Cangas de Onís, Spain Photography

Photographing Cangas de Onís

A quiet riverside town in the Asturian foothills, built around its famous ivy-clad Roman stone arch bridge over a clear green river.

Where to shoot

The old stone arch bridge — long known as the Puente Romano, its ivy-covered arches spanning the river over a bed of smooth, multicolored stones.
The Cross of Victory replica — suspended from the bridge's central arch, a copy of the relic linked to the 722 Battle of Covadonga, kept today in Oviedo Cathedral.
The riverbed below — vivid blue-green water over smooth stones, with the Picos de Europa foothills as a backdrop.
First capital of the Kingdom of Asturias — Cangas de Onís briefly held that title after Pelayo's victory at nearby Covadonga opened the Reconquista in 722.

When to go

Midday in late spring through summer, when the sun is high enough to light the riverbed and turn the water a vivid blue-green.

What to eat

Try fabada asturiana, a hearty bean-and-chorizo stew, with a pour of local sidra poured from a bottle held high overhead to aerate it — the traditional escanciado technique used at any sidrería in town.

Where to stay

A good overnight base for the Picos de Europa — otherwise pair it with a night in Gijón and push on toward the mountains.

Shoot the bridge from river level to get the ivy-covered arches reflected in the still water, rather than from the road above.