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Oviedo is compact enough to walk in a day but packs in two UNESCO World Heritage pre-Romanesque sites, one of Spain’s best regional art museums, and a cider culture that is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in its own right. Most of the headline sights are free or under €5, and the old town’s famous bronze sculptures by Botero and others are scattered along the streets for nothing. Here are the things to do in Oviedo, organised by category with addresses, hours, and ticket prices. When you know which months you’ll be here, cross-check the weather by month guide and the best time to visit page so indoor and outdoor plans line up.
Things to Do in Oviedo: Monuments and Architecture
Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo
These two 9th-century buildings on the slopes of Monte Naranco, 3 km northwest of the centre, predate most of Romanesque Spain and are jointly a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Santa María del Naranco was an Asturian royal palace, noted for its slender proportions and exterior arcades; San Miguel de Lillo, about 200 m away, is the surviving narthex of a larger church. Admission is €3 per monument or €5 for the combined ticket that includes San Julián de los Prados; both are open Tuesdays to Saturday 10:00 to 14:30 and 16:00 to 18:30, and Sunday mornings from 10:00 to 12:30, closed Monday. City bus 12 runs from the centre to the foot of Naranco.
Cathedral of San Salvador
The Gothic cathedral anchors Plaza de Alfonso II el Casto in the heart of the old town, with a 15th-century tower you can climb and the Cámara Santa, a 9th-century chapel that holds the Cross of the Angels, the symbol of the city. General entry is about €7, which includes the cloister, the museum, and the Holy Chamber; entry to the tower is a small supplement. It opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 17:00, with shorter Sunday hours. The square in front is also where the Camino Primitivo officially begins, marked by a brass shell in the pavement.
San Julián de los Prados (Santullano)
The largest surviving pre-Romanesque church in Asturias, built around 830, sits on Calle Selgas in the eastern part of town and holds Spain’s most complete set of early-medieval wall paintings, vivid frescoes that cover the interior. It is on the same €5 combined ticket as the Naranco monuments. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 12:30, with afternoon sessions in summer. Arrive early; the visitor numbers are capped each hour to protect the frescoes.
Things to Do in Oviedo: Museums
Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias
Spread across three connected palaces on Calle Santa Ana, this is the best regional art collection in northern Spain, running from El Greco and Spanish Golden Age painting through to Picasso and Asturian artists. Admission is free, which makes it one of the best value stops in the city. It opens Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30, and Sunday 11:30 to 14:00, closed Monday. Allow at least 90 minutes.
Archaeological Museum of Asturias
Housed in the 16th-century San Vicente monastery cloister behind the cathedral, this museum traces Asturias from the Paleolithic cave art to Roman and medieval finds. Entry is free. It opens Wednesday to Saturday 9:30 to 20:00 and Sunday until 15:00, closed Monday and Tuesday. The Roman mosaics and the gold torcs are the highlights.
Things to Do in Oviedo: Cider and Food
Calle Gascona (El Bulevar de la Sidra)
This short pedestrian street, packed with traditional sidrerías, is the place to learn the escanciado pour, where cider is poured from arm’s height to aerate it. Expect to pay around €3 to €4 for a bottle of natural cider, poured for you one small glass at a time. Tierra Astur and La Piporra are two reliable classics open from around 13:00 for lunch and again in the evening. Pair the cider with queso de Cabrales, the region’s strong blue cheese.
Mercado El Fontán
The Fontán square and its covered market, southeast of the cathedral, has traded since the 19th century and is where locals buy fabes (the white beans for fabada), Asturian cheeses, and fresh seafood. The market opens Monday to Saturday from early morning until about 15:00, and the surrounding plaza fills with bar terraces. Sundays host a fleamarket and collectibles stalls. It costs nothing to browse and is the best spot for a cheap, local lunch at the counters. If you’re planning to linger, the where to stay guide covers hotels near the market, and the travel tips and FAQ has the airport and bus details to get you here.
Things to Do in Oviedo: Parks and Outdoors
Campo de San Francisco
At 90,000 square metres, this is the city’s signature green space right beside Uría, Oviedo’s main shopping street, and it dates to 1830. It holds the popular bronze statue Maternidad by Botero and a permanent rose garden, and it is criss-crossed by shaded paths and duck ponds. Free and open 24 hours, it is the natural spot to decompress after sightseeing and where locals walk their dogs each afternoon. It is also one of the reasons Oviedo stays cool in July.
Monte Naranco
The 634-metre hill that dominates the skyline, topped by the 40-metre Sagrado Corazón statue, is a 3 km cycle or walk up from the centre. At the summit there is a viewpoint platform looking over the city and, on clear days, out toward the Cantabrian coast. Bus 12 runs part of the way; the final stretch to the cross is on foot. Budget 90 minutes round trip and go on a dry afternoon, since the top catches Atlantic cloud quickly.
Things to Do in Oviedo: Public Sculpture Tour
Oviedo has over 100 public sculptures, and a self-guided loop of the best-known pieces costs nothing. Start with La Regenta by Mauro Álvarez in front of the cathedral, cross to the Campo de San Francisco for Maternidad by Botero, then find the Culis Monumentalibus by Eduardo Úrculo honouring Woody Allen at the end of Calle Milicias Nacionales. The city’s love affair with the filmmaker, who set part of Vicky Cristina Barcelona here, gave Oviedo one of its quirkiest photo stops. Pick up a map from the tourist office on Plaza de la Constitución before you set out. If you are here during a holiday, the events and festivals guide lists the street parties that take over these routes, and the neighborhoods guide maps each district you’ll pass through.
