Gijón lacks the touristy sheen of some other Spanish cities, but it is well worth visiting. And, not only for its cute little Plaza Mayor which stands out in sharp contrast to the grandiose, monumental Universidad Laboral, located virtually on the outskirts, or for its broad, pleasant esplanade or the Cerro de Santa Catalina park, crowned with a sculpture by Eduardo Chillida, Eulogy to the Horizon.

Los Pomares

A 10-minute walk from the centre has its reward – the “Best Fabada in the World 2015”, an award they won from among 80 competing restaurants from all over Spain. Made of large La Granja beans orf abes,they are tender from almost five hours of simmering away in their gravy of 100% Iberian bellota (acorn-reared) morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo (cured pork sausage), lacón (shoulder of pork), panceta (streaky bacon) and tocino (fatty bacon). A long flavour with a spicy highlight and not at all rich, as they do not stir-fry. Also served up are squid-ink calamari, which leave you stunned, delicious Emmental and cauliflower croquettes and fresh fish and seafood which attract local pilgrims to the cider hall.

El Quinto

A winery offering both Asturian and international cuisine as Mariano Mier, their chef, just loves travelling (he has visited some 50 countries). His Gwao Bao – a sandwich made of Taiwanese steamed bread, with Astur-Celta-breed Gochu pork jowl, peanuts and cilantro – won the Madrid Fusión 2016 Spanish Tapas Championship, while his Okonomiyaki – an omelette with five vegetables and seven spices – was a finalist in 2015. El Quinto, which devotes thematic menus to several countries, was also a finalist in the Asturias 2016 Pinchos Contest, at which they entered their Ahi Poke Hawaiian salad, made of marinated tuna fish tartare, sesame oil, soy, sriracha sauce and spring onion.

Casa Trabanco

Learn all there is to know about cider. Situated in Lavandera, 10 kilometres from Gijón, a glance at their cider press reveals how apples are pressed – a 0.75-litre bottle is equivalent to a kilo of apples – and how they let the must ferment for 4 to 6 months in 40,000-litre wooden and stainless steel casks in a tunnel originally built to transport coal. The restaurant features produce from their market garden – onions stuffed with codfish or meat and arbeyinos (peas) served up with poached egg, cucharina (teaspoon) stews (fabada, pote…) and such dishes as T-bone ox, codfish omelette and diced nuggets.

El Candil

For those who like good fish, you’ve come to the right place. It is selected daily by José Luis Camacho, the life and soul of El Candil, who is obsessed with offering quality at a reasonable price. In addition to the fish dishes on the menu (sea bass, sea bream, alfonsino, sole…), he always has salmon he himself smokes in oak sawdust, as well as quality meats, stews such as fabada, chickpeas and green vegetables. At this downtown restaurant, which opens from Monday to Saturday, they offer products in season, while wines can be ordered from their continually augmented wine list by the glass, in half-litre jugs or by the bottle.

La Bolera

La Bolera is one of the best grillrooms in Spain. Its manager, Cuco, is an expert on beef and he applies his expertise as a geneticist and chef when offering dishes of Black Angus, German and Dutch Frisian, German Simmental, brown Swiss, Dutch Holstein and others. The dishes that come off his Cuban Marabú charcoal grill is capable of moving his diners– the 350 to 400-gram T-bone steaks are wolfed down in a trice, garnish included (the chips and red peppers are framers). Other noteworthy dishes include the codfish, capon and field-mushroom rice, and leeks stuffed with Iberian ham and cheese.

Hotel Blue Santa Rosa

A great accommodation option in Gijón is this functional, modern, bright, affordable 3-star hotel located in a central but quiet pedestrian precinct, a three-minute walk from the Plaza Mayor, on the San Lorenzo beachfront and marina. Customers have breakfast in their café-bar, while the lunch menu on workdays features stews (€6.90 for a single dish and €9.90 for two, both including dessert, bread, a beverage and coffee). The à la carte has pasta, sandwiches, pizza, hamburger and mixed grills which are never more than €8, and they are takeaways, too. Free high-speed wi-fi is included, while parking is optional.

Get going on your getaway to Gijón – check out your Vueling here.

Text and photos by Ferran Imedio de Gastronomistas.com

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

Asturias has numerous villages and hamlets which are the stuff of dreams. Indeed, they have long inspired fantastic tales – and continue to do so – a blend of reality, dreams and a thousand wonders. Some cling to a hillside; others are set in valleys, on a riverbank or next to a dam, looking out over both the sea and the mountains. Still others are clustered at the foot of lofty peaks, dotted with dozens of hórreos and paneras,or bathed by the intense, huge breakers of the Cantabrian Sea.

These villages make up an inspirational Asturias which beckons us to experience the honeyed, full-bodied thrill of the landscape and its inhabitants, in a land that brings out the artistic, somewhat bohemian streak in people and makes us explorers of space and time.

Tanes – the Secrets of Water

Once upon a time there was a village that adapted its appearance and lifestyle to the presence of a dam, without in any way shedding its beauty and primeval essence. There was once a village that gave its name to a dam, and the dam gave water and life to the whole central region of Asturias – a village which preserves its charm intact and which goes by the name of Tanes.

Tanes lies in the municipality of Caso, in the east central section of Asturias, and is part of the Biosphere Reserve Network. This natural habitat breathes tranquility, enhanced by the friendliness of its people.

Wildlife, indigenous flora, the power of its reservoir and the murmuring river Nalón make Tanes a storied, legendary place. And, as befits this magical enclave, the village outskirts are home to the collegiate church of Santa María la Real. As if clinging to the shores of the dam, the slender silhouette of this church towers in all its Renaissance splendour over the waters which mirror all the greenery of Tanes.

Villar de Gallegos, with Coal in its Entrails

In Asturias, stories are sometimes written in black and green, the colour of its coal and forests. Indeed, some fairy-tale villages lie in the mining heart of Asturias’ Montaña Central. One such example is Villar de Gallegos, in the municipality of Mieres.

This authentic hamlet, where rural life seems to stand still, is set against a mountain backdrop and is noteworthy for its scenic and geological value, as well as for its outlying areas, with itineraries which retrace the erstwhile activity of the coal and mercury mines.

The surrounding heights provide exceptional viewpoints over the Sierra del Aramo, Las Ubiñas-La Mesa Nature Reserve, the Pajares area and the Cordal de La Carisa – part of the Nature Reserve Network – and, on clear days, the Picos de Europa National Park as well.

Bandujo – the Sleepy Hamlet

Set between mountains and valleys in central Asturias, as if by magic the Middle Ages comes out to meet you at the village of Bandujo, one of the best preserved medieval precincts in the Asturian countryside.

A lot of history and numerous passing travellers have set eyes on its walls and stones, on the Tuñón Tower and the Church of Santa María. Once a hub of intense activity for centuries, it is now suddenly silenced, gripped by an eternal hush and an all-embracing peace.

Bandujo is now seemingly asleep in an endless medieval slumber. This is the feeling that washes over you when you get to the village and observe it, whether close-up or from afar. Set within a huge green frame, unique in Asturias, it wears its historical background in total calm.

Pumares – Water, Slate and Stone

In the middle of a tract of hydraulic devices, fire and iron, the greenest footpaths and the highest waterfall in Asturias, you suddenly catch sight of it, as if snatched from some fantasy ornament – the village of Pumares, in Santa Eulalia de Oscos.

Pumares is like a dream of stone, black slate and water. It is a corner where the river gurgles sweetly and the starting point of the route to the famous, all-powerful Seimeira waterfall.

You will come to grips with the land of ferreiros (blacksmiths) and forests, of water mills, fulling mills, fulling hammers and iron craftsmen, in a hushed, multi-coloured natural setting.

Tuña – the Spirit of General Riego Lives On

Once upon a time all the gold from western Asturias passed through a village in the municipality of Tineo. It was mined by the Romans from the entrails of Asturias to sustain one of the greatest empires of ancient times.

There was once a village in Tineo which gifted history and humanity with stalwart fighters for social justice like General Riego.

The whole of Tuña is now seemingly imbued with the spirit of General Riego. You can still see the house where he was born, as well as a bust and the odd mural which honour his memory.

Tuña will take you back in time, led by its Roman bridge and palaces, its tranquility and its friendly people.

Viavélez – Gentle Sailing in a Cantabrian Harbour

Wind and brackish waters, waves and foam, a jetty and a lighthouse, a small harbour that seems to leap out of a fairy-tale. This is Viavélez, one of the most secluded and surprising spots on the west coast of Asturias, situated in the municipality of El Franco.

A safe haven for seamen and fishermen, sea lovers, writers and artists, seafood connoisseurs, merchants, travellers and pilgrims, Viavélez is a veritable gift of nature.

Whether the sea is calm or rough, the sight of Viavélez is always stunning.

Riodeporcos – Far From the Daily Grind

What a great privilege it is to arrive in Riodeporcos! There where the Navia flows into a sort of meander and its sheet of water glistens in the sun lies Riodeporcos, by way of some divine creation.

The footbridge linking this hamlet in Ibias to the rest of the world provides a sort of bygone, romantic way of accessing the hamlet which – be warned – you cannot get to by car.

Far from the daily grind and swathed in nature, a stopover in Riodeporcos will make any notion of stress smack of urban legend.

Espinaréu – Finding the Key to the Hórreo

Can you imagine a spot which is the kingdom of hórreos, those granaries built on stilts? That place is not just in your imagination, it actually exists. It lies in Asturias and is a hamlet called Espinaredo or Espinaréu, in the municipality of Piloña.

You will be amazed by the approach to Espinaréu – and not just because of the profusion of hórreos and paneras (fulling mills) – but because they look bright and shiny and still operate as they have done for centuries, intimately linked to the harvest and, therefore, to human survival.

Espinaréu is a homely village, traversed by the river of the same name, where the hórreos have a life of their own with their variegated ornamentation and wood carvings, some of them polychromed. It is like travelling to an ethnographic paradise where the mark of time is broad and intense.

Bulnes, Where the Picos de Europa Come to Embrace You

You can get to Bulnes either along a highland canal or by funicular railway. On landing at an altitude of a thousand metres, dwarfed by summits that come to embrace you, your reaction is one of amazement and you feel you have just crossed a frontier.

A frontier which thousands of mountaineers and rock climbers have crossed for over a century of exploration, adventure and effort. A frontier which hundreds of inhabitants of the Picos de Europa have traversed all their lives, in a supreme exercise of survival in raw nature.

This is Bulnes, in the heart of the Central Massif of the Picos de Europa, in the municipality of Cabrales. Here you will come across idyllic scenery, the unique Cabrales cheese, an upper quarter with panoramic views and a way of life that is dying out. Living testimony to the harshness of this lifestyle in former times is evinced in the austere – formerly roofed – cemetery at the entrance to the village.

Gobiendes – the Best Sea and Mountain Viewpoint from the pre-Romanesque

How about a vantage point looking out over the sea from a pre-Romanesque church? Gobiendes regales you with this experience in its pre-Romanesque Church of Santiago. Sited atop a cliff overlooking the sea, Gobiendes faces the Cantabrian on one side and, on the other, Mount Sueve, the first mountain which seamen catch sight of when approaching the Asturian coastline.

With its Palace and its meticulously maintained houses, Gobiendes, in the municipality of Colunga, is a peaceful backwater where you can feel the unique combination of sea breeze and mountain wind.

What’s more, you are smack in the middle of the Coastal Road To Santiago, the oldest existing approach route to the Cathedral of San Salvador!

Text and images by Turismo de Asturias

Today we recommend one of the most charming routes in Spain. We hiked along it and were captivated. Want to know why? I’m referring to the Camino Natural de la Cordillera Cantábrica, a wilderness trail, steeped in nature, which runs for just over six hundred kilometres, mostly through  Asturias, traversing the Cordillera Cantábrica (Cantabrian Mountain Range) from east to west. We started out at the easternmost point, in the municipality of Peñamellera Baja, near the border of Cantabria. The trail ends in the municipality of Santa Eulalia de Oscos, hard by the Autonomous Community of Galicia. It was a magical trip, a getaway in communion with nature in which we totally switched off from the daily rat race.

The Camino Natural is divided into twenty-seven stages. However, depending on your level of fitness, and the time you have available, some stages can be grouped together in order to complete the route in fewer days. The good thing about this trail is that it never becomes monotonous. You are accompanied by beautiful panoramic views throughout, with a rich diversity of fauna and flora. We were treated to some of the finest examples of scenic splendour Asturias has to offer.

Another inducement on this route is the host of protected nature reserves you encounter on the trail: the Picos de Europa National Park, Nature Reserve Network, Protected Area of the Cuencas Mineras (Mining Basins), Ubiñas-La Mesa Nature Reserve, near the Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña e Ibias Nature Park, in addition to the Oscos-Eo Biosphere Reserve and the natural enclaves of Sierra del Cuera, Pico Caldoveiro and Sierras de Carondio y Valledor. Can’t do much better than that, can you?

However, nature is not the only great provider here. There is also the rich heritage of the human imprint. On this route you will come across countless reminders of the local historic and cultural legacy, often in the form of such traditional architecture as the hórreos (granaries raised on pillars), country manors or casonas, hermitages, churches, towers and stately homes. The trail also includes sections designated “historical roads”, notably the Roman Road of La Carisa, the Camín Real de La Mesa and the junction between the pilgrimage routes known as the French Road and the original Road to Santiago, not to mention the presence of Celtic, Roman and medieval archaeological sites.

The Camino Natural de la Cordillera Cantábrica is made up of the following stages:

1. Panes to Alles – 17.85 km; 5.00 hrs.
2. Alles to Carreña – 15.98 km; 4.30 hrs.
3. Carreña to Benia de Onís – 19.02 km; 5.00 hrs.
4. Benia de Onís to Cangas de Onís – 23.58 km; 4.30 hrs.
5. Cangas de Onís to Villamayor – 22.98 km; 7.30 hrs.
6. Villamayor to Espinaredo – 13.40 km; 4.30 hrs.
7. Espinaredo to Fresnedal – 9.26 km; 3.00 hrs.
8. Fresnedal to Los Melendreros – 15.93 km; 5.30 hrs.
9. Los Melendreros to Entralgo – 13.37 km; 4.30 hrs.
10. Entralgo to Bello – 18.51 km; 6.00 hrs.
11. Bello to Santibáñez – 32.54 km; 6.00 hrs.
12. Santibáñez to Campomanes – 26.09 km; 8.30 hrs.
13. Campomanes to Llanuces – 25.96 km; 8.30 hrs.
14. Llanuces to Bárzana – 20.17 km; 5.00 hrs.
15. Bárzana to Villanueva – 18.14 km; 5.00 hrs.
16. Villanueva to Villamayor – 43.67 km; 9.00 hrs.
17. Villamayor to Dolia – 22.65 km; 8.00 hrs.
18. Dolia to Belmonte – 13.99 km; 4.30 hrs.
19. Belmonte to Boinás – 17.25 km; 5.00 hrs.
20. Boinás to Tuña – 24.62 km; 4.00 hrs.
21. Tuña to Onón – 16.68 km; 4.00 hrs.
22. Onón to Corias – 23.77 km; 7.00 hrs.
23. Corias to Besullo – 20.02 km; 6.30 hrs.
24. Besullo to Berducedo – 42.21 km; 7.00 hrs.
25. Berducedo to Grandas – 45.71 km; 6.00 hrs.
26. Grandas to Castro – 13.25 km; 3.00 hrs.
27. Castro to Santa Eulalia de Oscos – 29.43 km; 6.00 hrs.

Top-notch Ecotourism in the North of the Iberian Peninsula

On this trip we discovered that ecotourism is an option which is fast catching on in Spain. Broadly speaking, it is a form of nature trailing which involves respecting the natural environment and promoting sustainability, as well as contributing directly and effectively to developing the area. Resource conservation with a view to safeguarding local fauna and flora is ever-present. Well, then, what better than to put into practice this tourist trend on the ascent by venturing along the Camino Natural de la Cordillera Cantábrica? Sightings of unique species, priceless scenery and unforgettable experiences are guaranteed in this nature paradise located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Now, you wouldn’t want to miss it, would you?

Text by José García

Images by Turismo de Asturias