San Martín Del Rey Aurelio: Mining History and Routes Along the Nalón

Headframes, a Neolithic burial mound necropolis and routes along the Nalón offer different ways to explore San Martín Del Rey Aurelio. Its mining history can be seen at the museum and on a guided underground visit to Pozo Sotón. The area also has protected landscapes, routes across the municipality and festivals where regional dishes take centre stage.

Industrial heritage in the museum and underground

The Museo de la Minería y de la Industria de Asturias (MUMI) is located in L’Entregu/El Entrego. Conceived as a tribute to mining in Asturias, it displays images of mining, machinery, minerals, a bibliography and materials on the sociology of mining work. A life-size mine replica can be reached by lift, and part of the tour continues aboard an underground train. The museum experience therefore includes both technical collections and a recreated mine.

Pozo Sotón is protected as an Asset of Cultural Interest. The protected site includes two headframes, the surrounding structure, the engine house and the union office. The immersive visit takes visitors into the mine tunnels, where they can carry out mining activities under the supervision of HUNOSA professionals. The underground visit reaches a depth of more than half a kilometre and involves travelling on foot and by mine train. Check the booking conditions before your trip.

Other mining heritage sites in the protected landscape include the Bocamina and the Monumento al Minero del Prau Molín. The area’s ethnographic heritage also includes the restored mills of Salvadora and Veró.

Dolmens and routes through the landscape

The Dolmen de la Mesa de los Moros is considered a notable feature of a Neolithic burial mound necropolis listed in the Archaeological Charter of Asturias. The Ruta Dolménica L’Españal runs from La Casilla to this dolmen. The approximately three-kilometre themed route has explanatory signs, information totems and a viewpoint. It is considered easy and suitable for people who are used to walking. From Blimea, the SM-7 road leads to the starting point; check access conditions before setting out.

The longer routes also differ considerably in their course and length. The Anillo del Rey Aurelio is a 50-kilometre mountain circuit for mountain biking and trekking. It follows forest tracks, paths and local roads around the edge of the municipality. The Paseo Fluvial, by contrast, runs along the banks of the Nalón through the entire municipality and connects it with Laviana and Langreo.

The Cuencas Mineras protected landscape includes areas of San Martín Del Rey Aurelio in the Nalón Basin. Its valleys and slopes are used for hiking and mountain excursions. Within the municipality, the Santa Bárbara Valley lies between the Sierra de la Espina and the Sierra de San Mamés. The Santa Bárbara River flows from La Colladiella to the Nalón. These landscape features provide a specific regional setting for hiking and excursions.

Festivals and regional cuisine

The Fiesta de los Nabos in Sotrondio is recognised as a Festival of Tourist Interest of the Principality of Asturias. During the festival, restaurants, cider houses and eateries serve a traditional turnip menu. It is often accompanied by tripe and casadielles, fayuelos or rice pudding for dessert. If you are travelling for the festival, check the current edition and its dates.

The Fiesta de les Cebolles Rellenes features a multi-day cultural and leisure programme with music and a stuffed onion cooking competition. The Fiesta de los Pimientos Rellenos in Blimea also combines gastronomic activities with concerts, folk performances, a stuffed pepper competition and theatre performances. It is considered Asturias’s only stuffed pepper competition and has a forty-year tradition. For both festivals, it is advisable to check the current edition before travelling, as dates and programmes may vary.

Leisure near Blimea and the Nalón

The La Isla recreation area is located near Blimea. Its facilities include a tennis court, a Finnish-style running track, play equipment for children, exercise equipment for seniors, and tables and benches. A two-kilometre Finnish-style running track also runs parallel to the Nalón between Sotrondio and L’Entregu/El Entrego. Check its current condition before using it.

Discover more destinations: San Martín Del Rey Aurelio, Tineo, Montaña Central, Castropol, Villaviciosa, Langreo, Comarca De La Sidra, Amieva.

For the main travel overview: Asturias.