Protected landscape of Cabo Peñas

The protected landscape of Cape Peñas occupies the northernmost tip of Asturias. Under legal protection since 1995, it has a coastline of 19 kilometers and 1,926 hectares of land between the Avilés estuary and Punta de Vacas.

The landscape of Cape Peñas is formed by an abrasion platform elevated above sea level which abruptly descends towards the east at times in the form of cliffs that can reach heights of 100 meters. On its eastern side there are beaches, the product of accumulations of sedimentary deposits from the Nalón River. The territory of Cape Peñas includes several nearby islets, including Erbosa, one of the largest islands off the Asturian coast. The beaches of Verdicio and Xagó—both on the western side of Cape Peñas—are considered some of the most important beaches in the region and some of the most unique in northern Spain.

A short distance from the cape’s northernmost point stands the Peñas Lighthouse, a historic infrastructure that has been in use since 1852. The vegetation of the protected landscape of Cape Peñas is made up mainly of meadows that took the place of the forests that previously grew on the abrasion platform. The dunes are home to unusual species such as the sea daffodil and jersey cudweed, while formations of heath, lichens, and ferns grow on the cliffs. Marine birds are the main resource of the fauna of Cape Peñas. Its rocks are a breeding ground and nesting place for European shags, yellow-legged gulls, Eurasian curlews, storm petrels, and peregrine falcons. There is also a notable presence of European tree frogs.

Hiking: The PR AS-25, or Cape Peñas Trail, goes around a good part of the coastal area between San Juan de la Nieva Lighthouse and La Gaviera Rock. There are other trails that go through the eastern side of Cape Peñas.

How to get there: From Avilés, you can get to the protected landscape by way of road AS-238. From Gijón, take the AS-19 and then take the detour towards AS-239 in the direction of Candás and Luanco.