Luarca, capital of the council of Valdés, in Asturias (Spain) is nowadays a seafaring town with historical relevance since the Middle Ages, as I could see in a mural made with tiles that summarizes the history of the town and of which I will show you in detail.
The past of this town is beautiful and today, walking through its streets you can breathe the antiquity of its old town; contemplate the remains of ancient fortresses, marvel at the stories that you can read while walking across the bridges over the Black river.
At the same time, it is the birthplace of one of those historical figures of whom one is proud to share nationality, such as the Nobel Prize for Medicine Severo Ochoa.
Are you up for this trip?
Port of Luarca
One of the iconic places of Luarca is its fishing port with many small boats.
The harbour is surrounded by many small houses that seem to be hanging over the cliff, contrasting with the green of the vegetation and the bright colours of the boats in the harbour.
Next to the harbour, next to the fishermen's guild, you will find the typical letters that form the name of the town and which is a popular place for visitors to take the traditional photo to immortalise the fact that they have been to Luarca.
In the streets parallel to the port and going into the old town we can immerse ourselves in the essence of the seafaring culture by visiting its restaurants and entertainment venues. Although, as my visit to Luarca was early in the morning, most of the establishments were still closed.
I was very pleased to find that small shopkeepers were still selling vegetables and fruit on the street.
Black River and the Kiss Bridge
The old town of Luarca is divided into two parts because the Black River runs through Luarca until it flows into the beach of Luarca.
I remember more than 20 years ago, when I was still a teenager, it was not unusual to see trout or small salmon in this small river. However, on the morning that I visited this beautiful village I did not see any fish.
To cross from one side of the town to the other, Luarca has seven bridges that connect both sides of the old town. One of these bridges has a special history. It is the Kissing Bridge.
According to legend, during the Middle Ages, the Cantabrian Sea was full of pirates. One of the pirates of the time was Cambaral. He was a cruel pirate whose particularity was that he abducted the ladies to use them as merchandise in the markets.
The pirate Cambaral was captured in Luarca and imprisoned in the dungeons. The daughter of the lord of the Watchtower was in charge of looking after him because Cambaral had been wounded during his capture.
As fate would have it, Cambaral and the daughter of the Lord of the Watchtower fell in love, so the girl helped Cambaral escape.
However, they were caught escaping while kissing in the area where the bridge exists today.
The lord of the Watchtower, angry and betrayed, cut off the lovers' heads as they kissed. So the heads rolled into the sea while their bodies remained embraced in that place. Place where this medieval bridge was built.
The Villar and Severo Ochoa neighbourhoods
In the heart of Luarca and not far from the Kiss Bridge, we find ourselves in the Barrio de Villar, where the town hall is located.
In the square in front of the town hall I fondly remember the times I visited this town in my youth, because at the end of August they celebrate the festivities in honour of San Timoteo.
My visit last Friday, coinciding with the beginning of the carnivals, I could see that the town was beginning to be decked out with decorations.
But what I liked most about the square was to come across the statue of one of the most relevant personalities in the recent history of Spain, the Luarca researcher Severo Ochoa, who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1959.
And not far from there, we can also find the statue of another great researcher in the field of medicine and genetics, Margarita Salas, who was born in a village very close to Luarca.
Cambaral Neighbourhood, Viewpoints, Lighthouse and Cemetery
Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in Luarca is the Cambaral neighbourhood where you can marvel at the beauty of Luarca from the different viewpoints.
As you walk through the neighbourhood, you will come to one of those places that is particularly interesting and curious: Table of Sailors.
The mesa de mareantes is a slate table with a large semi-circular panel behind it, which depicts a meeting of ship's masters from the 15th century.
In turn, on the wall of the fortification or watchtower we can review the maritime history of Luarca over the centuries, including battles against pirates, whale fishing, immigration from Spain to America, etc.
But in this area of Luarca, if one continues walking near the Atalaya one comes to a radiant white chapel which is the Chapel of the White Virgin of Luarca.
It is located right next to the lighthouse of Luarca. It is a unique place as a viewpoint of the Cantabrian coast.
And that together with its large cemetery of radiant white give Luarca the privilege of being one of the most beautiful lighthouses in Europe.
I hope you like it and visit Luarca.
Best regards.
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