Soto del Barco

Soto del Barco (Asturian: Sotu'l Barcu) is a small, coastal municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is located on the banks of the mouth of the Nalón and along the Cantabrian coast. As of 2023, the municipality is home to 3,818 people who reside in five parishes: Soto del Barco, L'Arena, Ranón, Riberas, and La Corrada.^[1]

Country Spain

CapitalSoto

Highestelevation

131 m (430 ft)

Demonymmurense

Quick facts Sotu'l Barcu (Asturian), Country ...

Soto del Barco Sotu'l Barcu (Asturian)
Municipality
San Juan de la Arena
Flag Coat of arms
Soto del Barco Location in Spain
Coordinates: 43°33′N 6°6′W
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Asturias
Province	Asturias
Judicial district	Pravia
Capital	Soto
Government
• Alcalde	María del Carmen Arango Sánchez (PSOE)
Area
• Total	8.09 km2 (3.12 sq mi)
Highest elevation	131 m (430 ft)
Population  (2023)
• Total	3,818
• Density	472/km2 (1,220/sq mi)
Demonym	murense
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	33138
Website	Official website

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After the Roman occupation of Iberia, a fort, which had been constructed in the area in order to defend the mouth of the Nalón, was either restored or reconstructed by Alfonso III; this fort is still standing and is known as the Castillo de San Martín. Until 1836, Soto del Barco fell under the municipality of Pravia; it became independent on 29 December. Its population reached its peak at over 6,000 in the 1960s; due to the weakening of the local fishing and canning industries, the population has fallen markedly since that decade. The service and tourism industries are now the largest in the municipality.^[2]