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webcamsdeasturias.comYou don't arrive at the entrance to Puerto de Vega; you enter it, like stepping into a scene that blends naturalness with a certain theatricality of local customs. The white facades, rather than dazzling, are comforting . There is a serene, almost Cartesian order to it, which doesn't detract from the town's maritime heritage. We can stroll through the central "Benigno Blanco" park, with its ample trees; discover the centuries-old and romantic Plaza de Cupido , the town's nerve center, where the original fishing village was established and where the old-world beauty of mansions like the "Plaza" or the "Columnas" is striking; marvel at the immense Casino, with its 500 square meters of floor space…
How to get to Puerto de Vega?
We found this town 7,5 kilometers east of the capital of Navia, communicated by the N-632.
Yes, we are on the A-8 Cantabrian Highway, you have to take the 474 output and then the LV-7 takes us to Puerto de Vega.
How many inhabitants does Puerto de Vega have?
It currently has about 2.000 inhabitants, is the most important population center after Navia, the capital of the municipality.
It is not surprising that this town, which seems to have come out of an oil painting by Darío de Regoyos, has been recognized as “Exemplary Town of Asturias” in 1995 and, with poetic justice, the Awarded the most beautiful in the region in 1998.
Illustrious past of Puerto de Vega
It is no coincidence that Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos , an enlightened man by vocation and a martyr by conviction, found his final resting place in Puerto de Vega around 1811. It was as if destiny had reserved for him a corner of Asturias where he could die with dignity. The locals welcomed him as one of their own, and in his agony, he left behind a legacy that is more than physical: it is spiritual. The commemorative plaques, the library that bears his name, the street, the monument… all of that is well done, but the essential thing is that Jovellanos, who so deeply dreamed of a just Spain, found in this port a glimpse of what that Spain could have been.
What to see in Puerto de Vega?
Puerto de Vega is, first and foremost, a port , because here the sea is neither a backdrop nor an excuse for a summer postcard. Here, the sea rules, and the men obey with a mixture of respect and inherited pride. For centuries, the fishing of bonito and hake —that aristocratic pair of the Cantabrian Sea— defined the economic and vital pulse of the place . And although modern times, with their refrigeration and computerized fish markets, have blurred the romanticism of the trade, in Puerto de Vega there are still boats that return with the dawn, and men who call the wind "compañeru" (comrade).
The port , small but imposing, is like an amphitheater where the tragedies and comedies of daily life for sailors play out. It even has a wall, its battlements in perfect condition, which deterred piracy in the Middle Ages and protected the town from the French invasion three centuries later.
In the port area, you can also visit the Baluarte promenade and the La Riva viewpoint . In Puerto de Vega, the Baluarte is more than just a promenade: it's an old bastion that still retains some of its original purpose. From here, port activity was monitored, and in more turbulent times, potential threats from the sea were also spotted. You can see two 18th-century cannons and a monolith honoring those who erected the Baluarte in 1588, along with several nautical artifacts.
In another beautiful spot, in the corner of La Riva, we discovered a recreation of the mariners' table, built in 1992 to commemorate the local fishing heyday, including whaling in bygone eras . Here stands a three-story monument steeped in history. The highlight is the first known whaling contract, featuring two imposing jawbones, four meters long, from whales weighing approximately 30 tons. On the second floor, an immense altarpiece, an "allegory of whaling," clearly illustrates how these marine giants were captured. On the third level, atop a crenellated enclosure, stands a modern whaling cannon. Invented by Sven Foy, a Norwegian sailor, in 1854, it was thoroughly tested on his ship, the "Spes et fides."
The Watchtower Chapel: A Promise on the Brink of the Abyss
At the edge of the cliff, the Atalaya Chapel watches over the sea like a worried mother. Dedicated to the Virgin of Atalaya, protector of sailors, it was erected as a promise after a storm. by the Guild of Seamen and Commerce around the year 1605.
Culture in Puerto de Vega
The Ethnographic Museum: memory with tools
In the village's old schools, the Juan Pérez Villamil Ethnographic Museum preserves life from bygone times without idealizing it. It represents the trades that sustained daily life: riverside carpenters, the rowers or spinners, the shoemakers, ferreiros, madreñeiros, basket makers, carpinteiros or cabinetmakers, or the canteiros or loserosEach room is a tribute to anonymous effort, skill, and necessity transformed into popular art.
Finally, it must be said that the love of its citizens has made the town a festive landmark in western Asturias. Its patron saint festivities in honor of Our Lady of Atalaya generate unusual excitement for four days, each with its own name: September 7th, "The Eve"; the 8th, "La Telayona"; the 9th, "La Telayina"; and the 10th, "La Jira." The devotion, as one would expect, is directed towards a seafaring Virgin and takes various forms, both pagan and Catholic: songs, wine, cider, good food, processions, and, among other events, a tribute to the oldest sailor.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
