Some time ago we told you the story of another of our Galician fishing villages: Combarro. Today, we travel to Asturias to tell you a small part of the history of Luarca, the white
village of the green coast.
Luarca, is the capital of the council of Valdés, known for its incredible fishing port as well as for being one of the most beautiful towns in the whole of the Cantabrian Sea.
This fishing village was built around an “S” shaped cove between steep cliffs, making the old town of Luarca and its promenade a place worth visiting.
Luarca’s fame has made it one of the best-known towns in the whole of Asturias, not because it was the birthplace of one of the Nobel Prize winners for medicine, Severo Ochoa, but because it is home to
many of the scenic and gastronomic corners of Asturias. It is also known for housing the best collection of cephalopods in the world, as 76 specimens of up to 13 metres in length and 250 kg in weight have been found in The Park of Life.
Photography: comocuidarmispeces.blogspot.com
Sea products
The most sold sea products in its market are: barnacle, albacore, alligator, hake, pout, sea bass, octopus, red mullet and xargos among many others.
But in addition to all this fishing activity, Luarca is the right place to eat good fish, but above all to learn about seafood and cider, as this town is home to the famous chigres (old Asturian taverns) with a marked seafaring and Asturian accent.
Photography: fsensations.com
Our 3 magic places
Fishing port and promenade
This is the best place to get in touch and soak up the true essence of this place, the sea. As well as being full of restaurants and bars where you can enjoy its cuisine, you can see the boats coming and going in their daily work.
The gardens of Fonte Baixa
The largest private botanical garden in Europe on the banks of the Bay of Biscay with more than five hundred different species from all five continents, spread over 20 hectares. Really impressive.
Barrio de la Pescadería and viewpoint of El Chano
The fishmonger’s quarter is located near the pier and is, along with the Cambaral quarter, one of the first settlements in the town. You will go through a labyrinth of narrow streets where you will think you are always in the same place, but we recommend that you go up little by little until you reach El Chano vantage point, where you will enjoy one of the best panoramic views of the village.
Cover photo: Carlos Cabrera, on Flickr
Sources: porsolea.com and miviaje.com