Tazones, Charles V's port, and its dinosaur footprints

Tazones is the small port at the mouth of the Villaviciosa estuary, about 11 km from the town. Here Charles V landed in September 1517, on his first journey to the peninsula, and it is the only Asturian port that is part of the emperor's imperial routes. The villagers re-enact it every August in a festival declared of Tourist Interest. The rest of the year it is a fishing village with two districts, San Miguel and San Roque, declared a Historic-Artistic Ensemble.

What to see

Climb the lanes of coloured fishermen's houses and look for corners such as the Casa de las Conchas (House of Shells). Below, the fish market auctions what the boats bring in, which is why the port's restaurants and cider houses live off the day's fish and seafood. The lighthouse, one of the best preserved on the Asturian coast, is on the edge of the village.

Dinosaur footprints

Tazones is one of the points on the Jurassic Museum's Dinosaur Coast. On the cliff at the eastern edge of the beach, about 120 metres from the access ramp, you can see on a tilted rock layer several three-toed footprints of theropod dinosaurs, some forming a trail, and a loose block with more footprints. Beside the lighthouse there are hand and foot prints of quadruped dinosaurs. Go at low tide, with footwear that grips wet rock, and do not stand at the foot of the cliff. To understand what you see, the Jurassic Museum is half an hour away.

Getting there and parking

By car from Villaviciosa, about 16 minutes along the edge of the estuary. In summer and on Sundays the village fills up at lunchtime: arrive before twelve or mid-afternoon.