Celada can be explored from two perspectives: the Church of Santa María de Celada and Poreñu’s rural heritage. Poreñu is located in the parish of Celada and received the “Pueblo Ejemplar de Asturias” award in 2017. Church architecture, village history, trails and the Sidra tradition offer different focal points for a stay—from historical details to a circular walk among apple orchards.

Church of Santa María de Celada

The church was built in the 13th century; inside, there is a pre-Romanesque baptismal font. At the west portal, the round arch has a chamfer decorated with tetrapetal motifs. Inside the church, the focus is on the baptismal font; outside, on the portal design. The round arch describes the shape of the arch; tetrapetals are four-leaf motifs on the chamfer. The building’s age, baptismal font and portal ornamentation therefore offer different starting points for an architectural history perspective.

Poreñu: Village History and Everyday Life

The Casa de la Torre survives in Poreñu and is historically connected with the Hevia family. Nearby is the permanent ethnographic exhibition, assembled from old tools and objects that had been stored in granaries and attics. The exhibition illustrates rural life in Asturias in past decades. The traditional Sextaferia is also part of village culture: in Poreñu, communal work to improve the village is kept alive. The exhibition offers a different perspective in terms of period from the church: the latter dates to the 13th century, while the exhibition focuses on rural life in past decades. Architectural history and the more recent history of everyday life thus stand alongside one another as distinct cultural-historical layers.

Walking Routes and Views

A walking route from Poreñu to Celada begins at the chapel with the two yew trees. The circular route through the area around Poreñu passes through Celada and Valdebárcena, as well as Rali, before returning to Poreñu, and offers views of the Picos de Europa among the apple orchards. The distinction is clear when planning: one route ends in Celada, while the other is a loop that returns to Poreñu. From a clearing on the descent to the La Garita quarter of Poreñu, the view extends across the Ría de Villaviciosa to where it meets the sea; the municipal capital can also be seen.

Apple Growing and Sidra

The circular route presents apple growing as part of the landscape; the Sidra tradition sheds light on its production. Poreñu has a traditional culture of apple growing and Sidra production. Household cider presses are part of it. This offers two distinct ways to explore a local theme: apple orchards along the way and Sidra production as part of the village’s inherited culture. For travellers who want to experience both the landscape and regional culture, this look at processing complements the impressions along the circular route.

Discover more destinations: Pimiango, Muñón Cimero, Sotiello, Giranes, Tene, Villademoros, Robledo, Coaña

For the main travel overview: Asturias.