When we think of canoeing down an estuary in Asturias, we all think of the river Sella, with its well-known overcrowding, and with an environment fully developed around this activity. It is a very good option to do a bit of exercise in the open air, stop with friends for a few ciders, and say that you have gone down it. However, nowadays it is very easy to find this kind of activities, and what many of us are looking for is an alternative that allows us to spend a day outdoors disconnecting from those crowds of people. If you are one of those people, the Navia is the river you should try.
Our activity starts at the Serandinas lodge, where we will store our belongings in watertight containers and proceed to our starting point, the Arbón waterfall. After a short briefing, our guide will untie us until all the canoes are in the water; this is when the best part begins. This descent has a lot of anecdotes and details that would be impossible to appreciate without our guide, which is why he will accompany us along the 14 kilometres that it will take us to reach the Puerto de Navia. In the course of the river we will find different deposits of chiastolite, a mineral whose betas always form a cross, and which the Celts considered to have protective properties. We will take a break along the way to look for these minerals, which have their most symbolic deposits in this part of Spain.
We continue our descent listening to the history of the river, which allows us to appreciate the Roman piers on the banks of the river. Some of these wharfs were later used to load part of the wood used in the fleet of the Invincible Armada. The industrial history of the area also leaves us with anecdotes, such as the sight of the white river flowing at the time when a local dairy industry released its waste into the river, or how a guild rioted against a monopolistic businessman centuries ago to sink a machine, then of the latest generation, which still lies at the bottom of the river. We will take a break for lunch and a swim before the dam gates open, an event that will help us reach the delta with a little extra boost. The wildlife on this last stretch of the river is spectacular, with herons and cormorants, as well as different types of fish if we keep our eyes peeled. Little by little an urban landscape corresponding to Navia appears; a few more paddles and we are already at the port, where the activity team will be picking us up to take us back to Serandinas.
From Andolina Tours we have gone in person to do this activity to ensure that our customers can enjoy the best activities, and without a doubt, it is an experience that we would recommend to anyone who likes water and nature, an activity very different from the descent of the Sella, which brings us closer to the magic and purity of Western Asturias.
