Study Spanish in Asturias

Asturias is one of the lesser-visited areas of Spain, which, paradoxically, makes it a great place to visit! That’s particularly true if you want to learn Spanish without having too many fellow English-speakers around.

Asturians

Asturians are proud of their culture and many like to remind visitors that their region was the only part of Spain not to fall under Muslim rule. However, Asturians are also proudly Spanish. And there are no pesky local languages to contend with, unlike Catalonia and the Basque country.

Green Spain

Together with the other regions of the north and north west, Asturias markets itself as ‘Green Spain’. This is not a mass-market sun and beach tourist destination like Andalusia or the Balearic islands, though the Asturian coast is quite beautiful in places. Instead, the region offers the visitor an old world, rustic vision of quaint old villages nestling in verdant farmland, and with the Picos de Europa mountain range as an imposing backdrop.

Green? Do you mean rainy?

And yes, it does rain more here than in other parts of Spain (except Galicia), but all things are relative. It’s not Ireland or Seattle, and you’ll still have more sunny days than rainy ones, particularly in summer.

Asturias is a relaxing place to spend some time.  It’s a region full of charmingly old-fashioned rural villages and pretty seaside towns.  While there isn’t an obvious must-see destination, any visitor to Asturias should take in the Picos de Europa and find time to visit the beautiful beaches on the coast.  The principal cities in Asturias – Gijon and Oviedo – aren’t really anything to write home about, but they can make a good base for seeing the rest of the region.

Picos de Europa

This imposing mountain range is located little more than 10 km from the coast and rises to over 2000 metres.  It’s is a pretty spectacular sight from any direction, unless it’s misty on the peaks, which can often be the case! It’s a Spanish parque nacional with plenty of hiking routes within the park. It’s also one of the few places in Spain where you can see bears in the wild.

Beaches and Surf

Asturias borders the Cantabrian sea, which is basically the Atlantic. That means there are large tides (not like the Med in Barcelona or Malaga) and…surf. Yep, you can surf most of the year in Asturias and in summer you’ll find surfers from around Europe on the beaches here.

Coastal towns and villages

Many of the villages and smaller towns on the coast are also worth a visit. Llanes, Ribadesella and Luarca are particularly popular with visitors from other parts of Spain.

“La costa es preciosa, está llena de playas hermosas y no tan saturada como otras áreas costeras de España”

Alfredo Martínez
El Cuelebre language school, Asturias

Because Asturias is an off-the-beaten-track destination there aren’t that many Spanish schools offering courses to foreigners, and those that do exist are often very small. However, if you’re serious about learning Spanish, the personal approach of these smaller schools can be very beneficial.

Image of Lago Ercina: By Luis Cayola – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Shrine at Covadonga: By Fernando García from Madrid, España – Covadonga, CC BY 2.0, Link