Ahead of you stands a charming stone chapel with twin round towers on each side of its entrance and a little bell up top-just look past the quirky tree with skinny, outstretched branches to spot it.
Standing before the Chapel of the Virgin of the Guide, imagine the salty wind from the nearby sea brushing your face and the golden light painting the chapel’s unusual towers. This spot is more than just a beautiful building; it’s the heart of one of Llanes’ favorite stories. Picture a stormy night centuries ago, when fishermen wrestled desperately against wild waves in their fragile boat. As the sky rumbled, the crew, terrified, called out to the Virgin for help. Suddenly, through the chaos, they spotted a floating object bobbing in the waves. With shaking hands, they hauled it aboard-just then, a dove swooped down and, as if giving instructions, led them safely back to shore.
Safely on land, the fishermen opened the mysterious box and found an image of the Virgin herself, shining in the flickering torchlight. Now, here’s the magical twist: whenever they left her at San Antón chapel, she would vanish, only to reappear on the very same spot where the dove had disappeared. Not once, not twice, but three times! Eventually, everyone agreed-clearly, this was the place she wanted to call home. So, in 1515, the townsfolk promised to build her this very chapel, with its distinctive towers watching over the coast.
Over the centuries, the chapel has been lovingly restored many times, and on a sunny day in 2016, the Virgin’s image right here was crowned, joining a rare few in Asturias. Every September, people still gather on these lawns, retelling the tale and celebrating the guardian who watches over Llanes, both on land and at sea.
