Descent of the Sella

The Descenso Internacional del Sella has run since 1930 and takes place on the first Saturday of August, a canoe and kayak race of about twenty kilometres from Arriondas down to Ribadesella with well over a thousand boats, from elite international competitors at the front to a long tail of participants in it for the day. The start is a mass launch in which paddlers run to their boats. A festival train runs alongside the river packed with spectators, and the towns at both ends hold several days of events, with the whole thing declared of international tourist interest. Outside the race the same stretch is paddled all summer by rental groups, taking three to four hours at an easy pace with picnic stops.

What you actually see

• The mass start - over a thousand boats launched at Arriondas.
• The festival train - a train of spectators running beside the river.
• The riverside crowds - banks lined for the whole twenty kilometres.
• The summer rentals - the same route paddled casually from May onward.

When to go

The first Saturday of August for the race, when Ribadesella and Arriondas are entirely full and accommodation must be booked far ahead; May to September for paddling the route without the crowds.

Honest expectations

Race day is extremely crowded and accommodation across eastern Asturias sells out. The river is low in late summer in dry years, which affects both the race and the rentals. Rental descents involve some scraping and portaging at low water.

Nearby

Ribadesella and its Tito Bustillo painted cave are at the finish; the Picos rise inland.