The lower stretch of the Sella is paddled down in a canoe without knowing how to paddle: calm water, a couple of short rapids and poplars on the banks. You get on at Arriondas and get off at Ribadesella, and the companies provide the canoe, the life jacket, the watertight barrel and the bus back.
It is one of the most popular outdoor activities in Asturias, and it works well with children from a certain age: ask when booking. The river does not require experience, just a willingness to get wet and a couple of hours.
At the end, in Ribadesella, you can eat in the village before the company's bus takes you back to Arriondas.
A little history
The International Descent of the Sella is a race that has been held since 1930 on the first Saturday of August after the second, and it is one of the oldest canoeing competitions in the world. The recreational descent that is done today takes the name and the stretch, but has nothing to do with the race.
- From the house
- 50 min by car
- Duration
- 5 hr
- Best season
- May–Sep
Getting there
Without a car
Narrow-gauge train from Oviedo to Arriondas, which is where all the companies are. The return from Ribadesella is taken care of by the company's own bus.
By car
An hour from the house. You leave the car in Arriondas: the bus of the descent brings you back there.
Before you go
- It is not the International Descent of the Sella, which is a race and is held on the first Saturday of August after the second. That day the river is impossible: to paddle in peace, any other day.
- Everything gets wet. Clothes you can get wet, shoes that tie to your foot and the phone in the barrel.
- River sun: sunscreen, cap and water, even if the day looks grey.
- With children it depends on the company and the water level; ask when booking, not on the day itself.
- It is run by adventure-tourism companies: around €35 per adult, with departures from mid-morning to early afternoon.
Prices and opening hours link to the official source; they are never copied onto this site.
