Llanes
Guide to Llanes, a fishing port in the Asturias region of northern Spain.
Towns of Asturias - Llanes
Llanes - A significant fishing port from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries for both deep sea and inshore fleets, at the end of the nineteenth century Llanes was a very busy commercial port and was also used for local journeys, due to the difficulty of travelling by land. It was, however, one of the most dangerous ports in north of Spain, due to its location and you can find out more about its maritime heritage at the Maritime Exhibition Centre.
One of the most recognisable features of Llanes is ‘Los Cubos de Memoria.’ They were created by Basque artist Augustín Ibarrola on the large reinforced cubes that arrived in the 1930’s to act as a breakwater and the blocks protected the harbour from fierce winter storms. It has been described as one of the major works of public art and within it there are elements of the history of the town, the region and the artist himself. ‘The Cubes of Memory’ represents the seafaring tradition and the hunting of whales; it refers to nature with a riot of flowers, also symbolic of all the floral festivals of Llanes; there are examples of fruit on the cubes, apples and citrus fruits, which were the main agricultural and export products in the nineteenth century.
The best way to see the cubes is to look at them from the variety of viewing points, including the Walkway of San Antón, which also helps the visitor to tour and discover some of the area. It is just one of the walks which offer the perfect way for visitors to take in the sights and sounds. The juxtaposition of the mountains and sea offer spectacular views and delivers a unique holiday vacation where you can wander around the harbour or delight in the private secluded beach coves one minute and gaze at the marvel of some of the Indiana architecture the next. The name Indiano is generally given to the people who were immensely successful in South America, who emigrated to the area and introduced a cosmopolitan style of architecture which dominated the surrounding countryside. This gave a new, attractive aspect to the local traditional architecture and for them symbolised their success.
At night, Llanes becomes a bustling little resort and its popularity as a tourist destination is evident. After choosing from one of the many delightful restaurants or tapas bars, visit the Old Quarter. The collection of artistic artefacts and historical buildings in medieval Llanes offers the visitor, without any doubt, a great opportunity to lose themselves in another era. The Old Quarter has been declared a ‘Collection of Buildings of Historic and Artistic Interest’ and is home to the town wall, the basilica, the tower, which is now home to the tourist information office and the chapel of Mary Magdalene. Whilst gazing up at the historical monuments, also look down as amongst the cobbled streets, extracts from local poet Celso Amieva can be found inscribed on iron plaques laid in to the pavement.
With so much to discover and saviour it is easy to see why Llanes is such a popular place to visit. Many people talk about searching for the ‘real Spain,’ who knows what really fits this stereotype, but one thing is for sure, if its not the ‘real Spain’ it is certainly one of the best parts of Spain.
This interesting and illuminating article about the old fortified seaport of Llanes in the region of Asturias in northern Spain was provided by kind permission of the Leader Newspaper one of the leading local newspapers of the Costa Blanca, Spain. If you are visiting the area why not check out the University city of Oviedo recently named as the cleanest city in Spain.
Llanes is located on the AS-263 road and can also be easily accessed from the main E-70 coast road, the town itself has a population of around 4,000 people and the municipal district has around 13,000 inhabitants, it covers an area of 260km2.
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Asturias Places: Oviedo
Other Places: Vigo - Santiago de Compostela
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