Lastres lies in a stunning setting, with gorgeous verdant terraces overlooking the Cantabrian Sea. It offers impressive views from every angle: high up from one of its multiple viewpoints – especially San Roque chapel – and at sea level with dramatic seascapes viewed from the quayside or beach. Lastres is, unquestionably, one of the most Instagrammable places in Asturias. Come discover the village’s cobblestoned streets, lined with beautiful bay-windowed cottages; palaces and manors bearing coats of arms; century-aged stone temples; and the Clock Tower (15th–18th century), to name just a few.
Outside the town, you can visit the Jurassic Museum which houses the most impressive collection of dinosaur fossils found in the area. Lastres offers countless things to do.
San Roque viewpoint
If you had to pick one viewpoint to visit, we’d recommend San Roque in the blink of an eye. Perched overlooking the village, it offers panoramic views of the dazzling Cantabrian Sea. If you happen to make the climb on a day when the wind is whipping across the sea, have your camera ready to capture the sea’s sheer force as the waves crash against the port jetty and surge into the air – it makes for stunning pictures.
The viewpoint is located a stone’s throw away from the chapel of San Roque. This tiny 17th-century church venerates the Saint and has strong ties to the town’s fishermen’s guild. Every August, the town hosts an important pilgrimage and celebration to honour the Saint. The day is marked with festivities, gathering people from all over the parish.
The beach and port of Lastres
The beach of Lastres may not be the longest Asturias has to offer – it is only 300 m long – but beachgoers will be spoilt by the picturesque views of the Cantabrian Sea and the village.
The beach also goes by the name of Astilleru Beach, a nod to the shipyard that used to stand here during the whaling industry’s heyday. It was eventually replaced by the fishing port that was built in the village.
The beach is also one of the many protected beaches along the Asturian coast. Local government has made a special effort to protect the incredible landscape, including public awareness campaigns to disseminate the importance of looking after the environment and the area’s natural features, including plant life, mountain landscapes and karst landforms.
You can access the beach on foot or by car. It is equipped with a car park, public toilets, and there are lifeguards on watch during the summer months.
Lastres: home to Spain’s own Doc Martin
Lastres became a hot destination thanks to the Spanish spinoff of the British series Doc Martin, ‘Doctor Mateo’. The series aired for five seasons and starred some of Spain’s top actors.
Spaniards were keen on discovering the filming locations of their favourite show for themselves. Even though the final season’s finale was aired in July 2011, fans still visit the town in search of these locations. In fact, the local tourism office created the Doctor Mateo Tour so fans could visit some of the most common locations seen in the series. This includes the doctor’s home; the path leading up to the lighthouse; the school; the school teacher’s home; the town beach; and La Griega Beach.
La Griega Beach is about 3 km from the town and is one of the most striking natural landscapes in the area. The 820 m stretch of golden sand lies sheltered from the Cantabrian Sea and its refreshing waters make it a prime location for a swim.
Eating out in Lastres
There is no shortage of delectable restaurants in Lastres, enticing patrons to sit down at one of their tables and enjoy the wonderful Asturian cuisine coming out of their kitchens.
Read on for some of the Lastres top restaurants:
- El Barrigón de Bertín: Located on Calle San José, this modest-looking restaurant serves up fantastic quality dishes at the hand of the chef Alberto Asensio. Experience traditional cuisine with a modern-twist – truly heavenly.
- Casa Eutimio: Located on calle San Antonio, this second-generation, family-run restaurant specialises in the exquisite preparation of fish dishes, such as grilled seabream and its house speciality, hake. Its dish ‘Cacholetus’ was named Spain’s best cachopo in 2017.
- El Mirador: Located by the panoramic viewpoint of San Roque, this lovely restaurant has a special knack when it comes to preparing fish and seafood dishes. It also whips up succulent rice dishes, and the Asturian young beef is cooked to perfection.
- El Balcón del Sueve: Located in the magnificent Palacio de Luces Hotel, patrons will be spoilt by the sweeping views of the sea and the expertly curated menu by the executive chef Nacho García Canellada, who honed his skills at some of the country’s top restaurants.
