Corao brings together a Romanesque church, a cave with archaeological finds and a local legend. There is also the Ruta de Frassinelli, a designated hiking trail starting at Castañeu de Corao, with optional endpoints at the Covadonga Lakes. This gives you both a cultural focus and a specifically named hiking route to consider when planning your trip.
Church, legend and archaeology
Santa Eulalia de Abamia is located in Corao and is a Romanesque church. According to local tradition, it was founded by King Pelayo. To understand this, it is worth considering the architectural style and the founding tradition separately: “Romanesque” describes its architectural classification, while its connection to Pelayo has been passed down as a legend. This brings together a specific architectural style and a story about the church’s origins. It is a useful distinction if you are interested in local architectural history, without treating oral tradition and architectural classification as the same thing.
The Cueva del Cuélebre and the San Nicolás archaeological site are in Corao. During an excavation by Frassinelli, Bronze Age remains were found in the cave. According to local tradition, the cave was named after a Cuélebre said to have lived there. This brings together a story about the cave’s name and an archaeological context: the legendary inhabitant belongs to local tradition, while the remains are a Bronze Age find.
If you are choosing between the cultural attractions, Santa Eulalia de Abamia offers a connection to architectural style and founding tradition; the Cueva del Cuélebre brings together legend and archaeological finds. This lets you explore Corao’s cultural attractions according to your interests, rather than treating the church and cave as equivalent sights.
Planning the Ruta de Frassinelli
The Ruta de Frassinelli is designated hiking trail PR-PNPE-1 and starts at Castañeu de Corao. It can optionally end at the Buferrera car park or at Pozu del Alemán, near the Covadonga Lakes. This gives you a named starting point and two alternative endpoints for planning your route. The trail offers a different way to experience Corao than exploring its church, cave and local traditions: here, the focus is on a hiking route with specific start and endpoint information. Check current trail conditions locally before setting out; access regulations may change seasonally.
La Feriona de Corao in May
La Feriona de Corao takes place on 26 May. Every year, it brings together thousands of animals, livestock farmers and livestock traders at Corao’s Castañeu. The number of animals and attendees may vary from one year to the next. If you are travelling specifically for La Feriona, check the date of the current edition. This allows you to take the annual event into account when planning your trip without treating the numbers, which vary from year to year, as fixed.
Discover more destinations: TornĂn, Caño, Covadonga, Arriondas, Mestas De Con, Labra, Soto De Cangas, Igena
For the broader travel overview: Cangas De Onis.
