The Covadonga Sanctuary in the Picos de Europa
The Covadonga Sanctuary, set in the heart of the Picos de Europa National Park, blends nature and faith. Its main sites—the Holy Cave, the Basilica, the Collegiate Church, and the Museum—form a unique pilgrimage complex.
The Holy Cave
Built by Alfonso I between 739–757, the Cave of Our Lady commemorates King Pelayo’s victory at Covadonga (722), a milestone of the Reconquest. The current Romanesque chapel dates from the 1940s, housing the 16th-century Santina statue of the Virgin, donated in 1778. Pelayo’s tomb, moved here by Alfonso X “the Wise,” lies beneath the altar.
The Basilica
Inaugurated on September 7, 1901, this imposing Neo-Romanesque church of rose-toned limestone replaced a burnt-out Baroque temple. Its rounded arches and luminous nave host liturgies against a mountain backdrop.
The Collegiate Church
Dating from 1585–1599, the Collegiate Church is the sanctuary’s oldest structure. It features a rectangular plan around a courtyard, a square tower, rib-vaulted ceilings, and a Baroque altarpiece from the Santa María de Valdedios Monastery.
The Covadonga Museum
Spread over ten themed rooms, the Museum tells the sanctuary’s story from Pelayo to today, with paintings, engravings, photographs, sculptures, offerings, and goldsmith works illustrating legends and miracles.
Experience the magic of Covadonga: hear history echo in stone, feel faith embrace you, and marvel at a landscape that unites legend and nature in Asturias.
How to get there
Decimal: 43.308611°, -5.054722°
DMS: 43°18'31" N, 5°3'17" O
