Covadonga, Spain

Covadonga, Spain is a picturesque mountain village in the northern part of the Peaks of Europe mountain range, one of the eleven parishes in Asturias. Covadonga is the heart of Asturias for a number of reasons.
In 722, a Christian named Paleo led the victory over the Moorish battle of Covadonga, which was considered the first Christian victory and as such was often considered the beginning of the Reconquista - a 770-year struggle and effort to expel Muslim Moors from Iberia. He was later promoted to king of Asturias. Today, his relics can be seen in the Santa Cueva Cave in Covadonga, where he retired to solitude, and a statue of him has been erected in front of an 18th-century basilica.
In the church of Museo de la Vihren you can see the objects donated to the Virgin by Covadonga. In the village is the revered statue of the Virgin Patroness of Astiruya. In the mountains above the city there are lakes known as Lagos de Covadonga - Enol and Ersina, and the road to them is often paved in cycling competitions.