The photo says it all. This beach is great and cannot be more beautiful. There are beaches this special in Spain, it is not necessary to go far to find them. Gulpiyuri beach It is in Asturias, in the north of the country. Do you know her?
You can keep it in mind for when winter ends and you start planning your summer vacations or getaways. All of Asturias, actually, since this part of Spain is a true natural paradise, great for being outdoors and enjoying nature. Let's see where it is, how to get there and what can be done in Gulpiyuri.
How to get to Gulpiyuri beach
The curious beach It is close to town of Naves and holds the title of National Monument since 2001. It also integrates the Protected Landscape of the Eastern Coast of Asturias so it is a protected beach that must not be polluted or modified.
If you are already in this area and enjoy its beaches you can get there walking from the beach of San Antolín, the largest in the area at 1200 meters long. This is a beach that faces the Cantabrian Sea, so be careful because of the strong waves. Many vacationers come to San Antolín to enjoy its two beaches, this one and Portacos, with its fresh estuary full of trout. If you are not around then It is reached from the Cantabrian Highway to Naves, just 14 kilometers from Llanes.
There are indications to get to the beach and in part the path is paved, although at one point the smoothness ends, you leave the car and it is time to walk with the junk (bags and umbrella) on your back. You have to walk about 200 meters and you arrive at Gulpiyuri beach. You can also get there from the AS-263 road that connects the towns of Asturias like the beads on a necklace.
Gulpiyuri beach
How is this beautiful beach? It is small, tiny It is an adjective that also fits. So, go early or get used to the fact that it will not be a pearl to enjoy alone. Is a sea beach but located inland. It hides between fields dedicated to agriculture, on a limestone coast that the sea still erodes, carving more and more into a cave that at some point in time finally succumbed.
This collapse of the cave, some time ago, gave shape to a hole about 50 meters in diameter that was located 100 meters from the coast. This geological formation is known as valley. Despite this distance both points are united so that's why the sea water continues to penetrate the ruin of the cave, carrying the sand, rising and falling according to the tides.
The beach it is not more than 50 meters long and it is precious. The waters of the Cantabrian Sea enter it through the tunnel carved between the rocky profile, rocks through which one can even walk. We will then listen to the buffoons, as Asturians call the noises that water makes when it is pressed to pass through these rocky tunnels.
As it is a relatively isolated beach it is well preserved. It is small and also shallow so don't expect to be able to swim, the waters are not that deep for that. It's more about splashing and soaking, playing swim, if you like. And how is protected from the wind it is perfect to go with children. When there is low tide the water disappears and if the tide is, on the contrary, high, it may be that the water reaches the grass beyond the sand. A quaint little paradise.
There are those who consider that one can speak of the Gulpiyuru Sea, a continental sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean with a cliff decorating its north coast and a tiny beach on its south coast. Oh, and they call it the smallest sea in the world. What do you think?
Stay in the Gulpiyuri beach area
If you want to stay here, you can look for accommodation in towns like Barro, Llanes or Naves, for example. There are Rural houses everywhere and if you want something bigger you can look in Llanes, just 12 kilometers from Gulpiyuri, as it is the largest town in the area, with bars, cider houses and restaurants, a beautiful viewpoint route and an old town with a wall medieval 750 meters.
But if you are looking for something more secluded it is a matter of walking and finding some hotel or rental apartment since they abound on the entire coast. Asturias It is a wonderful destination to spend the summer and as I said at the beginning, especially if you are a nature lover. It is that it combines mountains and coast and UNESCO has listed some of its most beautiful landscapes as Biosphere Reserves.
For example, the Picos de Europa National Park, Somiedo Natural Park, Muniellos Integral Natural Reserve, Redes Natural Park or Las Uniñas-La Mesa, for example. So you see, between beaches and mountains you have many outdoor activities to do. And when you come back and plan to go out to eat it will be time to enjoy the Asturian gastronomy who knows how to present local, Spanish, Norman and Breton dishes.
Do not leave Asturias without trying the stew, the white bean stew with pork and blood sausage, among other ingredients, fish, beef, artisan cheeses (some with designation of origin), Crepes with dried fruits known as casadielles or the tasty empanadas. Obvious, all well watered with cider, the most Asturian drink of all.