World Tourism Day falls on 27 September, and this year it is a Sunday. It is one of those dates that go unnoticed unless you make your living from it. In a valley like this one, quite a few of us do.
Where the date comes from
It is convened by UN Tourism, the United Nations agency for tourism, known as the UNWTO until 2024. It has been held since 1980, and the day was not picked at random: on 27 September 1970, the statutes that gave rise to the organisation were adopted.
Each year there is a host country and a theme. The 2026 host is El Salvador and the theme is «Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism». Official events are concentrated on the 26th and 27th, and the programme is published by UN Tourism on its website.
A theme that sounds distant, and is not
From a stone village at the foot of the Picos, a slogan about artificial intelligence sounds like another world. The thread, though, is shorter than it looks: plenty of people now plan their trip by asking an app, and what it answers is not always up to date.
Around here that shows up in three things, and all three change from one season to the next:
- The bus to the Lakes of Covadonga. The calendar is approved each year. In 2026 it runs daily from 1 June to 18 October, so on 27 September you go up by bus, not by car. We explain it in full in when you can drive up to the Lakes.
- The car parks. The one at Poncebos, where the Cares Trail starts, and the one at the Foces del Casaño fill up first thing. There is no trick to it: either you get up early or you change the plan.
- Opening times. The Cabrales Cheese Cave in Arenas is open all year, but it is worth calling ahead to book (+34 985 84 67 02).
None of the three is settled by a generic answer. Wherever your information comes from, it is worth confirming it at the source the day before. And if you are staying with us, just ask on WhatsApp: whatever we know, we will tell you.
What usually happens on the day
Many town councils and tourist offices use the date for guided visits or open days, often free, and the programme comes out only a few days in advance. Whatever is on across the region appears in the Turismo Asturias calendar; for the municipality itself, the local tourist offices know best.
The last weekend of September, from here
Official events aside, the date falls in one of the best weeks of the year to come. The August crowds have gone, the water in the Cares still has that green that does not look real, and the sun sets around 8.10 pm, so the afternoon goes a long way.
- The Cares Trail starts in Poncebos, 6 km from Arenas. It is there and back along the same path, so you turn round wherever you like.
- The Foces del Casaño, flat, beside the river and mostly in the shade, for a day without ambition.
- The Lakes of Covadonga, an hour away, with the whole morning ahead of you.
- And Cabrales cheese, which here you buy at the village dairy.
If you want more ideas, there are the walks from Cabrales and what exactly the Picos de Europa National Park is, which begins at the edge of the village.
And us, in Barrio de Río
Our five apartments are in Arenas de Cabrales, in restored stone houses, all with a full kitchen and a fireplace. Four sleep 2 to 4 and Cares takes up to 6.
World Tourism Day was invented to talk about what tourism ought to be. We put it more briefly: that whoever comes leaves wanting to return, and that the valley still looks like itself. Check availability and book directly with us, with no commission.
