There are 2 beaches in Asturias with this name but they are quite easy to distinguish since they are in different municipalities and have completely different shapes. This Arnao is in the municipality of Castrillón, very close to the beach of Salinas.
The other Arnao beach is in the municipality of Castropol, very close to the neighboring province called Galicia.
For the people living nearby, this place is more than a beach. And definitely not an ordinary one.
First of all because of the geological value the reef underneath has, with important fossils dating 400 million years back.
We also saw fossils on the rocks of the nearby beaches, particularly the Cuerno beach, close by.
A second reason why this beach is special is because on its cliffs there still exists the oldest vertical mine in Asturias, dating since 19th century.
It was rehabilitated and opened to the public if you wish to visit it – you can see it in the image to the left, the building shaped like a church.
There are also more special reasons why Arnao is worth paying a visit.
It’s a 300 meters long sandy beach with moderate waves perfect for surf and for underwater fishing (I believe the rocks to the West are a good spot for fishing, just be careful, there are lots of hidden rocks in the water).
It has amenities (showers, toilets), lifeguard service during summer months, a small parking and it’s easy to find (our beach app AsturPlaya can take you to Arnao and its secluded neighbors, download it now!)
It is also accessible for people with limited mobility, and has stairs on both sides.
The coastline of Castrillón hides a lot of beaches, some of them really popular and easy to get to, some of them not so. The secluded ones are my favorites, but if you want to enjoy a beach with amenities there are plenty of these too.
Around Arnao you will find the beach and resort of Santa María del Mar towards West and Salinas beach with its twin San Juan de Nieva beach towards East.
These are the popular ones.
Secluded and without amenities are: El Pedrero cove, 5 minutes away walking on the Eastern cliffs, then El Cuerno beach after the Asturiana de Zinc factory.