Covadonga's original wooden church burnt down in 1777 and landslides destroyed much of the settlement in the 19th century. The main church, the Basílica de Covadonga, is a neo-Romanesque affair built between 1877 and 1901.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa
14.93 MILES
Founded in 1918 as one of Spain's first two national parks, the 646-square-kilometre Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa encompasses some of Europe's…
10.5 MILES
Some of Spain’s finest cave art, including superb horse paintings probably done around 15,000 to 10,000 BCE, is within this World Heritage–listed cave,…
16.67 MILES
In less than four minutes, this spine-tingling cable car whisks visitors up from the valley floor to the top of the 600m-high sheer southern wall of the…
13.71 MILES
A beautiful, gold-blonde crescent bounded by rocky headlands and a bowl of green hills, 9km west of Llanes, Torimbia is truly spectacular. Turn off the…
Monasterio de Santo Toribio de Liébana
22.93 MILES
Christian refugees, fleeing to Liébana from Muslim-occupied Spain in the 8th century, brought with them the Lígnum Crucis, purportedly the single biggest…
26.31 MILES
The small town of Colombres, 21km east of Llanes, has a particularly fine collection of indiano architecture –florid buildings of eclectic styles…
14.12 MILES
About 8km west of Llanes, the 250m-long sands of Playa de Toranda are backed by green fields and a forested headland. Snorkellers should see a good…
0.13 MILES
This cave, now with a chapel installed, is where the Virgin supposedly appeared to Pelayo's warriors before their 722 CE victory over the Muslims…
Nearby Picos de Europa attractions
0.13 MILES
A few steps from Covadonga's basilica is the extensive Museo de Covadonga, devoted to Covadonga's history and extraordinary gifts from the faithful. Among…
0.13 MILES
This cave, now with a chapel installed, is where the Virgin supposedly appeared to Pelayo's warriors before their 722 CE victory over the Muslims…
4.88 MILES
Arching like a cat in fright, the so-called 'Roman Bridge' spanning the Río Sella was actually built in the 13th century, but is no less beautiful for its…
4.92 MILES
This tiny chapel was built in the mid-20th century to replace its 8th-century predecessor (erected by Pelayo's son Favila), which was destroyed during the…
5. Centro de Arte Rupestre Tito Bustillo
10.32 MILES
Some of Spain’s best cave art, including superb horse paintings probably done around 15,000 to 10,000 BCE, lie inside the World Heritage–listed Cueva de…
10.5 MILES
Some of Spain’s finest cave art, including superb horse paintings probably done around 15,000 to 10,000 BCE, is within this World Heritage–listed cave,…
7. Cueva del Queso de Cabrales
11.83 MILES
Learn all about and sample the fine smelly Cabrales cheese at Arenas' Cueva de Cabrales, a cheese-cave museum 500m south of the centre on the Poncebos…
12.59 MILES
The broad, 1.5km-long sands of Playa de Vega, 8km west of Ribadesella, are among the least known of northern Spain's finest beaches. There are three or…