Illano: Heritage and Views of the Navia
Accommodation in Illano
Illano can be discovered through a variety of traces: a Neolithic collective tomb, a hillfort probably founded in the Iron Age, churches with inscriptions and altars, and traditional architecture, alongside trails and viewpoints. This gives your trip an itinerary spanning prehistoric burial sites, sacred art and the landscape around the Navia.
Archaeology and trails
The Dolmen de EntrerrÃos is a Neolithic collective tomb dating from the 4th–3rd millennium BC. It is part of a necropolis with five burial mounds and is associated with the burial practices of the first farming communities. You can visit the dolmen free of charge; it can be reached on foot from the San Roque area or from Navedo. Another hiking option is the Senda Ãrea Recreativa de San Roque – Dolmen de EntrerrÃos: this circular route is 7.1 kilometres long and has 190 metres of positive elevation gain.
The Castro de El Castelón has visible fortifications, a ditch, walls up to four metres high and the ruins of buildings in the upper part of the settlement. Its foundation is thought to date to the Iron Age (4th–1st century BC); it was probably in use until Roman times (1st and 2nd centuries AD). The foundation and possible later continued use mark two distinct periods in the history of the site.
Traditional settlements and sacred art
In San Esteban de los Buitres, the houses of the protected ethnographic complex step down the rocky hillside. Elevated passageways, known as veiriles, connect the houses. A very different traditional structure is the Couso de los Lobos de Bustelo: this circular wolf trap is built of slate masonry, with walls about one metre thick and two to three metres high. A signposted turn near the village leads to a downhill forest path, which takes you on foot to the Couso.
The Braña de San Roque also preserves traces of rural life: it has traditional livestock huts and enclosures, as well as some ongoing agricultural activity involving livestock, which may change. The Palacio de MonjardÃn adds a note of grandeur to this picture. It was built between the late 16th and early 17th centuries, remodelled in the 18th century and declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2013. Its layout is organised around an interior courtyard with a colonnaded portico; the main façade has a central section between two three-storey towers.
The Iglesia parroquial de Nuestra Señora de Bullaso combines craftsmanship with a distinctive inscription: an inscription in Visigothic letters dating from the 8th to 10th centuries is arranged in a circle around a central cross. The main altarpiece, from the 17th century, is an example of popular Asturian Baroque. The Iglesia de Santa Leocadia de Illano houses a Gothic statue of Saint John dating from the 14th or 15th century. A few kilometres from Illano, the municipal capital, lies Pastur, a small village that shares its name with the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Pastur located there. The sanctuary was built in 1665 and preserves a popular Baroque altarpiece and several 17th-century sculptures, as well as a dressed statue of the Virgin of Pastur from the 18th century.
Viewpoints, nature and regional cuisine
The viewpoints reveal different sides of the Navia. From the Mirador de San Esteban de los Buitres, the view takes in the Navia valley, its deep rocky gorge and the villages on the eastern slope within the municipality of Illano. The Mirador de Tiracais can be reached on foot from LlombatÃn and offers views of the river’s meanders. The Mirador de Folgueiróu lies two kilometres north of Illano and is accessible via the AS-12 regional road and the Folgueiróu recreational area. Its sweeping view takes in a landscape shaped by both nature and human activity.
The Ruta del Puente Colgante starts at the Ãrea Recreativa de Folgueiróu, off the AS-12 in the municipality of Illano. Check the local signs before setting off. The recreational area has a bar-restaurant, a children’s area, a bowling alley, a football pitch, a clay pigeon shooting range, picnic areas, a municipal swimming pool and a tourist information office. Seasonal opening arrangements may vary.
The Tejo de Pastur is designated a Natural Monument by the Government of Asturias. The Alcornocales de Navia area encompasses Allande, Illano and Pesoz and features cork oak and oak woodland. Regional cuisine also has a connection to the Navia: Venera, an almond and egg cake, is considered a characteristic dessert of the municipalities along the Navia.
Discover more destinations: Cedemonio, Teverga, Pesoz, Grandas De Salime, Tineo, Coaña, Tapia De Casariego, Amieva.
For the full travel guide: Asturias.
