Cabo Vido is, without a doubt, an amazing setting. We have the feeling of being in a very remote place. In one of those places that are not easily forgotten. Located in the parish of OviñanaJust ten kilometers from Cudillero, Cabo Vidio is the maximum expression of marine modeling, active for millions of years on this coastline. Its inclination oscillates between 10 and 20% unevenness and it belongs to a coastal plain whose age is attributed to the lower Pliocene, about 12 million years ago. The east side of the cape It is spectacular: strata of quartzite and slate falling completely vertical from almost a hundred meters high. People who suffer from vertigo or daredevils who tend to exceed reasonable limits should not appear here. There are no fences or protection of any kind because we are in a fully natural environment. It is not necessary to take more steps than necessary to achieve a perfect photograph, the precipice is overwhelming and photogenic enough to take unnecessary risks; and If we go with children we must keep them close and supervised, pets well secured...
The Cape Vidio Lighthouse
A lighthouse was built on this cape in 1950 after the area suffered countless shipwrecks. Is the last lighthouse built in Asturias and one of the last in Spain. It has important innovations in terms of navigation. At about 90 meters above sea level, its light signal emits 4 flashes every 20 seconds and can be seen from about 35 miles (16 miles in bad weather). The lighthouse has parking and a promenade that runs around the area along a narrow path. If we walk to the extreme North we discover the enormous and inaccessible rock that ends the cape. Is Chouzano islet, where cormorants and seagulls nest. The low flight of the latter captivates us and the panorama overwhelms us. On clear days, to the east we can see the mouth of the Nalón river (the longest and mightiest in Asturias), and the beaches near Avilés or Cabo Peñas... To the west: the beaches of Oviñana, Silencio, Cadavedo, Cabo Busto , we even distinguish Estaca de Bares, in A Coruña.
The environment where the lighthouse is now and the cape as a whole were a strategic location from the Iron age. Recent research confirms that it is one of the largest fortified enclosures on the entire Asturian coast. Some call it as The Castrellón de Cabu Vidíu. The enormous coastal ledge, in the shape of an elongated peninsula, has steep slopes on all its fronts except for the Southeast, and it would be in this sector where the defensive lines of the time were concentrated, with a system made up of three moats and two intermediate parapets. that cut the isthmus.
Walk of the Viewpoints
To the left and right of the lighthouse, numerous coastal inlets and ledges frame a good number of beaches and rocky coves. the west face Cabu Vidíu, which is less vertical than the East, falls directly on the Peñadória beach. In that direction we can face a small excursion of just 2 kilometers of route that starts from the lighthouse itself. The path is covered in about 20/25 minutes and there are scattered wooden benches through several key points to admire the coastal landscape. This section is very exposed to the waves, and its beaches, first Peñadoira and then Cueva, are not easily accessible, since you have to tackle a drop of nearly 80 meters in height. From the viewpoint benches, however, we can obtain an excellent perspective of these wild beaches and take them with us forever etched in our retinas.
En Cueva beach viewpoint, in the town of Oviñana, we can enjoy the fishing boat Aldebaran, installed on the very edge of the cliff as a tribute to those who died at sea. A restored boat that can boast of being one of the oldest in Asturias, built in Lastres in 1964. The image of this boat and the sea in the background is unique and well worth a few photos.
Although if there is a perfect place to take photos that is the bench of the Mirador de El Sablón, which we will find a little later. Placed on a natural platform "in extremis", it offers us incomparable views of this coastline and the Vallina beach. Is about one of the most instagrammable sites in Spain, the best bank in the world, say its acolytes, the bank at the end of the world, say others, a place that leaves us breathless... it should be pondered as much as possible, using the most memorable descriptions and the most superlative adjectives. The views are not for less. Taking a picture of here is reaching Nirvana :)
Sablón viewpoint
Surely someone has already recommended it to you and you still have it among your pending destinations. If so, no...
If possible, the sunsets they should be one of the objectives of our walk. The sun in this area seems especially motivated and resists the setting, dyeing the seascape with a powerful golden light. We will also get a great reward from this walk if we do it with the frizzy and brave Cantabrian. With all due precautions, and taking into account the force of the wind and waves, we can take dream photos with a long exposure filter and a good tripod.
the church
But in addition to the great beauty of the cape and the walk around it, a pearl is hidden in its bowels. It goes unnoticed by visitors as it is located just below the lighthouse. Is about one of the largest sea caves in the Cantabrian. The name by which it is known: La Iglesiona, affects the sacred and cathedral character of its 60 meters high and its vaulted shape with an immense dome. The acoustics of this place enhanced the force with which the sailors blew the shells to alert the ships on foggy days.
To access it, you have to descend the cliff on the west face following a narrow and steep path that at the end has a drop in which you have to use ropes. It is an access that is not accessible to everyone, dangerous in short, which requires the help of specialized guides and organized excursions that you can hire in the same town of Oviñana. The entrance to the cave is through a small mouth that is uncovered at low tide. The visit must be made with the sea calm, since it is very exposed during the swells.
Route through the beaches of Cabo Vidio
If we want to take more than a simple walk through the nearby viewpoints, we can take a longer route to see the beaches near the cape. An excursion of several hours duration and about 10 kilometers of approximate route. It is essential to do it at low tide, because at high tide we could not go from one beach to another. We can start our journey in the town of Ovinana, where we must consult well with the local people about our purpose of traveling the beaches with a backpack on our shoulders. From Oviñana we take the track that leads us downhill to the Vallina beach -With its 1.300 meters in length, it is the longest in the municipality of Cudillero. At the western end of this beach, in the so-called Punta del Esquilón, there is another track that leads us to the small town of Valdredo. When leaving this town, and following the indications of the "Route of the cliffs" we will reach the cave beach that we go completely up to a rocky ledge that, at low tide, we can cross to jump into the Penadoria beach. From here we ascend a new track to the vicinity of Oviñana, where we will end the route with a good stop for lunch.
Information:
Although there is a place to park in the area of the lighthouse, it is always better to do it at the exit of Oviñana and go for a walk to the Cape enjoying the cliffs. Oviñana is a town that has all the services to go well supplied. Outside the summer season it is advisable to wear ropa shelter because it is a place very exposed to the wind.
La caution It should always be the norm, without getting too close to the sharp ones, being careful not to slip and without being too daring to take photos, especially around the lighthouse, since walking around it to travel along a path that in some section falls directly empty, without fences or protection. We must have a SPECIAL Surveillance with children or pets.
Photographs: © Roberto Molero on Flickr
