ONBOARD ASTURIAS COAST
We like solitude, but part of the pleasure of cruising is encountering the rich maritime life; admiring classic or traditional boats, meeting yachties or local fi shermen is all part of the joy. We’re sure the weather’s to blame. The three days we spent at Niembro, though, were
GUIDE BOOKS
South Biscay Pilot – the Gironde Estuary to La Coruña Robin Brandon, Adlard Coles Nautical, London.
Pilote Côtier Beneteau – La Rochelle to La Corogne Alain Rondeau, Praxis Marine, 57 rue Gabriel Piré, BP 10, 78420 Carrières sur Seine.
Aero Guia del Litoral – Cantabria y Asturias Editorial Planeta, SA 2003, Diagonal 662 664 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
great. We walked to the open sea along the dry bed to the entrance at low tide and had long swims in the freezing water. We became friends with Julio, who takes his dog Rosita for a tour in his kayak every morning; he knows the coast very well and recommended Torrimbia beach. He said it was the most beautiful beach in the world and he’s probably right: a generous curve of golden sand 200 yards wide and a kilometre long between green slopes and steep rocks.
FOG AND NO CHART When we fi nally emerge from this dream anchorage, ready to enjoy, ahem, motoring along this picturesque coast Julio has told us about in detail, a thick bank of soot-coloured fog creeps in from the sea. Instantly, visibility is reduced to 30 yards. No wind, of course. And no chart. We had tried to buy them at the small chandlers in San Vicente but they don’t seem to exist in this area. For pilotage, we have relied on a Spanish guide, a series of detailed aerial views of the coast which is
“He said it was the most beautiful beach in the world”
Below: The Caboteur with tent up at Niembro
not much use in this murk. Fortunately the coast is quite bluff and there are few outlying reefs. So we grope our way along the cliffs, fi nding ourselves suddenly face to face with rocky walls looming out of the fog and looking even bigger than they really are. Then we motor due west at reduced speed for 10 miles, seeing absolutely nothing of the picturesque coast, until at 004°05’W, the GPS tells us that we can follow a line due south towards the beach of Ribadesella. What a relief when, out of the gloom, the vague shape of a house slowly emerges: it marks the entrance to the river, the Rio Sella. After several more days under the tent, we deserve a good bed and a proper shower, found in minutes at Hotel Marina, a great old place dating back to 1912
with massive architecture, huge rooms, 1920s décor, all at moderate prices. The offi cial Spanish holiday season has now started, but the place is more than half empty! There’s no sailing club here and the restaurants are far from full; obviously the place is struggling and the current economic crisis is making it worse. The town used to be a smart resort: on the other bank of the river, the wide beach is lined with rich 1920s villas which are now part of the local heritage. Asturias is a special place, a Celtic province separated from the rest of Spain by the mountains of Picos de Europa, the only province never invaded by the Moors. The Asturians are proud of their identity and not keen to have their province defaced by modern tourism. Good for them! With more fl at calms, we motor to Llastres, a picturesque fi shing village cascading down a steep hill; we could be in Devon. The man from the ‘sailing club’ – actually a shed on the quay – kindly allows us to spend the night alongside the one private pontoon in the harbour. And, as in most places, no fees. By now it’s 4 July – still no wind. So it’s motoring again to Gijon, a modern town with high-rise buildings, clothes shops, crowds, traffi c, noise – not our scene. West of Gijon, my two guide books show that the coast gets fl atter and more banal, dotted with soulless industrial harbours.
As Tina Menor was the best place we had found, we decide to spend a few days there on the way back. But a big swell is forecast and this time they’re right. These conditions will make entering the rias very dodgy. Mains’l up at last, we motor-sail another 30 miles back to San Vicente, pushed by a weak northwesterly 2. End of cruise, with mixed feelings. The lack of wind was the major disappointment, but, on the other hand, we found some superb anchorages, unspoilt scenery, solitude, interesting towns, excellent, cheap food, easy navigation (no outlying rocks or shallows), and welcoming, kind people. All of which makes this a coast worth visiting with a shallow-draught boat that can dry out comfortably.
B I S C A Y Gijon Lastres Ribadesella Stella S P A I N Rio Rio de Llanes Barro
San Vicente de la Barquera
N O R T H S P A I N
Tina Mayor
Tina Menor
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CLASSIC BOAT MAY 2012
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