This parador also is located in a one time Benedictine monastery and has a Romanesque chapel with extremely well preserved carvings attached to it. It is luxuriously fitted out and originally was one of only three paradors designated as five star (the others being Santiago and Leon), although this rating has recently, and more realistically, been reduced to four. It's located in Asturias, just outside of the mountain resort town of Cangas de Onis, alongside the river Sella, a famous salmon fishing stream in season. There is a walking path that follows the river and one can arrange to take jeep tours into the nearby Picos de Europa. It's about a twenty minute drive to the beaches of the Costa Verde and three-quarters-of-an-hour to the capital city of Oviedo with its cathedral that contains the famous Camera Santa where the most splendid church treasure in Spain is on display; and there are no fewer than three ninth century pre Romanesque churches just outside of town. If one drives east for an hour along the coast one comes upon the cave of Altamira with its prehistoric cave paintings which are truly one of the wonders of the world, although you'd be strongly advised to make advanced reservations on line as the number of visitors admitted each day is limited and the places tend to fill up quickly. Also within easy reach of the parador is the battlefield of Covadonga where Don Pelayo halted the northward progress of the Moors in 722. To commemorate this event the Kings of Asturias built a Romanesque church right into the interior of a cliff overlooking the battlefield, a most impressive sight. The parador itself is a most pleasant place to stay for a few days to take in all of this, although we found the choice of dinner entrees rather limited so that you might consider one of the many restaurants in nearby Cangas if you stay for more than one night. Roughly $130 for a night's stay.
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