San Martín del Rey Aurelio, Asturias: municipality guide
San Martín del Rey Aurelio is a municipality in the Nalón comarca, in the central Asturian mining basin. Its capital is the city of San Martín del Rey Aurelio, formed in 2007 by the administrative union of Sotrondio, El Entrego and Blimea. With 15,531 inhabitants and 56.13 km², it owes its name to King Aurelio I of Asturias, under whose rule the municipality was capital of the kingdom in the 8th century.
What to see in San Martín del Rey Aurelio
Mining has shaped the last century of the municipality, and its great museum is the MUMI, Museum of Mining and Industry, in El Entrego: a pioneer of its kind in Spain. Very close by stands the historic Pozo San Vicente, which in the 1920s was the first mine in Spain to be self-managed by a miners’ union.
In Sotrondio, the Pozo Sotón is the only coal mine in Europe offering guided tours inside, with a Centre of Mining Experiences and Memory. Pithead towers, mining villages and industrial architecture dot El Entrego, Sotrondio and Blimea, in an area that forms part of the Cuencas Mineras Protected Landscape.
Among the religious heritage stands out the church of San Martín, in Sotrondio, and high above, the Pico Tres Concejos (1,096 m), on the boundary with Langreo and Mieres, offers one of the finest panoramic views of the basin. The river Nalón structures a valley where nature is gradually reclaiming the land from mining.
The river Nalón, the longest in Asturias, structures the municipality and offers riverside walks between the three districts of the capital. On its banks, travellers can combine industrial archaeology with nature: the rural surroundings of El Entrego, Sotrondio and Blimea invite hiking routes among pithead towers and tasting cider and traditional cuisine in the valley’s chigres.
The valley’s industrial heritage is complemented by a growing network of greenways and viewpoints.
Getting there
San Martín del Rey Aurelio overlooks the Nalón valley, well connected with Langreo, Laviana, Mieres and Siero by the Cuencas Mineras road network.
Map of the municipality of San Martín del Rey Aurelio: the capital, in gold. Data © OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Festivals and gastronomy
Three gastronomic festivals declared of Tourist Interest mark the calendar: the Fiesta de les Cebolles Rellenas (stuffed onions) in El Entrego, the Fiesta de los Pimientos Rellenos (stuffed peppers) in Blimea and the Fiesta de los Nabos (turnips) in Sotrondio. The main festival is 11 November, San Martín de Tours. There are weekly markets on Wednesdays in El Entrego, Tuesdays in Sotrondio and Fridays in Blimea. Together with the weekly markets, they keep alive a festive calendar deeply rooted in mining culture.
Municipality data
Coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons / SanchoPanzaXXI (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Capital: San Martín del Rey Aurelio
- Population: 15,531 inhabitants (INE 2025)
- Area: 56.13 km²
- Zone: Central
- Demonym: sanmartiniego, -a; aureliano, -a
- Town Council: Calle Nicanor Piñole, 2, 33950 Sotrondio. Tel. +34 985 67 00 50
Neighbouring municipalities
Useful links
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View on the interactive map: The 78 municipalities of Asturias
