Colombres
Camino del Norte
Colombres is the first Asturian town on the Norte and one of the finest examples of Indiano architecture in Spain. The Indianos — ordinary Asturians, Cantabrians, and Basques who emigrated to the Americas during the 19th century — returned with fortunes that they poured into palatial homes and public works. The houses in Colombres are the best-preserved examples: colonial in style, eclectic in decoration, always with a palm tree as tribute to tropical lives left behind.
The Museo de la Emigración, housed in the Quinta Guadalupe (itself an Indiano mansion), is an excellent collection that tells the story of the emigration and return. Even if you don't go inside, walk the grounds — they give a sense of the scale of ambition these returning emigrants brought back.
An albergue serves pilgrims, but it's frequently booked by student groups in summer. Plan ahead.
The Indianos left during a period of profound rural poverty in the late 19th century. Most went to Cuba, Mexico, and Argentina. Few struck it rich, but those who did returned to transform their villages — financing schools, roads, water systems, and, of course, building the mansions that still line the streets. In Colombres, the primary benefactors brought the village to a level of modernization previously seen only in the Asturian capital.
Accommodation in Colombres.
| Albergue Casa de Peregrinos Colombres Donativo€ 9 |
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