IN BRILLIANT morning sunshine the fisherman was manoeuvring his vermilion lobster boat on the clear sapphire waters of the cliff-hugging port of Lastres when he burst into song with splendid voice. The granite piers of the inner port acted as a perfect echo chamber for his aria.

There are lots of pleasant surprises when exploring one of the great coastlines of Europe, the 350km of glorious beaches, craggy coves, soaring cliffs, meandering ria valleys and ancient fishing villages that make up the Bay of Biscay seaboard of the Asturias.

Here steep green hills rise straight from the sea then shoot up again to become mountain ranges with snow-capped peaks. A series of new motorways link the principality with the rest of Spain.

The popular sandy beaches around Llanes are less than an hour’s drive from Santander, as is Panes, the gateway to the spectacular Picos de Europa. From these mountains the River Sella twists down to the pleasant seaside resort of Ribadesella, with its notable cave paintings. Nearby is Colunga and the turn off to the small fishing village of Lastres.

One passes the modern Museo Jurásico de Asturias that follows the footprints of dinosaurs. The jumble of old houses in Lastres clings to the lee side of the cliffs. Near the port stands Eutimio, the famous Asturian hotel and restaurant. It is well worth the steep climb up through the village to enjoy a bird’s eye view from the towering headland of unspoilt Lastres, a former whaling port, plus the long view of the coast and mountains.

Just a short drive away is the port city of Gijón, passing the acres of apple orchards around Villaviciosa that supply the 100 lagares or cider factories that provide Asturias with its emblematic drink.

A good base in Gijón is the Parador El Viejo Molino, located in the lovely Parque Isabel la Católic. Within walking distance is the Muséu del Pueblu d’Asturies which includes some fine horreos, wooden barns raised on rough granite pillars for drying maize, as well as the Museum of Bagpipes, as popular in this Celtic region as in Scotland.

The oldest part of the city is located on the peninsula of Cimadevilla, crowned by a headland, between the long eastern San Lorenzo Beach and the western marinas and shipyards. Take in the Termas Romanas, the well preserved Roman Baths. At the Railway Museum you can see the first 19th-century contraptions built by British miners and carriages for Spain’s first line that started here.

The region’s laidback capital, Oviedo, is 29km from Gijón and it is an easy detour to Nava and the Cider Museum. Oviedo boasts one of Europe’s finest hotels, the Reconquista, a massive, art-crammed palace.

The jury meets here each year to choose the winners of the annual Prince of Asturias awards, the Spanish world’s equivalent of the Nobel prizes. Within walking distance is the old quarter with stern palaces, the Bellas Artes gallery and the 15th-century cathedral.

On Monte Naranco, one of the green hills surrounding Oviedo, stand two restored 9th-century buildings, a church and a royal palace, superb examples of Pre-Romanesque Asturian architecture.

Must list for Asturias visit

• Picos de Europa. Picos road to Covadonga and the lakes. Stay in the 12th-century part of Parador Cangas de Onís
• Lastres fishing village
• Gijón: Roman Baths, Muséu del Pueblu d’Asturies museum complex and the Cimadevilla peninsula
• Cider Museum, Nava
• Oviedo: cathedral and the Old Quarter
• Cudillero fishing village and its environs
• Luarca fishing village and don’t miss the tapas
• Stay in a Casona Asturiana country house. (In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many Spaniards, especially from the north, sought their fortunes in Latin America. When they returned, they showed off by building colonial mansions surrounded by lovely gardens usually featuring a palm tree)

Times recommends

• Oasis of the Seas: the Times review
• The 20 best new year party places to stay
• Green Spaces 2009: are you the winning writer?