Glued to the sea, between two rocky outcrops and surrounded by the incomparable Asturias green landscape. Sounds good. This is the way you will find the village of Tazones, whose oldest area has also been declared a historical-artistic site. Just in case something was missing.
It is said, although it is not clear, that it was here where the teenager Carlos I set foot on Spanish soil for the first time. In 1517, the future most powerful man in the world knew nothing of Spanish and arrived from Flanders to the coasts of Villaviciosa a little by accident. The chronicles tell that a storm diverted the course of the fleet and brought it to this area, so every year the event is remembered with a representation of what that landing must have been. But of course, without the storm.
At that time Tazones was already busy with the risky and lucrative whale-hunting, like other fishing villages on this coast, and was becoming an increasingly important port. Many ships loaded with cloths, linen, oil, hemp and other products came and went with origin and destinations, all over Spain and Europe.
You should walk up and down the neighbourhoods of San Roque and San Miguel. You will find the Casa de las Conchas (Shells House), and if you take a look at its façade, you will quickly understand why it is called this way and why it is, as they say, one of the most photographed houses in all of Asturias. We know you will not resist the temptation of a selfie.
It is also a good idea to visit the Lighthouse of Tazones, which began operating in 1864 and is well preserved. But on the beach, there is also something interesting to explore. Something much older than the lighthouse, than Carlos I's fleet and anything you're thinking about. This is about nothing less than dinosaur footprints. Icnitas is their scientific name, and in this case, they are so well preserved that you can even clearly distinguish their three toes. It seems that those enormous creatures liked this stretch of coastline very much because there are many Jurassic sites here. We're talking about a hundred and fifty-million years old, more or less.
By now it has become clear that in Tazones there is plenty to see. And also, trust us, you should try their seafood to honour their long maritime tradition and, at the same time, give yourself a treat.