The villages of Asturias have always been one of the best places for enjoying a peaceful and healthy life. Now more than ever, these villages are special places, a source of health and wellbeing, not only because of their location, the fresh air or the centuries of knowledge handed down and cherished through the generations, but because of the wide range of options to bring you happiness, pure and simple.
You’ll see how in the village, everything is an asset to you and yours, and you’ll find an endless source of personal wellbeing.
Pure air and idyllic landscapes
In the villages of Asturias, the landscape creeps in through the doors and windows, and hangs from the telephone lines and the raised granaries. Lush greenery and foliage, mountains, valleys, rivers, streams, trees or woodland, as well as pure air, accompany you on your rural wanderings, making the best travel companions.
Step into the village and a whole world of unspoiled nature will unfold before you!
Training the body and soul: indoor and outdoor activities
Asturian villages are an infinite fountain of resources for you to enjoy to the full. There is, in fact, an extensive and varied range of both indoor and outdoor activities available. Some rural accommodation facilities offer workshops on different subjects or programmes designed around yoga, meditation and other relaxation exercises. You can also arrange your own walking trips or hire specialised guides for interpretive trails, wildlife spotting, etc.
And, of course, there are tour companies operating in the area, offering all kinds of excursions: canoe descents, horse riding, 4×4 routes, surfing, paddle-surfing, trekking, etc.
Food of a lifetime, local produce and Landscape Cuisine
Good food obviously plays a fundamental role during your stay in a village in Asturias. Here it’s so easy to be seduced, as everything is delicious, as well as very healthy and fresh.
Breakfasts in the rural accommodation establishments are always amazing; in fact, they’re bound to be one of the highlights of your holiday. You’ll want for nothing with a village breakfast, and all homemade: bread, honey, butter, jam, seasonal fruit and nuts, homemade sausages, etc. It will certainly set you up for the rest of the day…
And when it’s time for lunch, you’re really talking, with those age-old recipes that form part of that intangible cultural heritage of Asturias.
Restorative silence, natural sounds and slowing down
Especially at night, silence helps to relax your mind and is a determining factor of a good night’s sleep, far from the noise pollution of the city.
In the daytime, the silence of the countryside combines with very natural sounds to compose a unique symphony, in which the birds, the wind, the tree branches, the cats and dogs, the cowbells and the shepherds’ voices all play their part.
One of the advantages of country life is that you adapt to the pace of your surroundings, a pace that becomes more human and less stressful. In the village you have time for everything: to sleep as long as you like, to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, to read, chat, go for a walk.
A magical atmosphere that changes with the seasons
The villages are steeped in magic. In an Asturian village it’s easy to find the goblin-like creature known as a trasgu lurking, or to suddenly come across the busgosu (the spirit of the forest) or the cuélebre (the winged serpent-dragon), or to hear the song of a xana (the water spirit). In Asturian villages, myths and legends are everywhere. There are specific places that feature in legends and there are legends in many places.
The magic is also embellished with the characteristics of the seasons, as every season is different, with its own geophysical and metaphysical “point”.
A pleasant, educational world, where the little ones can have the time of their lives
The villages of Asturias boast an admirable cultural and ethnographic heritage, which is so clear to see. The traditional architecture of Asturias, both civil and religious, is extremely rich.
Raised granaries, mills, churches, palaces, hermitages, farmhouses, bowling alleys, etc., combine harmoniously to give you an understanding of what life was like in the past and what remains of it today. There are also some very interesting ethnographic museums in certain towns and villages.
The villages of Asturias seem to have been designed for children to have fun. As well as the freedom of movement and timings enjoyed there, unlike city life, there are so many things to stimulate their creativity and imagination: all kinds of flora and fauna, hidden corners, landscapes, locals to tell them stories of times past, etc.
Staying in idyllic spots
On this journey through the many good things and qualities of staying in a village, one strategic choice is your accommodation. And also in this respect, the rural tourist establishments in Asturias offer you the best of the village: comfort, wellbeing, hospitality, peace and quiet, and a whole host of options for a pleasant, leisurely, educational and active stay.
The excellence of rural accommodation in Asturias is represented by the Club de Calidad de Hoteles Casonas Asturianas (Quality Club of Hotels in Asturias) and by the members of the brand of village houses and rural apartments, Aldeas Asturias Calidad Rural. In both cases, the accommodation itself and its surroundings, as well as the impeccable service, make country breaks truly special and the experience of a lifetime.
So, when you’re thinking about spending a few days relaxing and switching off, surrounded by nature, your best bet will be to stay at one of the establishments of Casonas Asturianas and Aldeas Asturias Calidad Rural!
