Castro

The ruins of the Castro de Chao Samartin are visible to the west when leaving town -- a prehistoric hillfort with occupation layers spanning the Bronze Age through the Roman period. A small museum adjacent to the camino offers guided visits to the site. The excavations have revealed sophisticated stonework and metalworking that challenge assumptions about the capabilities of pre-Roman communities in these mountains.

This is the last settlement in Asturias. The alto ahead marks the border with Galicia, and with it a shift in landscape, language, and architecture that you'll notice almost immediately.