Being abroad on your own might be a little overwhelming sometimes. Even I, as someone familiar with the city of Oviedo, need a break at times, and that is why I am going to share with you some of my favorite spots to hang out with friends, relax and disconnect from city life.
PARQUE DE INVIERNO
El Parque de Invierno (Winter Park) is a huge park located in the south side of the city with plenty of activities to do, from going for a walk to having a little coffee break in La Casona de la Montaña. The park has a huge extension where I usually go to enjoy a good book or a quick volleyball game with my friends. It is common to go there if weather is favorable to do exercise, either by using the facilities—a skatepark, outdoor basketball court and calisthenics park—or by going for a walk through La Senda Verde, which offers an easy 5.6-mile hike from El Parque de Invierno to El Fuso de la Reina, an old, abandoned train station.
In short, El Paque de Invierno is one of the best outdoor spaces to hang out when wanting to have some fresh air and disconnect from the city.
PARQUE SAN FRANCISCO
I would say this is one of the best options if you are looking for a quick break between classes or before going to the library. El Parque San Francisco is much smaller than El Parque de Invierno, but it is in the city core, so it is surrounded by coffee shops, ice cream stands and some pretty cafeterias where I usually go if I want to do some work while enjoying good traditional pastries.
Oviedo is a well-kept city and one of the cleanest in Europe. I was amazed that this park is always clean and filled with colorful flowers, and it has a cute little pond with ducks in the middle. This location is also famous for having a Mafalda statue sitting on a bench. This is one of Oviedo’s popular touristic attractions because of the Argentine comic’s popularity in Spain.
JARDINES DE LA RODRIGA
This was one of my latest discoveries in Oviedo, and one of my favorites, as well, because it is surrounded by buildings in one of Oviedo’s main streets. It is known as one of Oviedo’s hidden gems. This garden is right below La Universidad del Padre Ossó and despite being in a fairly busy area of the city, you can enjoy surprising silence here like nowhere else. The park has several benches that encourage you to rest and enjoy the views of the Cathedral and is also known for having different types of trees, which I appreciate when spring arrives to have a little rest from the sun.
