Once we had reached Spain and disembarked at Santander, we travelled Ribadesella. We had no idea of the hidden joys we would discover in our first port of call but they certainly set the tome for the rest of the trip. Ribadesella is in the autonomous region of Asturias in Northern Spain. Ribadesella is a small municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain that is known for its superb beaches on the Cantabrian Sea. The town stands at the outlet of the River Sella and provides an excellent harbour for all manner of recreational and working boats. Ribadesella is a town that forms part of the Picos de Europa (Peaks of Europe).
We navigated to our first Air B&B using Apple Maps through our iPhones which got us to the venue. The journey was about 1.5 hours. The roads in Northern Spain have very little traffic on them and are clearly signposted for you to leave the motorways or main highways.
Ribadesella is a town in Asturais on Spain’s northern coast. The town was founded in the 13th century and it celebrates an interesting mix of medieval and modern architecture.
There is a sandy beach called the Playa de Santa Marina which was empty when we arrived in April 2022.
You will also find one of the world’s Palaeolithic rock art collections in the Tito Bustillo Caves. Go to The Cave Art Centre for more information. This is now a World Heritage Site due to some of the outstanding rock art.
The Asturian Horreo
This is an unusual structure that can be found in this region and throughout Europe dating from 14th Century The Horreo is a peasant dwelling and its purpose was to act as a barn to store fruits when they were abundant.
Tito Bustillo Cave Art Centre
You are not allowed to take pictures in the caves, so this picture was taken by us in the Museum/Cave Art Centre.
The Cave Art Centre is worth a visit to see the full cave system in this region – some of which is in English. We would recommend you see the exhibition prior to visiting the caves themselves
There were still some COVID restrictions in place when we visited, and you needed to buy tickets in advance.
