A Spanish man gives the Asturian bagpipes a blow on a remote cliff near Llanes

The fishing port of Llanes is located on Spain's north Costa Verde (green coast) in the Bay of Biscay.

Llanes has a lively medieval centre and a glut of gorgeous sandy beaches within walking distance. A 2.5km cliff-top walk shoots off from the west of the town, winding past protected coves and freshly-fertilized cow paddocks to the tiny village of Poo. To the east, another coastal path leads to long sandy beaches, one stretch being a popular nudist hangout.

At night, Llanes' pedestrianized and walled old quarter is astonishingly lively for a town of only 5,000 people. Marisquerias (seafood restaurants) invite you to tuck into the catch of the day while sidrerias (cider houses) are staffed by men with questionable hand-eye coordination pouring locally-brewed apple cider from bottles held high above their heads.

Llanes is located in Spain's rainy Asturias region, and while the town is popular with Spanish holidaymakers, you won't find any British or German tourists here picking fights over sun lounges. Asturias shares more than just erratic weather with Ireland, its distant northern neighbour. With its sheer cliffs, rugged coastline and mountainous backdrop, the terrain around Llanes is a dead ringer for southern Ireland. Before the Romans showed up, Asturias (along with neighbouring Galicia) was under Celtic control and the Celtic influence is still manifest in the local music, which you're likely to hear blaring from Asturian bagpipes in the most unlikely of places.