Playa de Portizuelo, Protected beach in Valdés, Spain

Playa de Portizuelo is a stony beach in Valdés spanning about 220 meters, bordered by steep mountainous terrain and surrounded by Atlantic waters. Rocky outcrops define this coastline, which lacks sandy areas and features a rugged character throughout.

The sources record no historical events for the beach itself. The rock known as Piedra el Óleo, on the narrow access road, was where the maruyas — local village women who bathed fully dressed — used to gather. The claim about Severo Ochoa is not supported by the sources.

The rock known as Piedra el Óleo was where the maruyas, women from the surrounding hamlets, gathered to bathe fully dressed. The beach belongs to the village of Barcia, in the council of Valdés, within the Paisaje Protegido de la Costa Occidental de Asturias. Fishing, both sport and underwater, is the activity most practised here.

Access is by road: from Villar, head for a meadow marked by two boats raised on end, then take the narrow left-hand lane that reaches the beach itself, driving with care. The turn-off is under 200 m from the sand. There are no services for bathers, and the beach is rated highly hazardous.

The sources describe a rock formation called Piedra el Óleo, where women known as «las maruyas» from the surrounding villages used to gather and bathe fully dressed. The beach lies within the Paisaje Protegido de la Costa Occidental de Asturias, in the council of Valdés.