In one sentence: "Sella descent", "going down the Sella" and "Sella canoe trip" all mean the same thing, so you are in the right place. Here we tell you, step by step and with no marketing, how you go down the Sella River by canoe from Arriondas: where it starts, what it is like, what you need and how to book.
Lots of people type "going down the Sella" or "Sella canoe trip" into Google instead of "descent". That is natural: here in Arriondas, we have spent our whole lives saying "going down the river". But let us be clear from the start so you do not get confused: the Sella descent, going down the Sella and a Sella canoe trip are exactly the same activity. Same river, same canoe, same price. The words change, the plan does not.
So whether you call it a descent, going down the river or a canoe trip, this guide is for you. We have spent more than 25 years watching families, couples and groups go down the Sella for the first time, and we are going to tell you everything you need to know before you climb into the canoe: where it starts, what the river is really like, how long it lasts, what you need and how to book. No fluff, and no hiding the small print.
Descent, going down, canoe trip: it is all the same
We clear this up first because it genuinely causes confusion. When you search for "going down the Sella by canoe", "Sella canoe trip" or "Sella River descent", you are searching for the same thing: paddling the river by canoe along the tourist stretch that runs from Arriondas towards Ribadesella. There is no separate "trip" as opposed to a "descent". It is vocabulary, not activity.
We mention it because sometimes people call us worried, thinking they have booked "the descent" when they wanted "the canoe trip", or the other way round. Relax: it is the same plan, the same price and the same canoe. We use all these words interchangeably, just like everyone in the village.
Where you go down the Sella: Arriondas, kilometre zero
The descent begins in Arriondas, in the council of Parres (Asturias). It is the point where the river has just the right flow and width to start paddling safely. From the launch ramp you can choose between two routes:
- Mini route · 7 km · about 2 hours on the water. It ends at Toraño. Ideal if you are going with small children, if it is your first time, or if you want a relaxed morning with no rush.
- Full route · 14.5 km · about 4 hours. The classic Arriondas–Fríes. More river, more stops, the complete plan if you have the day.
On both, once you finish, a bus brings you back to your car in Arriondas (it is included: nobody paddles back up the river). You have both routes with their landmarks on the interactive descent map, and if you want to understand why the descent starts precisely here, we tell you in where the Sella descent starts and in the Sella descent from Arriondas.
What it is like to go down the Sella by canoe (the reality, not the brochure)
If you have never gone down the river, this is what you are really going to find. The Sella is not white water. It is a wide and mostly calm riverbed, with gentle short rapids interspersed with long stretches of flat water. It is active — you paddle, you move, sometimes you get wet — but it is not extreme and it is not frightening.
You go down in a 2 or 3-seat canoe (what we call a K2 or K3), which are stable and forgiving of beginner mistakes. Before you set off you have a mini class with a qualified monitor who explains how to paddle, how to turn and what to do in a rapid (spoiler: relax and let the current do the work). During the route the team keeps an eye on the group.
What surprises first-timers most is not the adventure: it is the calmness. After 15 minutes all you can hear is the water and the birds.
How long it lasts and how much it costs to go down the river
Time on the water: about 2 hours for the Mini and about 4 for the Full, at a stroll and with stops. Count on the whole morning with the transfer, the kit and the breaks. We break it down in how long the Sella descent takes.
2026 price, no surprises at the desk:
- 35 € for adults.
- 25 € for children aged 5 to 12.
- Pets free, with their canine life jacket included.
The same price applies to the Mini route and the Full route, and includes canoe, paddle, life jacket, return transfer, car park, changing rooms with hot water and lockers with a key. What you see is what you pay. You have the full list in prices and what is included.
What you need to go down the Sella (honest requirements)
There is no hidden small print here. To go down the Sella you really need only this:
- Minimum age 5 years old and 1.15 m tall. It is a strict safety and insurance requirement, with no exceptions, not even if the little one goes with an adult or knows how to swim. It is not only about the life jacket: it is because of the nature of the river (current, variable depth, rapids).
- Knowing how to swim. It is a legal requirement, for children too. The life jacket is an essential help, but it does not replace knowing how to swim.
- Closed or snug-fitting footwear that can get wet: old trainers, neoprene boots or sports sandals with a heel strap. Flip-flops get lost in the first rapid.
- Swimwear on and a bit of enthusiasm. The rest of the kit we provide.
Wetsuit: we give it to you at no cost only when the water is cold (in practice, outside 15 June to 28 September). In high summer it is not needed and it is not handed out. The monitor decides, looking at the water that day.
Food: we do not include a picnic. You can bring your own food in the watertight drum or stop at one of the riverside bars along the route. We tell you about them in the riverside bars of the Sella descent.
Going down the Sella with kids and with your dog
The Sella descent is, above all, a family plan. If you are going with little ones (from that 5 years and 1.15 m), the river in its Mini version is perfect: short, calm and with stops. We develop it in Sella descent with kids and, for the youngest in that bracket, in going down the Sella with small children.
And the dog? It comes down too, and free: we give it a canine life jacket at no cost. One dog per canoe, for space and balance. If your plan is to come down with the whole family — little ones and dog included — the Sella is waiting for you.
How to book your Sella canoe trip simply
Booking is easy and you do not pay until the day (or by card in advance, whichever is more convenient for you). Here is how it works:
- Choose your day and route (Mini or Full) on the real-time calendar, or write to us by WhatsApp, phone or email.
- Arrive within the 10:30 to 12:30 window. You do not choose an exact time: you come when it suits you within that window, which is the best of the day for water temperature and light. If you want to know why, look at what time of day fewer people go down.
- In high season, book a few days ahead. In July and August, 5-10 days is plenty; the rest of the year, the day before usually does, and often you can go the same day if there is space in the calendar.
One important thing, for honesty's sake: bookings are made by web, WhatsApp, phone or email, not by turning up at the office unannounced. We want to make sure we have a canoe and a monitor reserved for you. And remember that the river closes at 18:00 by rule of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Cantábrico, so the descent is always organised within that window.
If you are coming from out of town, we help you plan in how to get to Arriondas and choose your date in the best time to go down the Sella. And if you want to see who you will be going down with, we are the Arriondas team we tell you about in about us, with 147 real reviews (4.5★) from families who have already come down the river with us.
Call it a descent, going down the river or a canoe trip: the Sella is waiting for you, wide and calm, just as it was 25 years ago. Book your descent here and we will see you on the water.
What you ask us most
- Do "Sella descent", "going down the Sella" and "Sella canoe trip" all mean the same thing?
Yes, they are exactly the same thing. "Sella descent", "going down the Sella", "Sella canoe trip" and "descending the Sella" all refer to the same plan: paddling the river by canoe from Arriondas. People search for it in all sorts of ways, but there is no difference in the activity or the price: you book the same whatever you call it.
- Where do you go down the Sella?
The descent starts in Arriondas (council of Parres, Asturias), the kilometre zero of the river. From there you choose between the Mini route (7 km) or the Full route (14.5 km) down to Toraño or Fríes, and a bus brings you back to your car. You have it step by step on the route map and in where the Sella descent starts.
- How much does it cost to go down the Sella in 2026?
35 € for adults and 25 € for children aged 5 to 12, with pets free (canine life jacket included). Same price for the Mini route and the Full route, with canoe, paddle, life jacket, return transfer, car park, changing rooms and lockers all included. You have the breakdown in prices and what is included.
- What do you need to go down the Sella?
To be at least 5 years old and at least 1.15 m tall (a safety and insurance requirement, with no exceptions), to know how to swim — it is a legal requirement, for children too; the life jacket is a help, not a substitute — and to wear closed or snug-fitting footwear that can get wet. Everything else we provide.
- Do you need experience to go down the river?
No. The Sella is a calm river, with gentle short rapids between long stretches of flat water. Before you set off you have a mini class with a qualified monitor, and the team keeps an eye on the group throughout the route. For most people who come down with us, it is their first time in a canoe. If you are worried about the effort, we clear it up in is the Sella descent tiring?
