Llanes and Ribadesella from Gijón: what to see and how to get there

Llanes and Ribadesella are two of the best-known seaside towns in eastern Asturias, and together they make a superb day out from Gijón/Xixón: postcard beaches, cliffs with roaring blowholes, Stone Age cave art with UNESCO World Heritage status, a harbour wall turned into a giant artwork and, on clear days, the jagged outline of the Picos de Europa behind it all. It’s a full-day plan, best done by car.

Getting there from Gijón

By car: take the A-8 motorway east. Ribadesella is a little over 60 km away and Llanes about 30 km further; allow roughly an hour to Llanes, traffic permitting. Driving is by far the easiest way to see both towns and lets you stop at beaches and viewpoints on the way. In summer, car parks near the centres fill up early.

By bus: ALSA runs coaches along the eastern coast to Ribadesella and Llanes. Check timetables and stops on alsa.es.

By train: the narrow-gauge line (the former FEVE railway) along the eastern coast stops at Ribadesella and Llanes. From Gijón it usually involves a change and is a slow ride; check times on renfe.com. Without a car, it’s more realistic to choose one town.

What to see in Ribadesella

Ribadesella (Ribeseya in Asturian) sits at the mouth of the river Sella, which separates the old town and harbour from the big beach.

• Old town and harbour: streets of houses bearing coats of arms, arcades and a seafaring feel. Along the Paseo de la Grúa by the estuary, ceramic murals by the cartoonist Antonio Mingote tell the town’s history.
• Ermita de la Guía: a short climb to this chapel and viewpoint at the harbour mouth, with views over the sea, the beach and the estuary.
• Santa Marina beach: wide and urban, lined with indiano villas, built by emigrants who came home rich from the Americas. Lovely for a walk at any time of day.
• Tito Bustillo cave: one of Europe’s great Palaeolithic painted caves and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visits are seasonal, in very small groups (15 people per tour), in Spanish only, with a minimum age of 7. In 2026 it opened from 4 March to 30 October, Wednesday to Sunday; check next season on the official website and book online well ahead in summer. Next to it is the Rock Art Centre, the museum that explains the cave.
• Dinosaur footprints: Ribadesella marks the eastern end of the Dinosaur Coast; if that appeals, combine it with Lastres and the Jurassic Museum.

Tip: if you’re coming in August, check the date of the Descenso Internacional del Sella. It’s a massive festival (a canoe race, a riverside train following the paddlers and a huge party) and the town is packed: brilliant to experience, bad for a quiet visit.

What to see in Llanes

Llanes is a walled medieval town with a fishing harbour and a municipality that counts dozens of beaches.

• Cubes of Memory (Cubos de la Memoria): the harbour breakwater is lined with concrete blocks painted by the Basque artist Agustín Ibarrola. It’s the town’s most famous image.
• Paseo de San Pedro: a grassy clifftop promenade right next to the town, with sea views and a view down to El Sablón beach.
• Old town: the Gothic Basílica de Santa María del Conceyu, remains of the town walls and their tower, grand mansions and the harbour with its boats.
• Town beaches: El Sablón, Puerto Chico and Toró, the last one famous for limestone rocks rising out of the water.
• Pría and Arenillas blowholes (bufones): when there’s a big swell, water shoots up through cracks in the cliffs. Spectacular, but respect the fences.
• Gulpiyuri beach: a tiny inland beach with no direct opening to the sea; water reaches it through tunnels in the rock. A protected Natural Monument and best seen at high tide.
• More beaches: Torimbia, Niembro and Barro, among many others. Into surfing? See our guide to surfing in Gijón.

How much time do you need?

• One full day: Ribadesella in the morning (with the cave, if open and booked), lunch, then Llanes in the afternoon.
• Two days: stay overnight and add beaches, blowholes and a coastal walk, or head up to Covadonga and its lakes, under an hour away.

Practical tips

• Tides: beaches such as Gulpiyuri and Toró change a lot with the tide, and the blowholes only work with a heavy swell. Check a tide table before you go.
• Food: seafood, fresh fish and cider. Remember that Spaniards eat late: lunch usually starts around 13:30–14:00.
• Activities: canoeing on the Sella, boat trips and guided tours; you’ll find bookable options on our tours and activities page.
• More ideas: compare with other trips in day trips from Gijón and, if you come back craving sand, read up on Gijón’s beaches.