Back in August, the DH and I joined a group of our friends in a canoe trip down the Sella (Say-ya) River, in Eastern Asturias, Northern Spain. The Sella River is very scenic and fairly gentle, so the descent in canoe has become very popular. There is even an annual race, the International Descent of the River Sella, (El descenso del Sella) which takes place every August. (The website has information on how to arrive to the river, places to stay nearby and canoe rental companies, which is useful for the summer descent season.)
I kinda have an irrational fear of putting my head under water, so I approach aquatic activities with some serious trepidation. Canoeing on the Sella, however, was a lot of fun. From the beautiful views to the crystal clear water (and a bunch of trout swimming by), I didn’t worry one bit about my impending drowning.
Friends ready to tackle the Sella
Down the canoe slide into the water
Taking a break
The river was a little crowded that day
The view from back in Ribadesella
Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that rowing for two solid hours leads to some “arm discomfort.”
This post is part of Photo Friday, featuring travel photos. See more at Delicious Baby. Come back tomorrow for photos/commentary of the beach side city of Ribadesella, the terminus of the Sella River.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
What a great family activity, that looks like a wonderful day out in such a beautiful place!
Peace
It is indeed a very family friendly environment! The water is not too deep and there are no real rapids, so it is very leisurely. Lots of good places to stop along the river for snacks/picnics/etc., too. Thanks for stopping by!
Looks beautiful, but that canoe slide looks scary! (I’m afraid of under-water AND heights.)
I feel lazy
You’re making me yearn for spring!
OMG! That looks like so much fun. Will just HAVE to try to get my kids there to try that out.
Linda – don’t worry, you can walk down to the river and board your canoe on the bank. I was really worried about taking the canoe slide, but it is much more fun than you think and the canoe enters the water very smoothly.
Thanks everyone for commenting!
That looks so fun. And clean! Haven’t seen such clear vistas since arriving in Beijing.
A canoe slide? I had to call Tim in here to look at the canoe slide! Neither of us have heard of/seen such a thing. Boy, there are some times I’d love to have had a canoe slide to get our canoes into the water. I always worry that I’ll tip the canoe over stepping into it…
Looks like a great trip!
Dominique, I had no idea canoe slides were not common. Obviously I am a complete canoe novice! Thanks for letting me know!
Donna – Yes it is super clean there, water, air & land! You can imagine how hard it was to come back here! Actually, Asturias is one of the cleanest places I have ever been. The capital city, Oviedo, actually won an award for being so clean. It wasn’t always so, though, some of the cities and valleys were heavily polluted by steel factories. The good news is the land, air & water can recover!
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