Famous for its Cabrales cheese, Arenas de Cabrales boasts many other attractions for visitors. Its strategic location for mountain lovers, combined with its array of rural houses and hotels, campsites, adventure companies, restaurants, shops selling local products and souvenirs, makes it one of the main tourist destinations in the National Park . The diverse landscape, the rich mountain pastures visible from Arenas, the livestock farming that is an integral part of daily life, the weathered hands of the shepherds, their passion for artisanal crafts, and the culture passed down through generations are evident at every turn. Ancient agricultural practices remain virtually unchanged thanks to the natural isolation of these highlands.
Gastronomy of the Picos de Europa
The delights of the local cuisine are exceptional. Cabrales cheese , world-renowned, tastes even better in its native region; here, it is masterfully used as a sauce in numerous dishes. Furthermore, Arenas is home to the Cabrales Cheese Competition , held annually on the last Sunday of August; an event declared a Festival of Tourist Interest, which features exhibitions about the product as well as demonstrations of its production. The town also boasts the Cabrales Cave-Exhibition : a permanent exhibition showcasing the past and present of the cheese through guided tours inside a natural cave.
The mountain air enhances the flavor of many other typical products, such as pote (a hearty stew) or fabada (Asturian bean stew), which have been consumed in Cabrales since time immemorial to sustain the animals through the arduous work of shepherding. And it is precisely the meats derived from this ancestral herding that are most popular. It is no coincidence that every June, the gastronomic festival celebrating organic free-range meat —kid and lamb from the Picos de Europa mountains—is held, with local restaurants offering reasonably priced menus. Other meats, such as Pitu Caleya (free-range chicken) or Asturian beef, are equally renowned. Arenas hosts two important livestock fairs annually.
-
-
18,90€ VAT included This product has multiple variants. Options can be chosen on the product page
A strategic place in the Picos de Europa
Its origins are lost in prehistory, as evidenced by the survival of the corri-corri, a primitive dance still practiced throughout the area. Arenas was already inhabited 15.000 years ago ; cave paintings exist in the Covaciella Cave . These are painted bison that led to its declaration by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The cave itself is not open to the public, but a scale model can be seen in the Prehistory Park in the town of Teverga. The Romans were interested in its precious metal mines and built roads such as the Caoru or Portudera road (which reaches the summit of Caoro and continues towards Sotres and Áliva, where it branches off towards Liébana and Valdeón) to transport the metals extracted from the subsoil.
Routes from Arenas de Cabrales
Arenas de Cabrales is the main gateway for all kinds of outdoor activities in the Picos de Europa mountains, from climbing Urriellu (Naranjo de Bulnes) and hiking the Cares Route , to the beautiful ascent (on foot or by funicular) to Bulnes , or reaching the charming higher-altitude villages of Sotres and Tielve via steep, breathtaking trails. Other options, such as cycling and horseback riding, offer an endless array of possibilities for hikers. The proximity of the Sierra del Cuera Protected Landscape , a practically coastal mountain range , also provides numerous attractions for caving enthusiasts.
Information and tips for doing the Ruta del Cares
If you plan to hike the Cares Route, visit Tielve, or Sotres during peak season, it's advisable to check for traffic restrictions in the area to avoid any surprises. You can find all the information at the following link…
Cares Route transport plan 2026
This year, 2026, in order to avoid traffic congestion and offer an alternative to the many… Read more
What to see in Arenas de Cabrales
In some ways, Arenas seems frozen in time. Wandering through the village streets is essential to truly appreciate its beautiful vernacular architecture . Stone houses with their wooden balconies and painstakingly crafted eaves, their doorways, small windows, and Moorish tile roofs. You'll also find palaces like the splendid Mestas y Cossio Palace , built in the early 18th century in the Baroque-Renaissance style, with a nearby chapel, the Chapel of San Juan. This chapel served as a funerary chapel during the High Middle Ages and is therefore surrounded by a necropolis. Several houses of medieval origin include La Corralada and La Papera . Very close to the Plaza del Corral, in the Torrejón neighborhood, stands the Casa del Torrejón , a 15th-century palatial house, rebuilt in the 18th century.
Perhaps the architectural gem of the village is the Church of Santa María de Llas , built in the Asturian Gothic style, a transitional Gothic with Romanesque elements still present. The most striking feature is the geometric decoration of the ceilings. Visitors will also be interested in the drawings adorning the church walls, revealed during recent renovations and likely the work of medieval pilgrims. Beside the church, a spectacular yew tree bears witness to the antiquity of its foundation.
On the outskirts of Arenas is the curious Batán de La Pisa de la Sertal , an old and bulky device used to compact wool.
Sleep in Arenas de Cabrales
Arenas de Cabrales offers a wide variety of accommodation options, including hotels, apartments, rural houses, and hostels, in this area of the Picos de Europa mountains . Our link provides deals and direct contact with owners, eliminating intermediaries and commissions.
Events in the Picos de Europa
The Puertas Filmfest is the Independent Film Festival of the Cabrales town of Puertas. They have been paying tribute to the seventh art for over a decade now.
Doors FilmFest 2026
12th Edition from the 13th to… Read more
Cabrales Cheese also has its own festival at the end of August. In addition to the direct sale of thousands of pieces of Cabrales, the best cheese is auctioned off, with bids being placed on the cheese that wins the competition, a real event.
53th Cabrales Cheese Contest 2025
Here we share the agenda of… Read more
The events in honour of Our Lady of Health, patron saint of the municipality of Cabrales, are always held on the Sunday following the 8th of September, which is the Day of Asturias, the festive day of the autonomous community.
The Virgin of Health in Cabrales
Few patron saint festivals offer the color and wide range of folklore of the La Salud festival in Carreña de la Frontera… Read more
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
