I've had two trips to Asturias/Cantabria. Once to Valle de Trubia (Teverga etc.) in 2017 and then Hermida in 2020. I thought both were excellent and I'll definitely be returning. I haven't climbed around Briancon but struggle to think you'd find anything 'better' there, just different perhaps. There are certainly plenty of low grade crags in the area, just need to research the guidebook - which I can drop round to you over the weekend - to get a picture in your mind of what's there. The UKC logbook coverage looks to be pretty patchy for both Teverga area and Hermida and I think it doesn't give an accurate reflection of what's actually there - from what I can tell the area doesn't get a lot of brit visitors compared to the usual honeypots in Spain and France. Most stuff was unpolished except for the popular 5s and 6s next to the 'Senda del Orso' ('path of the bear') in Teverga.
For Hermida I was in my van in the large car park just outside the village of Panes at the north end of the gorge. So can't comment on accom. Panes seems nice enough, nothing special but not bad. Arenas de Cabrales perhaps a good option.
Between Hermida and Teverga it's a toss-up which I'd return to. I thought both were great places for a holiday, perhaps Hermida is the more 'conventionally' good hardcore climbing venue as in lots of good steep crags with tufas. Teverga definitely has a lot of good climbing (Planata X for one looks brilliant) and I though lots of charm. Hermida is better for the coast, it being around 30mins away. The coastline in Asturias has to be experienced, words don't do justice to how gorgeous it is. We swam
here and it was perhaps the nicest beach I've ever been to, but you can look on google map and pick from 50 jaw-droppingly beautiful coves to go exploring and swimming in. If you go to Asturias you have to see the coast!
I thought the food in the whole area was fantastic and not expensive - lots of local meats, wild boar and game stews etc. Seafood is obviously amazing. The local fresh cider is tasty, refreshing and addictive. The general feel is extremely scenic unhurried agricultural backwater with bears, wild boars, old wooden houses on stilts and not lots of tourists (or anyone) except for Hermida.
There's far too much variety of climbing in Asturias/Cantabria to boil down either Teverga or Hermida into a few sentences - better to get your head in the guidebook and see for yourself where takes your fancy. Those two areas are only very small part of the region. I think I'm taken with the area so much because it's quiet and a bit off the beaten path, and it feels a little more exploratory and discovering places for yourself rather than following the herd. The guide showcases the region well and there really does appear to be a lifetime of exploring to do - for e.g. the Lyon 'desert' crags across the other side of the Picos.
The scenery is really lovely, with the limestone massif of the Picos as a backdrop and lots of green low down due to the climate, and with the coastline being so close. Some crags we visited were meh, some were good, some were brilliant, but in general the guidebook is good and accurate and can be relied on to steer you to good places.
Best thing about both areas is I don't think we met a single brit there on either trip, and not many other climbers
For Valle de Trubia (Teverga) we stayed in Bar Aguja Sobia in Entrago, a little hamlet at the crossroads right next to the closest crags at Teverga. Would defo recommend as a good place to stay. The trip was very much exploring the area seeing new places each day and I was climbing with my then girlfriend who was climbing low 6s so crag choice had to reflect this. More 'holiday climbing' than 'climbing holiday' if that makes sense. It seemed a great place for a laid-back holiday with this sort of approach - not focussed on projecting anything or revisiting crags more than once.
Crags visited:
Teverga crags: Entrecampos, Esplanda, La Cabra Muerta, Pared Negra, Electrico, Marabio, Sobrevill (Muro Techo & Vivac a bit polished), I think the plum crags here are probably 'Planata X' and others around Gradura, which we didn't visit.
Santa Maria - locals venue, lovely hamlet below for after climbing drink.
Quiros - ended up on some 5/6 warm-ups and then a nails 7-something slab, not a good experience but there's tons of different walls there. Teverga seemed a better area on my first impression.
Cuevas del Mar - beach crag, not worth it just for the climbing. The beach/cove is lovely but there are many others that are nicer and quieter.
The 'senda del orso' (path of the bear) runs through the mountains right past Teverga, good for a walking day. Plenty of swimming options in the gorge.
In Hermida I was passing through and stopped off to climb a route on the Naranjo Bulnes. After the Bulnes we spent 2-3 days sport climbing in the gorge. Very impressive place with tons of good climbing, I didn't get to visit many of the obviously great crags - too many to mention but they're all in the guide and look amazing. Crags visited: Rumenes, Urdon, Sector Clonico.
Rumenes is impressive, the other two are local venues. As someone else said Hermida gorge could feel claustrophobic in the holiday season as it's narrow and touristy. But in late Sept I imagine it would be nice and quiet. We were there during a lockdown window in summer 2020 and thankfully it was empty. There are also good options just outside the gorge to the west - Poo de Cabrales looks ace. I think Arenas de Cabrale might make a good base for a holiday as it's close enough to the Hermida gorge while the nearby crags in that east/west valley have good climbing too including good low grade stuff I think.
Nice swimming holes all over the place in Hermida. Perhaps the best is a geothermal spring that emerges into the river underneath the bridge opposite the hotel 'Balniero'. You can get down to it easily from the road. It's very warm, lovely after a day's climbing.