Valdés is a Council of the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, whose capital is Luarca. Located in western Asturias, and with a surface area of 353.5 $km^2$, it is among the most extensive municipalities in the region. It is bordered to the north by the Cantabrian Sea, to the south by the councils of Salas and Tineo, to the east by Cudillero, and to the west by Navia and Villayón.
The council comprises 15 parishes, 6 on the coast and 9 inland.
It has an approximate population of 10,700 inhabitants (2019), of whom some 5,000 reside in the town of Luarca. Its economy is based on fishing, trade, tourism, livestock farming, and agriculture.
The terrain is rugged, especially in the interior, where there are wide valleys on the banks of the River Esva. Its temperate-humid climate features mild average temperatures.
Luarca has been linked to the sea since its origin, with its fishing fleet being one of the most important and prominent in western Asturias. It is divided into two clearly distinct areas: the oldest, situated around the mouth of the River Negro, comprises ancient fishing neighbourhoods such as La Pescadería or El Cambaral; and the bourgeois Luarca, which extends along the banks of the River Negro, where examples of eclectic architecture from the first half of the 20th century can be observed.
One of the council’s mottos is “The Sea, the River and the Mountain”, as these three elements influence our way of life: culture, customs, gastronomy, etc. In 2019, the 25th anniversary of the death of Mr Severo Ochoa de Albornoz (1905-1993) was commemorated; a scientist from Luarca awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1959. In tribute to his legacy, the tourism slogan “Luarca, Nobel Town” was created.