Asturias
in Spain

Spain without the sun, which turns out to be an excellent proposition. The Cantabrian coast runs wild and green along Asturias's northern edge, with surf beaches, fishing villages, and cliffs that have no interest in being picturesque about it. Inland, the Picos de Europa rise sharply enough to hold snow well into spring, and the villages in their shadow produce the cabrales blue cheese and the sidra that define the region's table. Oviedo is a small, handsome city that takes its pre-Romanesque churches seriously and its restaurants even more so. Asturias is the part of Spain that the rest of Spain goes to when it wants to eat well, walk hard, and be left alone.