Aviles history, industry and weather

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Exactly when Aviles first came to recognition is uncertain, but written records referring to the town can be found dating back to 905 AD.

The old town was originally walled in the thirteenth century and the area that it enclosed was called the "village". In 1479 a major fire ravaged much of this original district and in the eighteenth century (when heritage was not valued as it is today) most of the old town walls were demolished or destroyed to make way for new developments and the expansion of the town.

The seventeenth century saw a revival and expansion of Aviles and, as the original boundaries lost their importance, new development took place and the modern city of today started to emerge.

Prosperity followed for another century as industry developed and the rural population migrated to the growing city, but then things slowed down as the traditional economy slowed down.

Aviles economy

Like many coastal towns Aviles was foundered on a fishing heritage and for most of its history maritime work provided employment for the majority of its population. Aviles’ location, at the entrance to an estuary, has however resulted in the river Penas’ mouth silting up and, although attempts have been made to clear it, it has lost “some” of its function and status as a major port.

The story of Aviles prosperity did not however end at this point, as in the twentieth century it started to develop as an industrial centre with factories and production units and a speciality in the manufacture of Steel ( as in Ovideo and Gijon). Coal is also an important export and today Aviles is seeing yet another resurgence in both its economy and population.

A new port opened in 1980 and the city also has one of the busiest fish markets on the Mar Cantabria coast. Banking and new technology have also influenced and enhanced Aviles status as Asturias’ third most important city and the areas population now exceeds eighty thousand inhabitants.

Tourism too is now becoming a staple of the economy of Aviles as it capitalises on its old district, heritage and location. Aviles has the good fortune of being placed on many tourist’s highway route to the Picos de Europa mountains and National Park and it makes a good and obvious journey break.

Weather

Like the rest of Asturias, Aviles is not famed for its high temperatures, constant sun and lack of rain.

The climate is variable, but with warmer temperatures and a lower risk of rain in the summer months. A maximum summer temperature would be around 30 degrees centigrade on a hot day, but one should expect a lower figure on most summer days.

In keeping with most northern Spanish regions the month of August, with it higher temperatures, also offers higher rainfall levels. June, July and September offer the best weather prospects for the tourist.