and Renfe's narrow-gauge train between Oviedo and Santander reach Ribadesella.
Out of season, or if there are no places left, the rock art centre explains the cave and its Main Panel with reproductions.
- **Surf lesson on Santa Marina beach** (2 h · From age 6, no experience · Desde 40 € per person): Santa Marina, the town's beach, often gets groundswell and has waves almost all year, and is a good place to start. Surf Camp Ribadesella, with twenty years on the beach, gives two-hour group lessons by level, with board and wetsuit included.
Types of lesson and prices

One-day course: a two-hour group lesson, €40 per person.
Multi-day course: two hours a day, from 2 to 7 days: €70 for two days, €90 for three, €110 for four, €135 for five, €160 for six and €180 for seven. Each day is in a different session, depending on the tide.
Private lesson: one hour with an instructor to yourself, €45 per person or €80 for two.
Pass: up to seven lessons on non-consecutive days, valid until the end of the season.

For groups they have special prices, requested via the form or WhatsApp.
Levels and age
There are two levels: beginner, for anyone who has never surfed and is looking for their first wave, and improver, for those who already have a base and want to improve their manoeuvres. The instructors place students by level in small groups. From age 6 are admitted; minors go in groups by age with specialist instructors. You must be able to float and swim, although the beginner lesson takes place in shallow water with the instructor beside you. The instructors are certified by the Spanish Surfing Federation and trained in rescue and first aid. Insurance is included.
Times and bad weather
The timetable is published each day according to the tide and sea state, and it is worth checking a few days beforehand to confirm the time; free dates can be seen in real time when booking. If the sea changes, they offer you another session at no cost. In rain you surf all the same: they only cancel when the sea is dangerous, and then they move the lesson to another day at no cost.
Where it is and how to book
The school is on Calle Ricardo Cangas, next to the Roberto Frassinelli hostel, beside the beach. Book on its website, on 619 327 020 or 609 607 200, or at info@surfcampribadesella.com. As well as lessons, they rent boards, organise week-long surf camps for adults and young people and have a Santa Marina webcam to see how the sea is.
How to combine it
After the lesson, the walk along Santa Marina beach and its villas starts on the same sand. If it rains, the Tito Bustillo rock art centre is a few minutes away, on the other side of the bridge. If you want to sleep facing the waves, the Ribadesella Playa hotel is right on the beach.
- **Santa Marina beach and the promenade of the indiano villas** (1 h · All audiences · Free): Crossing the bridge over the Sella you reach Santa Marina, Ribadesella's urban beach: a stretch of golden sand about 1,200 metres long at the mouth of the river, lined by a promenade with all services. It is good for swimming and, with the groundswell that often comes in, for surfing too.
The promenade of villas
The beach promenade began in 1907 with the development promoted by the Marchioness of Argüelles, and Turismo Asturias describes it as unique among seaside towns. It is lined with palaces and villas of indianos (emigrants who returned rich from America) and aristocrats; some are now hotels, such as the Villa Rosario, an indiano mansion from the early 20th century, or the Ribadesella Playa hotel. It runs from Punta del Arenal, where the Sella makes its last bend, to Punta el Pozu, at the west end, where dinosaur footprints can be seen in the rock: it is one of Ribadesella's points within the track sites of the Asturian coast. The promenade is flat and fine with a pushchair; there and back, at an easy pace, takes about an hour.
Beach facilities
According to the Turismo Asturias sheet, it has lifeguards every day from 15 June to 15 September, from 11:30 to 19:30, showers, toilets, fountains, beach bars and parking for cars and bicycles, and a system for identifying lost children. It is a smoke-free beach and has held the Q for Tourism Quality since 2004, renewed each year.
For people with reduced mobility there are adapted toilets and showers, reserved parking spaces, a ramp, assisted bathing service and an amphibious chair, which is requested from the lifeguards.
Dogs
From 8 June to 15 September dogs may not be on the sand from 8:00 to 21:00; from 21:00 to 8:00, they may, on a lead. On the paths next to the beach accesses they must be on a fixed lead and, if necessary, muzzled. Outside those dates, the sheet publishes no restriction.
Bear in mind
In season it fills up: if you go by car in summer, arrive early. The groundswell that surfers love means there are days of heavy surf; respect the flags. If you want to try, the surf lesson at Santa Marina takes place on this same beach.
How to combine it
From Punta el Pozu the road that climbs to Tereñes starts, where the cliffs with dinosaur footprints continue. On the other side of the bridge are the old town and the Grúa walk with La Guía chapel, from whose viewpoint the whole beach can be seen. For a meal facing the promenade there is Ayalga, the Villa Rosario restaurant.
- **Tereñes cliffs and dinosaur footprints** (1 h · With footwear that grips; slippery rocks · Free): West of Ribadesella, at Tereñes, a hamlet with a lighthouse, the cliffs date from the Jurassic and preserve dinosaur footprints in the sandstone strata. They form part of the protected track sites of the Asturian coast, a set of coastal stretches between Villaviciosa, Colunga and Ribadesella with footprints more than 150 million years old. Tereñes also gives its name to one of the three Upper Jurassic formations where they appear, along with Vega and Lastres.
Which footprints you can see
On the Dinosaur Coast there are footprints of bipeds, theropods and ornithopods, and of quadrupeds, mostly sauropods. At Tereñes, the Geological and Mining Institute records ornithopod footprints in the sandstone layers. They are three-toed prints marked in the rock: they are best seen in raking light, first thing or at the end of the afternoon, and with the rock dry.
Getting there
From the western end of Santa Marina beach, at Punta el Pozu, the road that climbs to Tereñes starts, a few kilometres from the town; you can also walk there from Ribadesella. To see the first footprints you must go down to the rock and walk about 40 metres to the sandstone stratum. Turismo Asturias's Dinosaur Coast route links in Ribadesella the Vega beach, the Tereñes cliffs and Santa Marina beach, which also has footprints at its western end.
Tides and safety
Go at low tide and never with groundswell: the rock is slippery and waves arrive without warning. Check the tide table before setting off and wear footwear with grip; with children, do not go near the water's edge. There are no lifeguards or services on the cliffs. It is a protected area: look at the footprints without scratching them or stepping inside them, and do not take anything away.
Duration and who with
Allow an hour for going down, looking for the footprints and returning to the car; a little more if you walk from the town. It is free and can be done all year, always in good weather. For children who are already steady on rock it is a very rewarding outing: looking for the next footprint is addictive. With small children, or if the sea is rough, stay up by the lighthouse and leave the descent for another day.
How to combine it
Continuing west you reach Vega beach, one of the largest in Asturias, with dunes, a good wave for surfing and beach bars; there is Güeyu-Mar, a fish grill right on the beach. If you want more dinosaurs, the Jurassic Museum of Asturias, in Colunga, outside Ribadesella, displays footprints taken from this coast.
- **Guided jet ski tour along the Ribadesella coast** (1 h · Over-16s drive; passengers from age 12 · Desde 100 € per single jet ski): There are two ways to see Ribadesella's cliffs from the water: sitting on the Infierno Cliffs boat or at the controls of a jet ski. This is the second. Cangas Aventura sets out from its premises in the centre of Ribadesella, next to the tourist office, with a guide who leads the way along the Dinosaur Coast and takes the group into sea caves you cannot reach any other way.
What it is like
An hour along the cliffs of the Ribadesella coast, always behind the guide, who gives safety instructions at the start and during the route. There are single-seat and two-seat jet skis; on the doubles, if the guide thinks it possible, you can swap driver halfway. No licence or permit is needed. The company takes photos during the trip and gives them to you at the end. There are also two-hour routes.
Price, times and ages
The single jet ski costs €100 and the double, €130. There are departures every hour, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00. Those over 16 drive, minors with their parents' authorisation; from age 12 you can go as a passenger, always with an adult. Bring sports clothes that can get wet and a towel: at the end you change in their changing rooms.
Who it is for
For those who want speed and do not mind getting wet. With small children, the boat is a better option. If what you want is to see the dinosaur footprints from land, the Tereñes cliffs are a few minutes away.
- **Surf week for teenagers at Santa Marina beach** (Ages 12 to 17 · Desde 700 € per minor per week): A week without parents, with surfing every day and Santa Marina beach in front of the house. Surf Camp Ribadesella, which has been in the town for about twenty summers, organises weeks only for minors aged 12 to 17: they are not mixed with adult groups and there are instructors with them 24 hours a day.
What is included
Six nights at the Surf Palace, their house on the beachfront, or in the Villa Pilar chalet, with full board: breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. Each day there are two hours of lessons by level, supervised free surfing and video correction, with board and wetsuit included. The rest of the time, beach games, sport, longboarding, gymkhanas, excursions, walks and a Sella descent, with evening activities at night. It includes activity and assistance insurance, and the camp keeps families informed during the week.
Dates and price
In November 2026 the website already publishes the June and July 2027 weeks, with prices from €700 per minor per week; depending on the week, from €850 or €875. Book on their website, and places are marked as available or full on the calendar.
If you do not want a whole week
The same school gives single surf lessons at Santa Marina for any age, and in summer teenagers travelling with the family can try the jet ski from age 12, as passengers.

## Dónde comer
- **Güeyu-Mar** (Restaurant, Vega (Ribadesella), €€€). Qué pedir: grilled sardines and wild fish
- **La Huertona** (Restaurant, Ribadesella, €€€€). Qué pedir: the fish of the day on the grill, which the staff recite with its price; elvers in season
- **Ayalga Villa Rosario** (Restaurant, Ribadesella, €€€€). Qué pedir: the tasting menu

## By car: 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.
Presupuesto orientativo: 70–140 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Villa Rosario** (Hotel): Sleeping in an indiano villa
Villa Rosario is really three houses on the Santa Marina beach promenade. Villa Rosario I is the mansion, an early 20th-century indiano building on the seafront at Calle Dionisio Ruisánchez 6, with direct access to the promenade. Villa Rosario II is the modern building at number 3, in the second row just behind the mansion and about 30 metres from the beach, with large glass windows. And the Chalé Antiguo de Zabala, at number 26, is a colonial palace from 1915 that is rented out whole. Turismo Asturias lists it as a four-star hotel with 17 rooms and 34 beds, open all year, which is unusual on this beach.
The rooms in the mansion
The mansion has three types. The Economy rooms are the smallest, all with a double bed; some have no view or are reached only by stairs, and the hotel itself does not recommend them for long stays. The Executive Signature rooms are all different because of the building's architecture: they do not face the sea head-on, but may be attic rooms, with side views, a balcony or a terrace. There are six Unique Sea View rooms, with direct sea views; two have a terrace, and one has a door straight into the garden. All have a television, safe, telephone, minibar and free wifi.
The modern building and the chalet
Villa Rosario II has four types: Studio, with a bedroom and an attic lounge where extra beds fit; Ground floor, with direct access to the street, the only rooms that accept pets; Standard, on the first floor; and Attic rooms, on the second. They have air conditioning and heating. It is the most functional option.
The Chalé Antiguo de Zabala is for groups or families who want the house to themselves: seven double rooms with bathroom, a lounge with a library, kitchen, dining room, wine cellar, an attic lounge with a cinema and a terrace over the sea, with the hotel's services. You book it by phone or email.
Breakfast, parking and pets
Breakfast is a buffet with à la carte dishes cooked to order. In the mansion it is included, except in the triple rooms, which pay €18 per person; in Villa Rosario II it is paid separately, at €18 per person. Parking is free: tell them when you book that you need it. Pets are only allowed in the ground-floor rooms of Villa Rosario II, at an extra charge, with prior notice, a vaccination card and a lead in the shared areas.
What it offers
The restaurant Ayalga, with a Michelin star, is in the mansion, and the hotel sells accommodation-and-dinner packages from €212. Turismo Asturias adds a café-bar, garden, meeting rooms and 24-hour room service. You book on its website, on 985 860 090 or at info@hotelvillarosario.com.
Getting there and what is nearby
Cross the bridge over the Sella and follow the Santa Marina promenade; the centre of the town is about ten minutes' walk away. In front of you are Santa Marina beach and its villas and the surf lessons; across the estuary, the Tito Bustillo cave and the Grúa walk.
- **Hotel Ribadesella Playa** (Hotel, desde 60 € / night): A 1905 villa on the sand
The Ribadesella Playa occupies Villa Cochola, a mansion from 1905 that was the summer residence of the Marchioness of Argüelles. It is at Calle Ricardo Cangas, 3, directly on Santa Marina beach, on the promenade of indiano villas. It has operated as a hotel since 1988 and its website says it was completely refurbished in 2025. Turismo Asturias lists it as a three-star hotel, with 16 rooms and 31 beds.
Rooms
The website distinguishes eight room types: standard double, sea-view double, superior sea-view double, sea-view triple, standard double with sofa bed, single, superior double with sitting room and a family junior suite on the top floor, with sloping ceilings, for families or groups of friends. If you want to wake up looking at the Cantabrian Sea, choose one of the sea-view categories; the standard ones do not guarantee it.
Turismo Asturias adds that the rooms have television, telephone and minibar, that the hotel has a garden, safe, heating, reception and cot service, and that public transport is less than 500 metres away.
Breakfast, parking and services
Breakfast is a buffet with Asturian produce: freshly made coffee, homemade pastries, local cheeses and cured meats, fruit and freshly squeezed orange juice. The hotel's website says it is included in the stay; the Turismo Asturias sheet gives it as extra at €8.90 per person, so confirm it in your rate when you book. There is free parking reserved for guests, and free wifi. The hotel also arranges taxis, at extra cost.
Price and season
Turismo Asturias gives indicative prices of €60 to €140 a night. The hotel closes from 1 November to 1 April. In winter, the Villa Rosario hotel, on the same promenade, stays open. Book on its website, on +34 985 86 07 15 or at info@hotelribadesellaplaya.com.
What is nearby
You leave the hotel and you are on Santa Marina beach and its villas, where the surf lessons also take place. Crossing the bridge over the Sella you reach the old town and the Grúa walk. The Tito Bustillo cave is on the other side of the estuary.
For a special dinner, Ayalga, with a Michelin star, is on the same promenade. The hotel is also about 34 km from the Covadonga sanctuary and lakes, according to its website.

## Luxury: 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.
Presupuesto orientativo: From €180 por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Hotel Villa Rosario** (Hotel): Sleeping in an indiano villa
Villa Rosario is really three houses on the Santa Marina beach promenade. Villa Rosario I is the mansion, an early 20th-century indiano building on the seafront at Calle Dionisio Ruisánchez 6, with direct access to the promenade. Villa Rosario II is the modern building at number 3, in the second row just behind the mansion and about 30 metres from the beach, with large glass windows. And the Chalé Antiguo de Zabala, at number 26, is a colonial palace from 1915 that is rented out whole. Turismo Asturias lists it as a four-star hotel with 17 rooms and 34 beds, open all year, which is unusual on this beach.
The rooms in the mansion
The mansion has three types. The Economy rooms are the smallest, all with a double bed; some have no view or are reached only by stairs, and the hotel itself does not recommend them for long stays. The Executive Signature rooms are all different because of the building's architecture: they do not face the sea head-on, but may be attic rooms, with side views, a balcony or a terrace. There are six Unique Sea View rooms, with direct sea views; two have a terrace, and one has a door straight into the garden. All have a television, safe, telephone, minibar and free wifi.
The modern building and the chalet
Villa Rosario II has four types: Studio, with a bedroom and an attic lounge where extra beds fit; Ground floor, with direct access to the street, the only rooms that accept pets; Standard, on the first floor; and Attic rooms, on the second. They have air conditioning and heating. It is the most functional option.
The Chalé Antiguo de Zabala is for groups or families who want the house to themselves: seven double rooms with bathroom, a lounge with a library, kitchen, dining room, wine cellar, an attic lounge with a cinema and a terrace over the sea, with the hotel's services. You book it by phone or email.
Breakfast, parking and pets
Breakfast is a buffet with à la carte dishes cooked to order. In the mansion it is included, except in the triple rooms, which pay €18 per person; in Villa Rosario II it is paid separately, at €18 per person. Parking is free: tell them when you book that you need it. Pets are only allowed in the ground-floor rooms of Villa Rosario II, at an extra charge, with prior notice, a vaccination card and a lead in the shared areas.
What it offers
The restaurant Ayalga, with a Michelin star, is in the mansion, and the hotel sells accommodation-and-dinner packages from €212. Turismo Asturias adds a café-bar, garden, meeting rooms and 24-hour room service. You book on its website, on 985 860 090 or at info@hotelvillarosario.com.
Getting there and what is nearby
Cross the bridge over the Sella and follow the Santa Marina promenade; the centre of the town is about ten minutes' walk away. In front of you are Santa Marina beach and its villas and the surf lessons; across the estuary, the Tito Bustillo cave and the Grúa walk.
- **Hotel Ribadesella Playa** (Hotel, desde 60 € / night): A 1905 villa on the sand
The Ribadesella Playa occupies Villa Cochola, a mansion from 1905 that was the summer residence of the Marchioness of Argüelles. It is at Calle Ricardo Cangas, 3, directly on Santa Marina beach, on the promenade of indiano villas. It has operated as a hotel since 1988 and its website says it was completely refurbished in 2025. Turismo Asturias lists it as a three-star hotel, with 16 rooms and 31 beds.
Rooms
The website distinguishes eight room types: standard double, sea-view double, superior sea-view double, sea-view triple, standard double with sofa bed, single, superior double with sitting room and a family junior suite on the top floor, with sloping ceilings, for families or groups of friends. If you want to wake up looking at the Cantabrian Sea, choose one of the sea-view categories; the standard ones do not guarantee it.
Turismo Asturias adds that the rooms have television, telephone and minibar, that the hotel has a garden, safe, heating, reception and cot service, and that public transport is less than 500 metres away.
Breakfast, parking and services
Breakfast is a buffet with Asturian produce: freshly made coffee, homemade pastries, local cheeses and cured meats, fruit and freshly squeezed orange juice. The hotel's website says it is included in the stay; the Turismo Asturias sheet gives it as extra at €8.90 per person, so confirm it in your rate when you book. There is free parking reserved for guests, and free wifi. The hotel also arranges taxis, at extra cost.
Price and season
Turismo Asturias gives indicative prices of €60 to €140 a night. The hotel closes from 1 November to 1 April. In winter, the Villa Rosario hotel, on the same promenade, stays open. Book on its website, on +34 985 86 07 15 or at info@hotelribadesellaplaya.com.
What is nearby
You leave the hotel and you are on Santa Marina beach and its villas, where the surf lessons also take place. Crossing the bridge over the Sella you reach the old town and the Grúa walk. The Tito Bustillo cave is on the other side of the estuary.
For a special dinner, Ayalga, with a Michelin star, is on the same promenade. The hotel is also about 34 km from the Covadonga sanctuary and lakes, according to its website.

## As a family: 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 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

### Qué hacer as a family
- Tito Bustillo Rock Art Centre
- Grúa walk and La Guía chapel
- Tito Bustillo Cave
- Surf lesson on Santa Marina beach
- Santa Marina beach and the promenade of the indiano villas
- Tereñes cliffs and dinosaur footprints

## With friends: 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 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

### Qué hacer with friends
- Grúa walk and La Guía chapel
- Surf lesson on Santa Marina beach
- Tereñes cliffs and dinosaur footprints
- Guided jet ski tour along the Ribadesella coast

## Consejos

### Go to the rock art centre on a Wednesday
It is free, although that day it opens only in the morning in winter.

### Book the cave as soon as the dates come out
With 150 places a day, in summer it sells out.

### Tereñes at low tide
The rock is slippery and the waves arrive without warning.

### In August, check the calendar
On the Sella weekend the town fills up and prices rise.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.