North of Spain itinerary. Day 8: Oviedo

These are the chronicles of my road trip through the north of Spain with my cousins in the Spring Break of 2019. It is an 11 day itinerary that spanned from the French Basque Country to Asturias, including the way from and to Barcelona (where I currently live). Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, has a secured space in my heart as it has become one of my favourite cities in Spain. I have a few friends that live there and I have been there more times than I can count. It is a beautiful city with amazing (and cheap) food, a rich culture and incredibly friendly people, so it still surprises me how this is still a hidden gem in such a touristic country as Spain is. Although I still hope it stays a hidden gem, I recommend everyone to visit it if you are in the area.

This was my road trip team (I’m the one on the front left)

Day 8: Oviedo

1. Oviedo

Plaza del Fontán

We started the day having a breakfast pintxo in the colorful Plaza del Fontán at Casa Ramón. It was a perfect sunny day in a wonderful atmosphere, still not crowded because of the early ours, although this square gets pretty busy from the afternoon onwards.

The colorful Plaza del Fontán

Since it was a Saturday, there was a blooming flea-market with a wide offer ranging from flowers to books, clothes and more. We did a little shopping and were surprised by a touring band of gaiteros, the Asturian bagpipers.

Local gaiteros around the Old Town

Mercado del Fontán

After that we headed towards Mercado del Fontán, a marketplace full of fresh products. It is a nice spot to buy yourself some souvenirs, such as Asturian cheese or a kit to make fabada, a bean stew which is more or less the star dish of the region.

Mercado del Fontán next to the church of San Isidoro El Real

The blue metal structure of Mercado del Fontán

Plaza de la Constitución

We continued towards Plaza de la Constitución, a beautiful squere where the City Hall and the San Isidoro church are, all in the beautiful yellow stone that characterizes Oviedo. Because of the Easter celebrations, we saw a procession of people dressed as nazarenos (a bit creepy) carrying a Virgin to the sound of an orchestra.

The church of San Isidoro El Real with the yellow limestone that characterizes the city

Oviedo’s city hall

Oviedo Cathedral

Our next stop was Oviedo Cathedral (Cathedral of San Salvador), which is a wonderful mix of styles, from pre-Romanesque to Baroque, all in the yellow limestone that characterizes this wonderful city. I suggest going there through Calle Mon, which will give you a fantastic view of the tower with the colorful houses of the street.

You can enter the curch for free in Mass hours or purchase a tourist ticket to visit with an audio guide for 7€. Check the schedules and prices in their website.

Luckily, we came across a regional dance group in the square in front of the Cathedral. The dance is very upbeat and happy with the dancers dressed in traditional Asturian costumes.

We finished our morning stroll by having a vermouth and some pintxos at one of the most iconic bars in the city, Bar Campa, which became famous for the outstanding friendliness of its owner, which answers Siempre! (“always”) to any request.

Fabada for lunch

After that we met with my Asturian friends that took us to an award-winning fabada restaurant, Gaucho Fierro. The establishment was great, the staff friendly, and the food ridiculously good. The traditional fabada, a bean stew with meat (typically panceta (salted pork belly), chorizo (spiced sausage) and morcilla (blood sausage)) was extremely tasty and yet not too fatty. They also served a fantastic Asturian dessert platter that was insane! All of this in extravagant proportions and watered with delicious wine. This restaurant is quite far from the city, so only plan to visit if you have a car (or take a taxi).

The iconic fabada from Restaurant Gaucho Fierro

The dessert platter, all covered in melted chocolate

And a drink

After our copious meal, we decided to help digestion with a gin & tonic in a wonderful house restaurant also located far away from the city. Restaurante Arbesú was originally opened in the 1940s as an Asturian cider (sidra) factory for family and friends. The cider factory is still working, making a celebrated brand of cider, but they also introduced a restaurant that has a beautiful garden where you can enjoy a drink on a sunny day.

This took us most of the afternoon, but if you decide to stay in Oviedo, there’s plenty more things that you can do.

2. Alternative plans

The New Town

You can go to the newer part of the city, around Calle Pelayo and see the Woody Allen statue, a big fan of the city, the famous Teatro Campoamor, where the renowned Príncipe de Asturias awards ceremony is celebrated, visit Basílica de San Juan el Real, the church with Spain’s former dictator Francisco Franco got married, or just wander around Campo de San Francisco, the refurbished gardens of a convent now a public park. This area is also the main shopping district of the city, so go wild!

Woody Allen statue in Calle Milicias Nacionales

Church of San Juan El Real

Cultural plans

If you’re looking for something more cultural, you can also continue exploring the Old Town by visiting the headquarters of the University of Oviedo, if you have time, enter the Archeology Museum, (with free entrance), which is placed in a former closter and offers a fantastic exhibition of the Prehistory of the region (click here for schedules), or take a picture with the Milkmaid sculpture at Plaza Trascorrales or under the Umbrella in Plaza del Paraguas.

Oviedo University

Archeology Museum of Oviedo

My friend Andrea and I at Plaza del Paraguas

A walk in nature

If you feel like a quieter and more natural afternoon, head to Monte Naranco, a mount located north of Oviedo, where you can have a wonderful hike and visit the churches of San Miguel de Lillo or Santa María del Naranco, and climb up to the monument of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, similar to that in Rio de Janeiro, which gives you a great overview of the city.

Church of San Miguel de Lillo

Church of Santa María del Naranco

The Christ statue atop Monte Naranco

Oviedo’s nightlife

In the evening we met my friend Andrea, who also lives in Oviedo, and some of her friends for some drinks (we had to skip dinner after the huge amount of fabada that we ate). There are 3 different main areas for nightlife in Oviedo:

• Calle Gascona: this street is home to many sidrerías, mostly restaurants hat serves the traditional Asturian cider, which is served in a very impressive way. It is the most traditional nightlife scenario you can find, so make sure to save some time for this. It is a good place to have dinner.
• Ruta de los Vinos: mostly around Calle Manuel Pedregal. You can have delicious wine by the glass here and eat in a more pintxos or tapas way. Sometimes with a glass of wine they will give you free food. It is a more relaxed yet still upbeat atmosphere.
• The Old Town: the Old Town is full of different restaurants, bars and clubs. People often start their nights in the square in front of Bar Campa, just buying some to-go drinks in the bars around and sitting on the stairs of the square to chat and pre-game. Then they go to any of the streets around, which are lined with bars and clubs for dancing the night away.

How to get to Oviedo

While this post is part of a road trip through the North of Spain and we got there by car, you may want to travel directly here. In that case, you can fly to the airport of Asturias from many destinations.

Alternatively you can get there from many other cities in the country using Spain’s well developed train system or intercity buses:

Where to stay in Oviedo

Budget

While the accommodation in Oviedo is getting surprisingly pricy for how cheap the region is, it is still possible to find well located and affordable options for budget travellers. That is the case of Hotel Vetusta, offering a comfortable stay in the city center. Alternatively, Pensión Romero or Hostal Alvarez are also great options that balance a good price with decent quality and excellent location.

Midrange

If you’re looking for a bit of style and comfort without breaking the bank, check out Hotel Nature Oviedo. If you prefer traditional charm at a decent price, then Gran Hotel España may be better for you, while NH Oviedo Principado offers a more contemporary design. Both are located in the city center.

Luxury

For those seeking luxury, Oviedo has some options for you. Barceló Oviedo Cervantes exudes sophistication in its luxurious hotel in the very heart of Oviedo. The design is more modern and yet it’s very close to the Old Town. Eurostars Hotel de la Reconquista is perfect for history lovers, as it is located in an opulent former royal palace, showing amazing architecture, exquisite dining and lavish rooms. If you prefer amenities over style, then AC Hotel Oviedo Forum may be your choice.

Booking.com

Closing statement

This is only the eigth day in our 10-day road trip through the north of Spain. Make sure you stay tuned for new and exciting posts about our journey.

Previous post: North of Spain route. Day 7: Coast of Asturias

Go to route: North of Spain route: Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias

Meanwhile, you can read more about other destinations in Spain in some of our posts (check them out and you will find many subposts linked to them):

→ Top 10 things to do in Barcelona

→ ‘Game of Thrones’ locations that you can visit in Spain