Quinta de Villanueva

Hotel Quinta de Villanueva is a country house hotel overlooking the Oscuro valley where the last hills of the Picos de Europa descend to the Asturian coast. The hotel is built in what the Spanish call "indiano" style - a style of architecture exported from Spain to Latin-America, much modified and then returned to Spain. The characteristic features are the feature stonework, wrought iron balconies and grand wood and glass galleries looking out to the countryside.

Quinta de Villanueva is surrounded by a glorious garden befitting of such a country house. Indoors the extravagance of the design is reflected in a grand staircase, a vast mahogany screen and the profusion of fresco painting on the ceilings. Despite the magnificence, the lounge is a comfortable place to relax, read, take a drink or chat with friends.

The hotel offers double rooms, with or without a private sitting room. Antique and colonial furniture mixes with modern fabrics and all the modern essentials are here. There is a lift, and some rooms are adapted for disabled access. All the rooms have magnificent views but the sitting rooms are something a little special, constructed in the glazed galleries that hang from the exterior walls of the house.

The possibilities of this area are virtually endless, from the soaring mountains of the Picos de Europa to the cliffs and coves of the Cantabrian Sea. And in between, the green hills add yet more variety and flavour. It's no wonder that this is such a popular holiday destination for the Spanish themselves.

Meals

The dedicated breakfast room is spacious, so guests can enjoy their breakfast in comfort and with great views of the garden.

Out and About

For the energetic: hiking, white-water rafting, horse-riding, mountain-biking.

View the mountains of the Picos de Europa in a more relaxed fashion, by car. Hills, mountains, lakes, rivers are all there for the visitor to enjoy.

Follow the Ruta Indiana to see more of the "indiano" style and culture that Spanish colonists developed and brought back with them. There is a museum dedicated to the subject.

Quinta de Villanueva is only four kilometres from the coast so the beaches will always be a magnetic atrraction. But there are also cliffs, coves, lighthouses, fishing villages and harbours and the amazing bufones where the waves drive water up through geyser-like fissures in the cliffs.

Asturias has many caves, some open to the public, some with pre-historic paintings. Look for places like Cueva del Pindal, El Soplao, Chufín and Tito Bustillo, among others. El Pindal includes the remarkable "elephant in love", a cave painting of a mammoth with what looks like a heart inscribed within it.

Double rooms are located on the first, second and third floors of the hotel. All are different and original with warm colours for a comfortable and homely ambience. Lovely views from the windows.

Bright and comfortable rooms. They have a cosy sitting area which is the perfect spot to chill out reading or sipping a copa.