Avilés: top attractions & road trip guide
Avilés is a port town in Asturias on the Camino del Norte, once a heavily industrial steel town that has reinvented its riverside with contemporary architecture. Its arcaded medieval old town survives largely intact, centered on Calle Galiana, while the Centro Niemeyer, the only building in Spain by architect Oscar Niemeyer, anchors the modern waterfront.
Avilés sits just inland from the coast, a short detour off the main Camino del Norte road route and only a short drive from Gijón and Oviedo, making it easy to fold into a loop through Asturias. The estuary drive into town passes former shipyards and industrial land now being reclaimed as parkland.
Top attractions
Centro Niemeyer
A cultural complex on the riverside designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, with a distinctive white dome, auditorium, and exhibition tower.
Calle Galiana
A medieval arcaded street lined with stone columns and covered walkways, the spine of the old town.
Church of San Nicolás de Bari
A Gothic parish church holding the tomb of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the 16th-century admiral who founded St. Augustine, Florida.
Camposagrado Palace
A Baroque noble palace with a richly carved stone facade overlooking the Plaza de España.
Ferrera Park
A landscaped public park laid out around a former noble estate, with mature trees and formal gardens close to the old town.
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