A pebble cove closed in by green cliffs, with a line of rock stacks planted in the water. No beach bar, no lifeguard, no shade: it is exactly what the name promises, which is why it is one of the most photographed beaches on the Asturian coast.
The cliffs protect it from the swell, and the water is usually calmer than it looks from above. What does not change is the temperature: cold, and with a rocky bottom. For swimming there are pebbles; for sitting, the pebbles or the rocks.
It is also called El Gavieiru, and it is within the Protected Landscape of the Western Coast: nothing is built and nothing can be built.
- From the house
- 55 min by car
- Duration
- 5 hr
- Best season
- May–Sep
Getting there
Without a car
Hard without a car: no regular service reaches Castañeras. Bus to Cudillero and a taxi from there is the workaround.
By car
A little over an hour from the house. Dirt car park at the top, and the last stretch on foot.
Before you go
- The way down is an uneven, steep stone stairway: not doable with a pushchair or bad knees.
- It is rounded pebbles, not sand, and the water is cold over a stony bottom.
- At high tide the beach shrinks dramatically: check the tide table before setting off.
- There are no facilities of any kind. Bring water and food.
Prices and opening hours link to the official source; they are never copied onto this site.
