Parador de Corias, Asturias

The Parador de Corias is located in the Cangas del Narcea, Asturias, in a spectacular former monastery, declared a National Historical-Artistic Monument.

Hotel photography

At the heart of Asturias, in Cangas del Narcea, is the Parador de Corias hotel. It is housed in a spectacular former eleventh-century Benedictine monastery, which was declared a National Historical-Artistic Monument in 1982.

Hotel photographer Michelle Chaplow was commissioned by the Parador’s marketing department to create the opening photography for the hotel. These promotional photos included their magnificent library, dining areas, internal patios, exteriors, architectural photography, spa facilities, food photography and emblematic details to capture the essence of the hotel. Michelle’s expertise as a hospitality photographer allowed her to document both contemporary and historic elements of the hotel, with an underlying focus on what is now a fine example of Spanish historic preservation. The collection of images has been published by prestigious titles such as the Financial Times in London and Conde Nast Traveller.

The Hotel experience

As a former convent, the Parador offers vast spaces, high ceilings and the sensation of stonework moulded by the footsteps of time.

The contemporary renovation of the hotel compromised none of its ancient charm; the interior design of the former monastery takes inspiration from the rich hues of the surrounding landscape and exhibits local industries and customs, such as mining, dairy farming and fishing. The dining room is decorated in warm terracotta with beautiful drawings of apples, cider, and dairy and fishing motifs. The dining areas serve Spanish and local Asturian cuisine, with many of the dishes made from locally sourced ingredients. The refectory was where the monks dined and still has a pulpit, making it the ideal venue for an event involving speeches. The bedroom corridors are lined with wooden clogs, traditional footwear from a bygone era of the region. The adjoining Tuscan-style church is still in use, so during your stay you can attend Mass to catch a glimpse of the elaborate Baroque altar.  

The hotel’s basement museum, which houses an underground car park, displays archaeological remains of the hotel’s original eleventh-century construction. This unique blending of old and new is also apparent in the addition of a spa, which includes a leisure pool, treatment rooms and gym.

The surrounding area is ideal for walking and hiking. Nature is literally on the doorstep, with beautiful mountains surrounding the hotel, local vineyards nurtured by expert winegrowers, and the Narcea River running by.

Hotel’s history

The Paradors are a group of state-owned luxury hotels, founded by King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1928. ‘Parar’ means to stop or to stay, capturing their intended role as boltholes for those exploring the manifold attractions of Spain. There are 97 Parador Hotels across Spain, each with their own distinct history.

The Parador de Corias was once the monastery of San Juan de Corias, founded by Counts Piniolo and Aldonza in 1032 and occupied by Benedictine monks. The building has since become known locally as “El Escorial Asturiano” due to its size. The restoration project was led by architect José María Pérez González and the hotel opened its doors to visitors in 2013. The former monastic building can be found by the River Narcea and is connected to Corias, the nearby village, by a nineteenth-century stone bridge.
The building suffered multiple fires during its time as a functioning monastery, and it was destroyed in 1763, apart from the library, church and sacristy which remained intact. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it was rebuilt, however, it fell victim to another fire in the eighteenth century, after which the cloister and exterior of the monastery had to be rebuilt entirely.

In the basement of the Parador de Corias, archaeological remains of the monastery’s old structure can be found in an exhibition. The hotel is a place of historic preservation, and its regeneration has served to boost the local economy, particularly in the wake of the collapsed mining industry in Northern Spain.

The Dominican library of the Monastery of Corias remains intact and can be seen in Hotel Essence’s portfolio of images for the hotel. It is the largest existing library in the Parador chain, as well as a space for guests to read or relax, peacefully taking in its history. It holds around 7,000 books, many donated by the MAPFRE Foundation, as well as from large publishers, and managed by volunteers.

In Hotel Essence’s photograph of the library, you will also see what looks like empty frames on the walls. These are actually an exhibition of Portuguese artist Rui Macedo’s work, entitled “Landscape – an aesthetic look at nature”; the ‘empty frames’ are oil-painted canvases in the same tone as the wall, capturing the hotel’s close relationship with the surrounding landscape.

Modern day history

In March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic became mainstream news, the Parador hotels were earmarked by the Spanish government to be used as hospitals for patients with the virus. Eventually, the hotels’ use as medical centres did not materialise and they reopened to guests months later. Every historic Parador Hotel is steeped in local stories, extending into the modern age. The modern elegance of the Parador de Corias does not conceal the rich history that this former ancient monastery holds.
Read Michelle’s blog post on the Parador de Corias, written at the start of the pandemic, here.