It was commanded by Pedro Menendez de Aviles (1523-1574), one of whose aims was to destroy the Huguenot settlement.
There is no railway and the river is not navigable, but a good road runs through Tineo, Grado and the adjacent coal-fields, to the ports of Cudillero and Aviles.
Aviles is a picturesque and old-fashioned town, containing several ancient palaces and Gothic churches.
Coal from the Oviedo mines is exported coastwise, and in 1904 the shipments from Aviles for the first time exceeded those from Gijon, reaching a total of more than 290,000 tons.
The estuaries of these rivers are rarely navigable, and along the entire littoral, a distance of 130 m., the only important harbours are at Gijon and Aviles.