Oviedo: top attractions & road trip guide
Oviedo is the capital of Asturias and the traditional starting point of the Camino Primitivo, the oldest of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes, first walked by King Alfonso II in the 9th century. Its cathedral holds the Cámara Santa reliquary chamber, and two nearby pre-Romanesque churches, Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites from the early Asturian kingdom.
Oviedo sits inland from Gijón and Avilés at the foot of the Asturian mountains, a natural hub for a road trip looping through the region's coast and the nearby Picos de Europa. The old town's granite streets, centered on the cathedral square and the cider bars of Calle Gascona, are compact enough to see on foot after parking on the edge of downtown.
Top attractions
Oviedo Cathedral
A Gothic cathedral built over several centuries, whose Cámara Santa chamber houses medieval reliquaries and the Cross of the Angels, a symbol of Asturias.
Santa María del Naranco
A 9th-century pre-Romanesque palace turned church on a hillside above the city, admired for its arcaded galleries and carved medallions.
San Miguel de Lillo
A small pre-Romanesque church next to Santa María del Naranco, notable for its carved stone window screens and vaulted interior.
Calle Gascona (Cider Boulevard)
A pedestrian street lined end to end with cider bars, where sidra is poured from height in the traditional Asturian style.
Culis Monumentalis (La Gorda)
A bronze sculpture of a reclining nude figure by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, one of several oversized figures the artist placed around the old town.
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