10 Things to do in Oviedo with Kids

Visiting Oviedo with children is a good option, since in this Spanish city you will find several interesting destinations to visit with your family: museums, palaces, zoos, parks, lakes and much more. Many of them with special activities, adapted for the youngest members of the family.

You will find several things to do in Oviedo that will allow you to have fun with your family. Such is the case of visiting the Fine Arts Museum and the Children's Palace. You will also have the option of touring the city to learn about its medieval history or escape the local hustle and bustle by traveling to the Picos de Europa National Park, among other activities.

Among the activities you should include in your itinerary of things to see and do with children, a visit to El Bosque Zoo stands out. There, the little ones will interact with various animal and plant species around them. It is a tour of approximately three hours, so at the end you will have enough time to take a tour of the city.

Animal Species

At El Bosque Zoo you will discover about 70 species of animals:

• Snakes: royal python, corn snake, Mexican king snake and boa constrictor.
• Birds: gray parrot, Harris's eagle, canaries, black swan, peacock owl, peacock, ducks, parrots, nymphs, catatues, etc.
• Primates: marmosets, green monkeys, lemurs, Gibraltar macaque, capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys, etc.
• Others: muntjac deer, African porcupine, meerkats, boreal lynx, tiger, gray wolf, koi fish, frogs, turtles, iguanas, among others.

Botanical species

As you walk along the 400-meter circuit that makes up this zoo, you will observe approximately 250 species of plants from different parts of the world.

For example, you will be able to see the sacred bamboo, the oriental ginkgo and the canary cedar. You will also have the opportunity to see plants such as banana banana, dwarf tomato, blackberry, aloe vera, some shrubs and ferns, among other species.

Information of interest

• Price: the average entrance fee is 5€ per person.
• Hours: every day from March to December (11:00 to 20:00) and from December to February (12:00 to 18:00).
• Where: "El Parque" Zoo, Los Molinos 19, Oviedo.

A day trip from Oviedo to the Picos de Europa National Park will be a very convenient plan if you do not know what to do in Oviedo with children. You will enjoy with the little ones some beautiful natural landscapes and escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The adventure begins with the pick up at the hotel, where you will board a van that will take you to the National Park of the Picos, to explore various destinations.

Covadonga Lakes

You will embark on a gentle hiking route, suitable for children and adults. This way, you will see the Roman Bridge, discover the Buferrera mines, the Ercina and Enol lakes. In addition, you will visit a shepherd's hut. All this while the guide tells you the history of this natural monument.

Sanctuary of Covadonga

The excursion continues along the route of the Reconquest to the Sanctuary of Covadonga, a grotto of Catholic worship located on Mount Auseva. You will be amazed by the calm waters of the lagoon below the cave and the architectural beauty of the enclosure framed by rocks.

Information of interest

• Price: the average price of this activity is 75€ per person.
• Hours: Every day.
• Where: Picos de Europa National Park from the center of Oviedo.

During your visit to Oviedo in 2 days or more, you can visit the Children's Palace. This is a place designed for the little ones to have fun, while you rest a little, eat or enjoy a cup of coffee.

You should go to the Parque de Invierno and, inside, you will find the Palacio de los Niños (Children's Palace). It is a building with a series of rooms with activities for the little ones:

• Bebeteca: with books and educational games for children from 0 to 6 years old.
• Submarine simulator.
• Construction room: with dozens of removable pieces.
• Climbing wall: this is a climbing wall for the most adventurous children.
• Video game console room: where children will find different popular video game titles and arcade games.

In the Children's Palace you will also find a restaurant and a café, where you can wait quietly for the little ones. In addition, you will enjoy a view of the park's natural surroundings.

Information of interest

• Price: the average entrance fee is 12€ per person.
• Hours: Monday to Sunday.
• Where: Palacios de los Niños, Winter Park in the city of Oviedo.

Another must-see destination if you are in Oviedo with children is the Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias, as it not only offers an important collection of Spanish paintings and sculptures. There are also special workshops for the little ones of the house, with the purpose of bringing them closer to the world of art.

This is an ideal visit if you are in Oviedo in winter, since you will not be exposed to the rains and low temperatures that characterize this season.

Art exhibitions

During the tour through the halls, you will see works of art belonging to Francisco de Goya, El Greco, Salvador Dalí and Joaquín Sorolla. You will also contemplate the work of Asturian artists such as Luis Fernandez, Aureliano Suarez, Dario de Regoyos, among others. In total, the museum has about 1500 pieces dating from the fourteenth century to the twenty-first century.

Children's workshops

For their part, children from 4 to 12 years old will enjoy a children's program, in which they will have the opportunity to learn about the artistic heritage of the city. All this while playing and having fun, painting on glass, drawing still lifes on paper and creating characters with acrylic paints, among other materials.

Information of interest

• Price: free admission.
• Hours: summer (Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Sundays from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm). Winter (Tuesday to Friday from 10:30 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30 hours, Saturdays from 11:30 to 14:00 hours and 17:00 to 20:00 hours, Sundays from 11:30 to 14:30 hours).
• Where: Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias, Calle de Santa Ana in Oviedo.

The Cathedral of Oviedo is a must-see during your stay in the city and, even more, if you have traveled with children. In it, you can take advantage of the children's guide of this enclosure, so that the little ones enjoy and learn as much as you do about this monument of the eighth century.

The tour will allow you to learn about the architecture, art and history of the cathedral through its different spaces. Some of them are:

• High Altarpiece, with a carving of the life of Jesus.
• The Holy Chamber, where the shroud of Jesus is kept.
• The Holy Ark and the Box of Agates, with a series of relics guarded by the cathedral.

You will also access the Cloister, the pilgrims' cemetery and the cathedral museum. In the latter, you will see some medieval carvings and other historical objects.

For children, they can discover the cathedral at their own pace and in a fun way, thanks to the help of Mateo (a cartoon character), whose poster will greet them at the entrance. Then, with the help of an audio guide, a series of clues, games and puzzles, the children will carry out the visit.

Useful information

• Price: average ticket price 7€ per person.
• Hours: every day from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
• Where: Oviedo Cathedral.

If you visit Oviedo in summer, spring or autumn, you should take advantage of the good weather of any of these seasons and, thus, make a free tour of its main parks. You will be able to enjoy nature in the middle of the city, while the children run and jump freely.

San Francisco Field

The Campo de San Francisco is a natural space that combines architecture, nature and sculptures. You can take a picture with the sculpture of Mafalda, made in homage to Quino, stroll through beautiful gardens, spot squirrels and some birds in the treetops. In addition, children will enjoy special areas with swings, zip lines and other games.

Juan Mata Urban Park

A small green lung in the center of the city, where you will have picnic areas and a privileged view of Monte Naranco. In addition, you will find a play area for children.

Whether you visit Oviedo in December or any other month of the year, you can enjoy a different experience in the escape rooms of the city. There, both you and the children will put your wits to the maximum to solve some puzzles and escape in the shortest time possible from a room.

This type of activity usually lasts about an hour and starts once the hosts of the game lock you in one or more rooms. Each of these spaces are perfectly set, according to the theme of the escape (Pirate Guard, Colossus with the enigmas of ancient Egypt, among other themes).

You will find in the room a series of clues that you will have to gather and some riddles to solve. Once you have analyzed all the information you will have to find a solution to the enigma, thus getting out of the place where you are trapped.

Perhaps you and your children are enthusiasts of the king of sports (soccer), then you should pay a visit to the Carlos Tartiere Stadium in Oviedo. In this way, you will learn about the history of this architectural monument and the national league through the different areas of this sports venue.

Museum

In the museum area you will learn about the evolution of soccer in the city. All this through the exhibits present in the rooms:

• More than a hundred trophies obtained in official and friendly tournaments.
• Illustrated images, which will offer you a chronology of more than 90 years of history.
• Books about Real Oviedo.

Private rooms

You will have access to a private area, where the different media outlets conduct interviews with the players after each match. You will also be in the room used by the coaches to make statements about the new signings, among other topics.

Locker room and pitch

You will walk from the locker room through a tunnel to the field of play, experiencing a tour that only the players take before each match.

Interesting information

• Price: average price from 10 € per person.
• Hours: every day except the day before the match.
• Where: C. Isidro Lángara, 33013 Oviedo.

Whether you are 1 or 4 days in Oviedo with kids, if you are a real surfing enthusiast, then you will have a must on the beaches of the city's coast. You will enjoy the best waves and the kids will be able to get started in this sport in a safe way.

You just have to connect with one of the surf schools and join one of their one-day water experiences. In this way, you will travel from Oviedo to the beaches of Celorio, in a route of approximately one hour. You can also visit Los Quebrantos Beach, which is only 45 minutes away.

Whichever option you choose, you will be provided with a wetsuit and a board suitable for your needs. In addition, depending on your experience, the guide will teach you from the basics of surfing to some professional tricks, so you can make the most of the waves. The same applies to surf lessons for children.

Information of interest

• Price: from 30€ per person.
• Hours: every day (morning and afternoon).
• Where: Celorio and Los Quebrantos beaches.

If you plan to spend only 1 day in Oviedo and you don't know what to see and do with children, then a walking tour through the old town will be a good option. Both you and the little ones will feel like they have traveled back in time, thanks to the predominant medieval architecture of the place.

The approximately two-hour adventure starts with a local guide outside the Cathedral of Oviedo, where you will be amazed by the exterior of this architectural monument from the 8th century. There, you will have time to appreciate every detail of the facade.

To continue, the guide will take you through some squares:

• Plaza de la Catedral, where you will see a sculpture of La Regenta.
• Plaza Porlier, with a statue entitled "El viajero" (The Traveler).
• Plaza de Feijoo, where you will see the statue of Father Fray Benito Feijoo.

In addition, you will walk around the exterior of other sites of historical and architectural value:

• Valdecarzana Palace, built in the 17th century.
• Casa de los Campomanes, which represents a sample of the Baroque style in the city.
• The Medieval Wall of Oviedo or old fortification of the city.
• La Casa del Deán Payarinos, which combines traditional and modern architecture.
• The Casona de Regla, which is an industrial building from the 18th century.

Information of interest

• Price: from 57€ per person.
• Hours: every day of the year (morning, afternoon or evening).
• Where: Old town of the city of Oviedo.