CoolRooms Palacio de Luces

Worth getting out of bed for

Palacio de Luces pulled off a hat trick when it comes to location, location, location: those would be the Cantabrian Sea stretching out blue-ly from the Atlantic Coast, the Picos de Europa mountains to the aft, and the Sierra del Sueve massif to the east. They make a gorgeous whole and offer up beaches, dinky towns to explore, and gastronomic excellence. Firstly, take the two-kilometre trip to Lastres, a fishing village whose beauty is feted; the hotel can arrange a guided tour, and then you can hit the playa (there are two in close quarters). And a little further along, La Isla’s sandy stretches are also charming. Here you can indulge in maritime pursuits, such as making fishing nets, heading out to sea to use them with a local or sailing around the lighthouse. Or you can spend the day learning to surf (from seven years old). Or if you’re eager to dive into the fray of yew, beech, cherry and pine trees surrounding the hotel, you can hike up Pienzo peak, trek the sections of the Camino de Santiago route that cross into Asturias, or wander through the picturesque Biescona beech forest. The Victerero’s weren’t the only noble family to go over to the other side of the world – the hotel can arrange for a tour of the Caribbean-inspired architecture in the neighbourhood, with a stop at the Indiano Archives-Emigration Museum. For more local history, see Oviedo’s Romanesque churches, Gijón (the city that inspired Spanish Realist writer Clarin) for its Campoamor Theatre, or Avilés for the retro-futurist Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre. Quad biking brings the adrenaline, but for more decadent thrills, you could visit the Los Caserinos cheese factory, have the chef put together a champagne picnic, taste Hazas anchovies with Asturian wines or – come July – drink your fill at the annual Nava Cider Festival.

Local restaurants

The gastronomic haven of San Sebastián is just a four-hour drive away, and Asturias does its utmost to follow suit (there are eight Michelin-starred restaurants in the region). But, its cuisine is very distinctive, with seafood from the Cantabrian (anchovies of face-scrunching flavour are especially popular), deep pots of bubbling stew, sidrerías aplenty and steaming pans of rice. In Lastres, sea-view Restaurante El Mirador covers all these bases, with fresh pickings from the fishermen's nets, warming paellas and rich hearty bowls of fabada: hunks of morcilla and chorizo swimming in a bean stew. Go a little further inland and you’ll come across Casa Marcial, a Michelin-acclaimed restaurant beloved by chefs (so you know it’s good). Meals here are foraged from the surroundings, so you might have a mushroom-y ‘forest broth’, hake and sardines with caviar, Friesian beef with tubers or rice-pudding strudel with brandy jelly. Close by is also Restaurant El Corral del Indianu, which showcases the region’s ties to the Americas. Start with corn-and-chorizo-stuffed macarons, continue with Iberan pork or stewed pigeon, and finish with a cake sodden with Lagavulin, or a pear tart with honeyed cinnamon croquettes and wild-rosemary ice-cream.

Local cafés

Try El Escanu in Lastres for juicy scallops, rosy platters of jamon and boards of local cheeses.

Local bars

Lastres has a few local and beach bars, but nightlife is a little thin on the ground round these parts. If you want to see Asturians let their hair down, head to Oviedo for the eve. Pub Pico & Jazz Bar is one of the cooler spots with funky, Sixties-style decor, live music and a wall of whiskies. Don’t arrive too early – things kick off at around 11pm.