When we visit Asturias, this is the Rustical Travel cottage of choice for ourselves.
For one, it's so peaceful and comfortable. And then there's the location (just perfect), which allows you to pass effortlessly between the picture book mountain interior and the coast with its sandy beaches.
Here you have all the luxuriousness of a country hotel with a feel of a home. The villa is beautifully kept and has been finished by the owners (who are charming) down to the last detail.
Traditional in its use of stone and timber, the house is spick-and-span and softly furnished from top to bottom.
It accommodates 8 people extremely well. The sitting room is properly provided with sofas and armchairs for all, and the dining areas both inside and outdoors seat eight guests, also.
Similarly, the four bedrooms are all ample.
We think quality sleep is an often overlooked element in the holiday experience and here slumber is a pleasure. The latex mattresses and fine bed linen are first-class, and the only sound we heard was the friendly but distant hoot of the baker’s delivery van bringing fresh bread and croissants in the morning.
There’s a special off-peak price for fewer people that makes it interesting for couples and small families, too.
One of the double bedrooms is downstairs, where it shares the ground floor with the main room, an open plan arrangement combining living and dining areas with the kitchen.
The other three bedrooms are on the upper floor – which is all wood under foot – and have access to a rear garden or to the gallery terrace: a typical element in an Asturias cottage and a lovely place to sit out and enjoy the view.
The accommodation’s high standards are continued in the kitchen, which is very well equipped and maintained. You will sit down to dine on quality china with matching cutlery.
And you have a choice of places to take meals, sit and have drinks, read and relax.
There are living and dining areas indoors, of course, but outside, as you can see in the photography, there are furnished areas upstairs on the gallery balcony, downstairs by the garden, and also a large covered area with a barbecue.
The gardens are lush and green, planted with colourful flowering shrubs, and there are swings and a basketball hoop for children. Apple trees, hazelnut, cherry, walnut, chestnut, peach and fig trees complete the picture. The gardens are not fenced off and partly shared with anyone staying in another cottage nearby.
All around, as you can see, is gorgeous Asturian countryside and the upstairs terrace has views of the valley and mountains.
The house is blissfully quiet but not isolated. There are three or four other houses close by, including the home of the owner, a hospitable lady whose personality and desire to provide the best possible comfort are imprinted on the villa.
She makes sure the house is prettily decorated with plants and don’t be surprised if there’s a baked cake or fresh farm eggs awaiting your arrival. The property belongs to her farmstead and you will see hens and cows around and about.
Above all, this villa is for those who wish to come and enjoy walks through countryside and in the exhilarating Picos de Europa, while also having a choice of some of Northern Spain’s best beaches at an easy drive.
You don’t have to get in the car to go hiking, but the superlative walks (with or without children) are worth driving a few minutes to get to.
There's a wood near the house and a hamlet above following the country lane (and the nearest restaurant is a walkable 1 km), but we recommend taking the car 10 minutes to the path up to Alto de la Tornerilla. Here you have an easy 30-minute walk to a summit with views you won’t forget in a hurry: the snow-covered heights of Picos de Europa to the south; and simply turn round to see the sweeping line of the Dinosaur Coast, with the sea sparkling beyond.
Another 5 minutes and you’re in the mountains themselves – or at the Casaño River, an idyllic destination for a day out.
Head north just a quarter of an hour to the sea and you’ll understand why Asturias is such a special place in Spain. Nowhere else will you find fabulous mountains and beaches so intimately close together.
There's a sandy beach before you reach Llanes fishing village (20 mins) and there are lots more to choose from.
Cottage AT21 is just the place for a natural, relaxing, healthy holiday in northern Spain.
Other than that the limited WiFi signal, we found the property hard to fault. High, reliable standards and a good price, too.
There's central heating if you come out of season and a first basket of firewood for the hearth is thrown in free of charge, also.
For practical needs, there’s a good supermarket 2 km away, as well as a fine restaurant with produce from its own beef farms. There’s also a nearer restaurant with a less inviting décor that provides a take-away service of good home-cooked food. You will find restaurants and day trips described in greater detail in the local guide we send you before you travel.
If you are interested in being initiated into the art and science of birdwatching, a short and particularly bird-rich guided route is often available in the Springtime.