In 1968, a group of young cavers from Ribadesella found their way into a cave system beneath the Ardines hill, just outside the town, and stumbled upon an extraordinary gallery of Palaeolithic art: horses, deer and reindeer, painted in red and black, along with strange red symbols that some interpret as female figures. One of the group, Celestino Fernández Bustillo, known as Tito, died in a mountain accident a few days later, and the cave was named in his honour. Tito Bustillo is one of the most important painted caves in Europe, and it is part of the UNESCO listing of Cave of Altamira and Palaeolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain. Visits are limited in number and season to protect the art, and booking in advance is essential.
Next to the cave, a modern interpretation centre explains the art and the life of the people who made it, with reproductions and exhibitions, and it is well worth a visit, even if you cannot get into the cave itself. Ribadesella is a pleasant town at the mouth of the river Sella, with a harbour, a long sandy beach and a lively old quarter. Every year, on the first Saturday of August, the town hosts the International Descent of the Sella, a canoe race from Arriondas, about fifteen kilometres upstream, to Ribadesella, with thousands of participants and spectators and a massive party afterwards.
The riding in eastern Asturias is superb. The coast is rugged and beautiful, with cliffs, beaches and small fishing villages, and the roads along it wind over headlands and dip into coves. To the south, the Picos de Europa rise steeply from the coast, and the roads into the mountains, to Cangas de Onís, Covadonga and the lakes of Enol and Ercina, are spectacular, with tight bends, steep climbs and views over the peaks. The coast between Ribadesella and Colunga is known as the Dinosaur Coast, with fossil footprints in the rocks and a museum of the Jurassic at Colunga.
Ribadesella, a town of about six thousand people, has fuel, shops and plenty of restaurants. The local food is classic Asturian: fabada, cachopo, seafood and cheeses, washed down with cider poured from a height. The weather is mild and wet, with rain likely at any time of year, and fog can roll in from the sea quickly.