Roberto Frassinelli Youth Hostel

A little palace by the sea

The Roberto Frassinelli youth hostel occupies a small palace built in 1910 on Calle Ricardo Cangas, on the seafront of Santa Marina beach, on the other side of the Ribadesella bridge. It has a large garden by the sea and, according to Turismo Asturias, 44 places. It is open all year.

Rooms and services

The rooms are shared, for up to six people, and the bathrooms are shared too. The indicative price published by Turismo Asturias is €21 per person per night, with breakfast. There is heating, a washing machine, a television room, a garden and wifi, you can pay by card and they organise activities for children.

It is a hostel in the youth hostel network: it asks for a hostelling card, which, if you don't have one, can be obtained at the hostel itself. Bookings are accepted. To book or enquire, the telephone is 619 327 020 and you can also book from the hostel's page on the Spanish Youth Hostels Network website.

Restaurant, terrace and surfing

The hostel's own website explains that the small palace was recently renovated and that, as well as the rooms, it has a dining room and restaurant with a traditional and international menu, and a terrace of more than 100 m² facing the sea, open all day. It offers accommodation with breakfast or full board, and tailor-made rates for groups of students, sports clubs and associations. Its speciality is surfing: it organises lessons for all levels at Santa Marina through its school. The website speaks of 55 places, more than the 44 in the official listing; if you are going as a group, confirm the capacity.

Who it is for

It suits you if you travel alone, as a couple on a tight budget or in a group, and if you are walking the Camino del Norte: Ribadesella is the end of the stage coming from Llanes. It is also a good base for those who come to learn to surf, because the beach is right in front of the door. If you want a private room with a bathroom, on the same street you have the Ribadesella Playa hotel and, a little further on, the Villa Rosario hotel.

What to do nearby

Without taking the car: the Santa Marina beach and its villas, the surf lessons at Santa Marina and, crossing the bridge, the old town and the Paseo de la Grúa to the Guía chapel. The Tito Bustillo cave and its rock art centre are on the other side of the estuary.

The Sella descent finishes at Ribadesella. For timetable information and maps, call in at the Ribadesella tourist office. Turismo Asturias says there is public transport less than 500 metres away.