Some months ago we wrote about five must-visit restaurants in Gijón: Los Pomares, where the fabada is a winner; El Quinto, a wine tavern with globe-trotting tapas; Casa Trabanco, a cider mill with guided visits laid on and dishes based on ingredients from their own market garden; El Candil, which boasts the best fish in town, and La Bolera, a grillroom acclaimed throughout Spain.

Should the list not make the grade – it does, I can assure you – Gijón also hosts several gastro-events which provide an excellent pretext to visit.

Flavours of Arcu Atlánticu

Billed as a culture festival featuring a blend of literature, performing arts, fine arts, music and cuisine from the Atlantic regions of Spain, France, Portugal, Ireland and the United Kingdom, the festival also features star chefs in action. Graced with awards by the city of Gijón, they cook on an enormous stage in the Plaza Mayor before more than 1,000 people, flanked by giant screens, as if a rock concert were being staged. This year, it will be held on 1 August. The event has already hosted such celebrities as Elena Arzak, Eneko Atxa, Andoni Luis Aduriz and Dieter Koschina, the chef at the Vila Joya restaurant, until recently the only Portuguese eatery with two Michelin stars.

Natural Cider Festival

In the week from 22 to 28 August, Gijón tastes only of cider. Around thirty cider mills set up their cider-serving stalls in two urban settings – the Plaza Mayor and the marina (alongside a sculpture known as “The Cider Tree”, made up of bottles from 80 Asturian cider mills). For a token fee, visitors get a commemorative glass they can fill up free-of-charge at any of the stands throughout the day at the so-called Mercadín de la sidra y la manzana (cider and apple market). There are various activities during the week. The bus de la sidra or “cider bus”, which visitors can take to the local cider mills, cursos de escanciado (courses in cider-pouring) and cancios de chigre (cider tavern songs) when hundreds of people gather in the Plaza Mayor to sing the most popular songs of Asturias, while on Poniente Beach there will be an attempt to break the Guinness simultaneous cider-pouring record. Set in 2014, it brought together 8,448 cider pourers.

Gijón de sidra

The Gijón de Sidra festival is held for eleven days each October (this year, from 6 to 16 October), during which cider mills from all over Asturias are twinned with emblematic cider taverns in the city. Each tavern then offers a bottle of cider from the mill they represent, in addition to a homemade portion of food served in a cazuelina, all at a moderate price, accompanied by the singing ofcancios de chigre(cider tavern songs).

Gastronomic Workshops

You can always join some gastronomic workshop around the time of the traditional fiestas. The celebrations of Antroxu (Carnival), with pote (hotpot), picadillo (mince) and frixuelos (flour fritters); those of Holy Week, the Asturian de Pinchos contest (in February), the pinchos (meat on the skewer) contest at the Gijón Sound Festival (last held from 15 to 17 April), and the Pinchos de Gijón championship (in November).

The Cider Route

A good way of learning everything you need to know about cider, the Asturian beverage par excellence, is by indulging in it. Depending on the ticket you purchase, you can learn the secrets of cider making, visit outlets where it is sold, take part in tasting sessions or eat candies made with apple. (There are four types of ticket, which are sold at the Gijón Tourist Offices or online). Available throughout the year.

Gijón Gourmet

Epicureans have the chance to lunch or dine at seven of the best restaurants in Gijón (Casa Gerardo, Agua, Bellavista, El Candil, La Salgar, Casa Víctor, Ciudadela) at an attractive price – 50 euros in the case of Michelin-starred eateries and 45 euros in the others. The menu comprises two starters, two main dishes, dessert and wine. When booking, all you need to point out is that you want a Gijón Gourmet Menu (only tables of up to 8 diners are eligible for the offer).

Gijón Goloso

Gijón Goloso works in a similar way. Considering it is one of Spain’s cities with the most confectionery shops, sixteen of them were selected to make a special sweet which visitors can taste after buying a ticket online or at the Infogijón offices. Five tastings costs 7 euros, while 10 tastings costs 13 euros. The offer lasts all year long, so you have ample time to prepare your trip, as sweet-toothed tourists will never be short of their candies.

Text and photos by Ferran Imedio of Gastronomistas.com

Volcanoes, nature, sport, gastronomy, tradition, architecture… It would be difficult to find another destination offering as much as Tenerife, whose privileged situation also makes it a perfect island to visit at any time of the year.

The city’s versatility enables you to embark on the most varied scavenger hunts. If you’ve already been there and have tried out the rooms with twenty guests in one of the hundreds of Bed and Breakfasts, or you’ve burnt out your Oyster Card visiting London’s various cultural and culinary offerings at affordable prices, now is the time to discover a trendier, more upscale London.

Why not start with breakfast? While it is said to be the most important meal of the day, we could add that it is also the best. Sharing your breakfast cereal with your B&B companions might be great, but one day you’re going to get tired of always being left with the last dregs of milk in the brick. Here’s a tip for navigators: London is not only in the top flight of afternoon teas – it fares very well with all meals up to that hour of the day. It stands to reason – who would turn up their nose at the best sashimi or the choicest Scottish salmon? In addition to some desserts as formidable as Big Ben. At the Cookbook Café - InterContinental London Park Lane buffet, you should invest more time than money, as they offer endless combinations, each more delicious than the next! It’s very central, just behind Green Park, should you need to nod off after so much indulging in flavours.

Later you’ll want to work it off, so a bit of exercise would be in order. In London you need to apply some elbow grease – as your bags are going to get heavy – and become involved in the noble art of trying on clothes. The perfect block bounded by New Bond Street, Old Bond Street and Piccadilly Street will enable you to feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.There is no spot in the world with a higher concentration of irresistible shop windows! Apart from the top designer brands such as Gucci, Prada, DKNY and Vitorio & Luccino, you can find stores like Abercombrie, which is in Burlington Gardens – a veritable fortress with a spectacular facade on Regent Street – or, if your eyes have become bloodshot from so many labels, the commercial TopShop in Oxford Circus, a ready-to-wear brand far removed from haute couture and much more affordable, famous for being the stellar spot for such models as Kate Moss. It was the first consumer brand with its own parade at the London Fashion Week.

And, after your spree, a pause to refuel would come in handy. A quick tea and a snack at The Wolseley? Spacious, stately and with a palatial ambience, this establishment in Piccadilly is a safe bet for enjoying the classical side of London.

Time to change district. Impeccable streets, formidable facades and luxury finishes – London has some of the most prohibitive districts in Europe. Among these, Kensington which, apart from featuring houses capable of curing hiccups, boasts some stunning (visitable) Roof Gardens on the top of the Derry and Toms building. Then there is the district of Chelsea, a favourite among the royal family. Aside from the opulence exuded by both districts, they also have some small locales where you can steep yourself in stage performances. Jazz comes to the fore mainly at night and music lovers are advised to head for Piano Kensington on the Kensington High Street, as well as to the 606 Club, a long-standing jazz bar in Chelsea.

A review of London’s most exquisite districts would not be complete without mention of the Portobello Road area and its air of a romantic comedy stage. Once considered a “dump” in late-19th-century London, the local potters’ workshops gradually gave way to cafés and shops selling antiques, until the area acquired its present-day character. It is famous for hosting the Notting Hill Carnival, and the locals regard the area as a lively, colourful mini Rio de Janeiro.

After strolling along Portobello Road, the next thing is to wet your whistle at one of the cocktail bars in the area. A good choice would be the Portobello Star, which offers as many types of gin as there are red phone boxes in London. Before midnight, with a nice cool cocktail in your hand, you could then check out the Royal Albert Hall programme.

Next up, if you want to continue carousing – and later end up breakfasting again at Cookbook Café’s buffet – you would need to drop in on one of London’s eternal fashion spots, Annabel’s (Mayfair). Be sure to wear your best apparel – you never know, Lady Gaga might have had the same idea that night. However, you need to first pay their annual membership fee. Behind the walls of this locale lie the most intimate conversations of bohemian London from the 60s, and of the royals, too. And, that carries a price of its own. If that doesn’t work out, you could always try your luck with the demanding bouncers at The Beauchamp, a club vying for the competitive top spot of night time sophistication.

For accommodation, nothing more sophisticated than the Hilton London Bankside. Recently opened, this hotel is a franchise of the legendary hotel chain. Housed in a building with a futuristic, post-industrial air, this marvel will make you feel as if you’re taking part in the action from the film, Her. Located in the heart of Bankside and a stone’s throw from the Tate Modern, one of the most prestigious art galleries in the world, the hotel features a beautiful penthouse with a private terrace, a 100m² leisure area and spectacular views of London. It also boasts a new restaurant, the OXBO Bankside, under the direction of the executive chef, Paul Bates, in addition to The Distillery. This is a destination bar, where you will want to be seen, and it offers over 50 brands of gin, as well as its own beer label. Their buffet breakfasts are memorable – long live buffets! You will be stunned by the interior design, the work of Dexter Moren Associates and Twenty2Degrees, particularly the extraordinary lighting, which adapts to the different times of day!

Seduced already? I’m sure you are. Be bold and prepare your getaway now. Check out our flights here.

Text by Yeray S. Iborra for ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Michael D. Beckwith, Cristina Bejarano, Klovovi