Mestas de Con offers two clear starting points for planning a trip: the Romanesque Iglesia de San Pedro de Con and the GR-109 mountain bike route. If you’re looking for accommodation in Mestas de Con, you can first decide whether to focus on architectural history and art or on a longer bike ride. These two themes call for different kinds of planning: the church is all about architecture and murals, while the route involves distance, elevation gain and changing landscapes.
Romanesque Architecture and Murals
The Iglesia de San Pedro de Con in the parish of Mestas de Con is designated a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) and a Monument. It is considered a church in the popular Romanesque style and has a single nave and a square chancel. Romanesque portals have been preserved on the west and south façades; inside, a triumphal arch resting on attached columns is also among the surviving architectural features.
The painted decoration of the enclosure is particularly striking: the entire area is adorned with 18th-century murals. The church is considered one of the few examples of popular architecture with painted decoration dating from before the 19th century. This gives visitors a specific reason to look not only at its Romanesque design but also at its later embellishment. When planning a visit focused on cultural heritage, you can therefore consider the building’s form, portals, chancel and murals as different aspects of the same place.
The GR-109: Elevation Gain and Landscapes
The GR-109 mountain bike route is about 33.5 kilometres long, takes approximately three hours, involves 1,050 metres of climbing and is of moderate difficulty. Mestas de Con is the point on the route furthest from its starting point. The approximate duration and elevation gain help you assess the effort involved; you should also plan for breaks and any other activities for the day. Conditions may vary, so it’s advisable to check local cycling conditions.
From Mestas de Con, a climb leads to the former Romanesque church, Iglesia de San Pedro de Con. Another section follows the Tabardín River into the valley towards Llano de Con. The route also offers panoramic views of the mountains and valley. These details provide different reference points for the ride: the climb to a cultural monument, the riverside trail and the views across the landscape. The route continues to Gamonéu de Cangas, the place that gave its name to the area’s most important cheese, Gamonéu. From Mestas de Con, it can follow the AS-114 road towards Panes and on to Benia de Onís.
Another Reason to Visit
Mestas de Con is also home to the Laberinto Mitológico de Cangas de Onís, a 4,000-square-metre plant maze that opened in 2025. The maze is also connected to a woodland path lined with several sculptures depicting figures from Asturian mythology. Alongside the church’s architectural appeal, visitors can therefore choose to explore a maze and mythological figures as different themes for their stay. Operating conditions may change, so check the details before visiting.
The Laberinto Mitológico may also factor into your decision. Choosing activities according to your interests helps you shape your stay around the specific places and activities, without treating the bike route as equivalent to a visit to the church or maze.
Discover more destinations: Soto De La Ensertal, Perlleces, Beceña, Cangas De Onis, Arriondas, Cardes, Caño, Nieda.
Go to the main travel overview: Cangas De Onis.
