Culture
Llanes Travel Guide (Camino del Norte Coastal Gem)
A medieval Asturian fishing town, dramatic cliffs, and one of the best beach detours on the entire Norte.
December 28, 2025 · 8 min read
Llanes is one of those towns where pilgrims arrive intending to stay one night and end up staying two. A medieval fishing port wedged between the Picos de Europa and the Cantabrian Sea, it has just enough culture to fill an afternoon and just enough beach to make you forget the trail.
What to see: the medieval old town with intact 13th-century walls, the Basílica de Santa María, and the Memory Cubes — concrete blocks painted by Basque artist Agustín Ibarrola on the harbour breakwater.
The beaches: Playa del Sablón is right in town. Playa de Toró, with its dramatic limestone stacks, is a 15-minute walk east. Playa de Gulpiyuri — an inland beach 12 km away — is one of Spain's strangest natural wonders.
Where to eat: La Marina for fresh fish, Sidrería El Bodegón for cider poured from height, and Confitería Campoamor for the best pastel de cabracho on the coast.
Where to sleep: Albergue La Estación is the pilgrim favourite, in a converted railway station. For private rooms, Hotel Don Paco is in the old town walls.
If you have a rest day: take the Senda Costera path east to Playa de Ballota. One of the most beautiful coastal walks in Asturias.
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