Landscape in the Spanish comarca Oscos-Eo

by RicardMN Photography

Title

Landscape in the Spanish comarca Oscos-Eo

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RicardMN Photography

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Description

The Spanish Comarca Oscos-Eo, is one of Asturias' six Biosphere Reserves, which is a sure sign that in this territory nature is well maintained, inviting and sustainable. A land of tranquillity, ideal for hiking and outdoor activities, where hikers encounter a varied, lush landscape of gentle valleys and rolling hills adorned with woods and rivers, where the stone, wood and slate of its buildings become a metaphor for time stood still.

This Biosphere Reserve is the only one in Asturias with coastline, overlooking the Bay of Biscay in Castropol. It is precisely in this borough where travellers can enjoy the atmosphere and charm of two picturesque fishing towns, Castropol and Figueras, and the range of activities they offer. Both lie on the banks of the Eo Estuary, affording charming harbours as well as quiet walks through their old quarters and boat trips on and across the Eo, where you will have the chance to see the unique spectacle of the estuary's floating oysters farms (bateas), supplying a prized delicacy which brings a heavenly taste to the local table. The more adventurous can enjoy kayaking, windsurfing, water skiing, etc., all without losing sight of the fact that this setting is an ideal spot for bird watching and fishing.

And continuing on the subject of water, though now entirely devoted to rivers, the region has waterfalls that are unique in Asturias, as is the case of Cioyo Waterfalls, in Castropol, and Seimeira Waterfalls, in Santa Eulalia de Oscos. But there is another feature that makes this territory stand out over others, namely an area of ethnography and hydraulic and wind-powered devices unique in Spain. Examples of these are Mazonovo Ethnographic Site in Santa Eulalia, Teixois Ethnographic Site and the Mills Museum in Taramundi, and El Marco House in San Martín de Oscos.

Of course, another noteworthy element in this territory is the great amount of crafts that are practised here, especially in Taramundi, with its tradition of knife-making and artisan weaving. Both activities are prominent in this well-known mecca of rural tourism in Spain, which boasts its own Knife-making and Weaving Museum. In this same territory, Santa Eulalia (known locally as "Santalla") is an emerging destination as a place for traditional crafts. Knife-making, pottery, jet-working, weaving and blacksmithing are all activities that make Santalla a veritable living laboratory of olden Asturias.

A paradise for hikers, there are outstanding routes such as theEo Riverside Path in San Tirso and the Twelve Bridges Route in Vegadeo. It is also a waystage for "long-distance hikers", i.e. the pilgrims on the Way of St James who have passed through this area for centuries, constituting an inescapable stage on the Coastal Road to Santiago, the oldest of such routes. There are hence villages quite characteristic of pilgrim life such as La Antigua, Solmayor and San Andrés, all in San Tirso de Abres.

Mansions and family homes could not be lacking in this territory, which boasts outstanding examples such as .

The territory's tourist and cultural offer is completed by resources like the Santa María Monastic Site in Villanueva de Oscos, its Bread Ecomuseum and its gold, iron, copper, lead and zinc mining routes.

In short, a territory lacking nothing: sea and fishing towns, oysters and water sports, birdlife, waterfalls, ethnographic sites, knives and looms, riverside paths, mansions and monasteries, pilgrims on St James' Way to Santiago... a natural, ecological region that is a pioneer of sustainable rural tourism. (Description from www.turismoasturias.es)

It is the westernmost territory of Asturias and is made up of seven boroughs: Castropol, San Martín de Oscos, San Tirso de Abres, Santa Eulalia de Oscos, Taramundi, Vegadeo and Villanueva de Oscos.

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August 15th, 2017

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