Ribadesella is a town of two halves joined by the bridge over the river Sella: the old fishing quarter, with white houses looking onto the harbour; and the promenade along Santa Marina beach, where a row of art nouveau indiano mansions — built by emigrants returned from the Americas — makes up one of the more elegant seafronts in the north.
The big moment of the year is the first Saturday in August: the International Sella Descent (“Les Piragües”), listed as an event of International Tourist Interest, with thousands of paddlers coming down the 20 km from Arriondas. Outside that date the town keeps its quiet pace.
Five minutes from the centre, the Tito Bustillo Cave (a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its rock art) is one of the essential visits in the east. It’s 55 minutes from Alles.
