Half Day in Cudillero and Lunch in Luarca, Asturias

Our half-day in Cudillero was a delightful part of our week-long trip to Asturias. We visited Cudillero after leaving Oviedo, on our way to spend a few days in Gijón. Colorful Cudillero is one of the best known, oft-visited, and most-Instagrammed towns along the coast of Asturias, but it is still well worth a visit. In fact, I found that the town preserved a lot of its quaint fishing-village charm. After a morning spent climbing up and down Cudillero, we visited the nearby town of Luarca for lunch!

Pro tip: In both Cudillero and Luarca, we recommend arriving fairly early to get decent parking (sometimes parking can be a mission). We got to Cudillero at around 10 am and to Luarca at about 2 pm, and we noticed that the parking areas got more packed as the day went on.

Half-Day in Cudillero: What to Do

#1. Get lost!

The best way to spend your half-day in Cudillero is to let yourself get lost up and down its streets, steps, and slopes. Personally, I know I’ve covered a town well when I start stumbling upon and recognizing streets I’ve already been on. My street-stroll philosophy is to leave no rock unturned and no picturesque corner unseen!

#2. Check out all of Cudillero’s miradores, or look-out points

Cudillero’s got a few miradores around town, so be sure to check all of them out! Although they’re relatively close to each other, some do require a bit of a hike to get to.

Walking along Calle de Cimadevilla to the Mirador de Cimadevilla was probably one of my favorite moments during our time in Cudillero. This mirador actually offered my favorite views of the town and harbor. Some of the most-recognized pictures of Cudillero are taken from this spot, so don’t miss it!

As you stroll past the mirador – or on your way, depending on the direction you’re walking – look out for Las Caracolas de Teixeiras, what seems to be a shell shop. I loved the decor!

The Mirador de la Garita and the Mirador de la Atalaya are close to each other – really La Atalaya is just a bit above La Garita. Although getting up to Atalaya is a bit of a trek (very doable though), it has particularly good views of the ocean and surrounding cliffs.

The Mirador del Pico also has good views of town, and it’s not too high up. Although we actually had to wait in line for a picture here, I didn’t find the views particularly breathtaking – or at least not better than the Mirador de Cimadevilla.

Lunch in Luarca: What to Eat & Where

After spending the morning in Cudillero, we headed to nearby Luarca for lunch!

I highly recommend eating at La Montañesa del Muelle, a family-run restaurant right on the town’s harbor. The owner’s son serves guests, and he makes sure to explain all of his freshest catches of the day. You could tell this place was about family tradition and serving up quality fresh fish. The owner’s wife even makes some of the food herself! Haha. 

After hearing what our server had to offer in terms of catches of the day, we went with a salpicón de marisco to start, which included varied fish and seafood. Then, we went with a full lubina, or seabass, to share. SO GOOD! We finished our meal with some unique dried fig and vodka ice cream. Of course, we washed all of this down in proper Asturian fashion – with cider, of course!

After lunch, I couldn’t resist taking a dip at the beach right by Luarca’s harbor.

Enjoy your time in Asturias!