A walk through Avilés

Latitude: 43.5550194 Length: -5.9238625
Open location in Google Maps

LIVE

WEBCAM

The best views of Asturias in webcamsdeasturias.com

A new Avilés awaits visitors, ready to dispel any preconceived notions. A stroll through the old town can be one of the most surprising experiences Asturias has to offer. It's no wonder, as the city celebrates its thousandth anniversary , revealing its rich past at every turn. The architectural heritage of the Villa del Adelantado (as it was known, in honor of a famous Avilés-born conquistador named Pedro Menéndez, known as El Adelantado ) is remarkably diverse in styles and historical periods. With its long-standing commercial and port tradition, many nobles settled here during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, building mansions and palaces. From the 12th century onwards, the city's economic dynamism was reflected in a series of architectural achievements, some lost entirely, such as the city walls, and others preserved, albeit with significant alterations. Some of the most representative buildings of this area have been integrated into the city's new cultural infrastructure. That's why Avilés has a dynamic atmosphere full of public initiatives.

Historical helmet of Avilés

The best way to explore the town of the Adelantado is on foot. Rivero Street and Galiana Street run through the most famous arcades in the Principality , arcades that once served as shelter for street vendors on market days. You'll quickly discover that the town center is very walkable and offers tourists a unique and worthwhile route. The fishermen's quarter, the old and new churches of Sabugo, the Plaza de los Hermanos Orbón, and the Camposagrado Palace are all well worth a visit, as is the Plaza de España, crossing through Calle de la Fruta and Calle de la Ferrería before entering Ferrera Park, the city's true green lung. A must-see is the current Franciscan church, formerly the parish church of San Nicolás de Bari. It is the oldest building in the town. Built between the 12th and 13th centuries, it boasts an interesting Romanesque portal and a beautiful ribbed vault.

Throughout our contemplative journey, we'll find excellent tapas and quality restaurants everywhere we look, perfect for a break. Avilés' gastronomy will pleasantly surprise us. Its ancient maritime heritage has been preserved, and we can savor its essence in restaurants, cider houses, and traditional taverns. Seafood in general, stews, bean dishes, sea urchins, and local desserts like bollu (a multi-layered sponge cake that godparents give to their godchildren at Easter), casadielles, or frixuelos (typical of Carnival). All of this accompanied by a good cider.

If you're looking for a lively scene , you'll find it scattered across several streets, such as Galiana, Rivero (the wine district), and Ferrería (the pub area). The Sabugo area is also booming, full of cider houses and summer terraces.

Our stroll through historic Avilés also compels us to explore the modern city . The year 1950 marked the beginning of the most significant period of urban transformation in its history, due to the establishment of various industries, most notably Ensidesa. Families from all over Spain moved here and forged what is now the third most populated city in the Principality: it currently has over 80.000 inhabitants and boasts the second most important port in the region.

Strolling through the port and the estuary of Avilés

Today, all the residents of Avilés look at the port and the estuary with new eyes. In 1980, the new fishing pier and the Virgen de las Mareas fishermen's guild were inaugurated. At its fish market, almost 70 percent of the fish caught in Asturias is auctioned, placing Avilés, despite its small fishing fleet, at the forefront of Asturian ports. Another vital project in this area, recently completed by the Government of Asturias at a cost of over 14 million euros, involved the removal of 170.000 cubic meters of contaminated sludge and the restoration of four kilometers of riverside promenade . The opening of this new promenade joins the recently inaugurated Avenida de Guadalhorce promenade and the pedestrian path between San Juan de Nieva and El Arañón. In total, as walkers, we can enjoy almost six kilometers of new spaces along the Avilés coastline.

In the Muelle Park, you'll find Avilés' most famous sculpture. It depicts the figure of the mariner Pedro Menéndez, explorer of Florida and founder of the first city in the United States, St. Augustine. Also in this park is the sculpture of La Foca (The Seal), a tribute to a very sociable seal that arrived at the port of Avilés in 1950 and entertained the locals for a long time. The statue in its honor is just one of the many sculptures that adorn the city, the most prominent of which is La Monstrua (The Monster ). This sculpture is a three-dimensional adaptation of the painting by Avilés-born artist Carreño Miranda. La Monstrua is located in the heart of the Sabugo fishing district. The City Council commissioned the piece as a tribute to the painter. The work is complemented by a later mural that also depicts La Monstrua, but nude. Both paintings are part of the collection of the Prado Museum. The sculpture is probably one of the most photographed sights in the town.