The cider route. This is the ideal plan for learning everything about the excellent Asturian drink. You can watch the daily routine of the llagares (the places the cider is made) and the pomaradas (the apple orchards), taste the cider directly from the barrel (flat) and even learn to serve it. Many llagares and orchards are found in the famous “Cider Region”, an area made up of the towns of Villaviciosa, Colunga, Nava, Bimenes, Cabranes and Sariego. Another option is the combined tours of the Cider Museum in Nava (30 kilometres from Oviedo), which offers the chance to spend time in the museum and later walk around a llagar. The cheeses and the milk. Asturias is one of the main production areas of milk in Spain, so the quality and variety of dairy products surprises nobody. In fact, the region makes more than 40 kinds of cheeses, including the famous goats cheese. The cheese factories and livestock facilities that can be visited will show you the handmade production methods, how the livestock is cared for, everyday tasks on the farm, and even offer you the opportunity to learn how to milk a cow, bottle-feed a calf or feed the sheep.
Routes and guided tours to learn about the Asturian gastronomic traditions
Cider, cheese, meat, cured meats and sausages, conserves, etc. The creation of some of the most traditional Asturian products is almost a way of life. Participating in the traditional customs and processes behind these products is an authentic and different experience where you will discover the essence of Asturian cuisine.
Tastes of the sea route. This tour reveals the trade and the life of the fishing villages of Asturias. Among other experiences you can attend a live fish auction (rula) in the market, see how the oyster farmers work, learn what Cantabrian seafood is at a seafood farm (cetárea), have a guided tour in a canned food factory and learn to cook traditional dishes from the area in a cooking workshop. Tastes of the countryside route. There are also activities and tours that reveal the secrets of the Asturian products from the countryside. Learn how to recognise real Asturian faba beans (the bean used to make the succulent fabada), or explore the agricultural and livestock operations that support the organic production of certain items. Cangas wine route. In the Cangas del Narcea region you will discover the vineyards on Asturian mountains. Vine cultivation in this area started when the San Juan de Corias monastery was founded in the 11th century. You can visit the monastery or stay the night there, because one part of the complex is currently a National Parador. In the bodegas, you can taste the local wines and if you travel in Autumn you will also be able to enjoy the harvesting festivals.