Cudillero travel guide

Cudillero Travel Guide: Sights, Transport & Things to Do

Cudillero travel guide

Cudillero is a famous village in Asturias. It is considered to be one of the most charming places in Spain, due to its beautiful coast, hilltop houses and marvelous restaurants. We highly recommend you to go there, so here is the ultimate Cudillero travel guide!

Below you will find informations on all things regarding Cudillero. You’ll learn about the best things to see and do in Cudillero, how to get to the village, where to stay and some other useful facts. We hope you will enjoy the guide – if you have any questions regarding Cudillero, simply write them in the comment section in the bottom of this page.

Facts and history

Cudillero is an old village in northern Asturias. For centuries, it has been an important fishing village, but nowadays its main economic activities are related to tourism. It has a population of approximately 5,000 people, although it used to be higher in the past. During the late 18th century and early 19th century, Cudillero had at least twice as many inhabitants as it does not.

The legend says that Cudillero was founded by Vikings. We can’t know for sure if it is true or not, but many things do point towards it: The Danish Vikings did navigate the coasts of northern Spain and certainly had a presence in what is now Asturias, Galicia and northern Portugal. And since the geographical location works well as a port and for fishing, it is likely that the Vikings would have seen the location as being useful.

However, the current structures and houses all have a distinct northern Spanish look. The village looks amazing and very idyllic. That fact, along with its great restaurants and its beautiful coast, is the exact reason why so many visitors are fascinated with Cudillero.

The Northern Way of Camino de Santiago, also known as El Camino de la Costa, passes through Cudillero. There is a hostel for pilgrims and it is not unusual to see pilgrims walking through and staying for a day.

Cudillero is also home to some great restaurant. They mostly focus on seafoods and they offer the traditional Asturian cider.

Sights in Cudillero

Cudillero is a relatively small village, so there is only a limited amount of things to see. However, don’t get disappointed – Cudillero is a place where quality means more than quantity!

First of all, we advice you to walk to the top of the hill where you can get a view out over the village. The initial picture in this article shows that view. On the way up, you will pass through a lot of Cudillero’s classic houses. Get ready to sweat, because it’s a somewhat long hike, and way up is both narrow and steep. But the view makes it all worthwhile.

After you’ve done that, walk down again and go to the port area. From here, you will get the opposite view of Cudillero, but certainly equally amazing:

Sights in Cudillero

When you have seen the village from several angles and taken some pictures, you can move on to the classical sights.

Cudillero does have some interesting, specific sights. The Parish Church of San Pedro should be the main one on the list. It’s a temple that was financed by the locals in Cudillero, and it is a quite significant church. The interior has many highlights. Another church to see is the Church of San Martin de Luiña. Very special appearance, which you will see when you stand in front of it.

In the neighbor village of Selgas, less than two kilometers away, you can take a look at Quinta de los Selgas: A palace built in the end of the 19th century, and it has a library and some art works inside.

You should also see the lighthouse (Faro de Cudillero). An important place historically, and certainly an essential part of the village.

The colored houses and small plazas are also worth seeing. On a regular stroll, you will get to see a lot of interesting stuff, even if you have nothing specific in mind. So take your time, wander around a little, and enjoy the village for what it is. Feel the great mood of Cudillero, take a lot of pictures, and don’t be afraid to ask the locals if you need more tips on what to see!

Things to do in Cudillero

After you have done the basic sightseeing in Cudillero, you might want to add some additional activities.

First of all, you have to eat at one of the restaurants in the centre of the village. They are all great, so simply look at the menus and pick the one that matches your taste. We recommend ordering a cider or two, since Asturias is famous for its cider production. Sit down and enjoy the experience. Meals are not very expensive, and even the drinks are cheap as well (two euros for cider is a common price). As long as we are talking about eating, try visiting one of the bakeries to get a taste of local Asturian pastries!

After that, you can take a walk along the coast. They sell interesting souvenirs and merchandise, usually inspired by the sea. Cudillero has some interesting shopping options, and you can buy things that simply don’t exist elsewhere. Everything feels very local.

Going to the beach is also a great option if the weather is nice. Several nice beaches are located close to Cudillero. Playa de Aguilar is the nearest legitimate beach, just around 5 kilometers east. The best beach, however, is Playa del Silencio, a bit further west – around 15 kilometers. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Spain. The sand looks just like silver, the cliffs are majestic, and there is a gorgeous natural formation of rocks. We don’t recommend swimming here, due to the high amount of rocks, but a stroll along the beach is a great experience. Laying in the sand is also amazing. Beautiful scenery, so you will not regret going here. Be sure to bring some drinks and maybe a sandwich!

How to get to Cudillero

Cudillero station

If you wish to visit Cudillero, it makes everything a lot easier if you are already in Asturias. Most people visit Cudillero on a one-day trip from either Gijón or Oviedo. You simply catch one of the FEVE trains and take it all the way to Cudillero, usually the final station on the line. It costs around 7 euros for a roundtrip from Gijón, and approximately the same from Oviedo, so it is certainly not expensive.

However, the train trip takes a while, since there are many stops along the way. The trip between Gijón and Cudillero takes around an hour and a half, so be prepared for that. Also, when arriving in the Cudillero station, there is still a 20 minute walk into the centre of the village. Sometimes it is faster to travel to Avilés by bus and then proceeding to take the train between Avilés and Cudillero.

If you have access to a car (either your own or a rental car) you can drive to Cudillero easily. Even though it is a village, you shouldn’t have any issues finding free parking upon arrival. Driving by car is a lot faster than taking trains in this region, so consider that. It also allows you to have any starting point. In fact, with a car you can do a long trip along side the coast of northern Spain!

Asturias Airport is also somewhat close to Cudillero – less than 10 kilometers. From there you can walk to the train station of Santiago del Monte and continue with the FEVE line to Cudillero. You can also just take a bus or a taxi into Avilés and then go to Cudillero from there.

Where to stay in Cudillero

There are a couple of nice, but small hotels in Cudillero. It’s generally cheap to stay there for most parts of the year. You can find the best ones on Booking.com.

Some locals also rent out holiday apartments in Cudillero. That’s another good option, and it gives you a bit of the local experience, although you shouldn’t expect as much service as in a hotel. However, if you like the idea of a holiday apartment, you can check the available selection on a site such as Airbnb.

How much time is enough?

You can see everything in Cudillero in a single day. A one-day trip is usually enough to see the main sights, take a lot of pictures, walk around every part of the village, and – of course – getting something nice to eat. All this can be covered in 6-7 hours.

But if you fall in love with Cudillero, like most visitors do, it can be a good idea to stay a bit longer. Staying a few days isn’t a bad idea. You will run out of sights and attractions quite fast, but you can have a calm and relaxed time and enjoy your holiday. Cudillero is a beautiful place, so you won’t grow tired of it so easily. Staying for more days also allow you to try several of the nice restaurants there!

Other Asturian cities worth visiting

Cudillero might be the most beautiful village in Asturias – but the competition is fierce! Asturias has many nice cities, towns and villages, and we highly recommend visiting several of them.

The two main cities of the region are Gijón (the largest city) and Oviedo (the capital). Both of these cities are excellent to visit for some days, and like Cudillero, they are not particularly expensive to visit. Perhaps you might also want to travel around to some other smaller towns and villages, like Cudillero. In that case you have many options and renting a car is an obvious choice so you can drive out and see what you’ll find.

Walking the coastal Camino route will also give you a nice impression of the many nice cities on the Asturian coast. Highly recommended. Here’s a map of El Camino de la Costa:

El Camino de la Costa

Have any questions about Cudillero? Feel free to write them below. Otherwise, have a great journey!

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