Getaway Wild route through the beaches of Asturias, the best preserved in Spain
Landscapes of Asturias in five incredible mountain villages
In Cudillero, that fishing village perched on a hill
at the foot of the Cantabrian Sea,
we started this
road trip
along the coast of the western center of Asturias. The idea is to get to Gijón by stopping first at some of the most charming corners of the
Principality such
as
Cabo de Peñas,
its northernmost point, or the fishing villages of
Candás or Luanco.
After climbing the viewpoints that invite you to the best views of Cudillero (one of the most beautiful towns in Spain, by the way) and paying homage to the
taverns of the port
, the route continues for 16 kilometers on one of the most impressive beaches in the Cantabrian, La del Silencio, also known by the name of
El Gavieiru.
It's time for a culinary stop in
Gunea, a
Basque-Asturian restaurant built in a 19th-century stone house with a garden in the town of
Cruz de Illas.
It is run by the couple formed by Begoña Martínez and Pablo Montero, who pour the best of the Cantabrian Sea into dishes such as
rice with oxtail
, artichokes and truffle or the pincho hake roll in green sauce.
He is the chef and she is the head of the room, as well as the one in charge of the desserts.
"This is my specialty,
homemade puff pastry with double cream, honey and pine nuts,
" he says with a copy in hand about to serve.
Salinas, the Asturian surf mecca
We jump to
Salinas, a
coastal town in the
council of Castrillón
and one of the
Cantabrian
surfing meccas
since the 1960s. Its two-kilometer promenade is dotted with cafes and
beach clubs such
as
Ewan Surf House
, owned by the guitarist of El Sueño de Morfeo and meeting point for wave fans. Right in front of it is the peninsula of
La Peñona,
a promontory on which the
Museum of Anchors
has been built.
Phillippe Cousteau, an outdoor sculpture set that pays tribute to the son of the famous French oceanographer, who died while piloting a seaplane.
On the other side of the promenade is the Espartal beach, an extension of the Salinas beach known for its spectacular
dune system
declared
a Natural Monument
.
It couldn't be more photogenic.
Panoramic of the town of Cudillero.
It is time to reach the northernmost point of Asturias,
Cabo de Peñas,
one of those magical places where
telluric forces
appear strongly.
It is crowned by a lighthouse from 1852 still in operation with
unique views
over the cliffs of more than 100 meters high that characterize the place.
Two steps away is the village of
Manzaneda
and
Casa Belarmino
, one of the culinary essentials of the route. Opened in 1930, it still preserves the ways of the
old chigres
(establishments where cider is sold and drunk) that functioned as a dining room, bar, shop, tobacconist and whatever was needed. The menu offers
"traditional traditional dishes",
as defined by its chef, Ramona Menéndez. Among them, the rice with
pitu caleya
(free-range chicken), the cabbage pot or the
compango croquettes stand out
. For dessert,
prey milk
and
apple compote tart.
Regarding the wines, your
maitre d ',
Juan Luis González is proud to offer "more than 450 references."
Luanco, the Asturian Venice
After lunch, we head to Luanco, or Asturian Venice, as this fishing town is known for the stamp it leaves when the tide rises.
Its
church of Santa María
, raised over the sea, or
Plaza Baragaña,
with its old intact sailors' houses, are some of the charming corners.
You should also visit the Maritime Museum of Asturias, the oldest in the Principality, inaugurated in 1948. For a cider, taverns like
La Rula, El Muelle or Guernica
set the tone in the traditional Riba street.
Riba street in the town of Luanco.
In summer and Easter, Luanco competes with
Candás,
another fishing village, in attracting tourists. The latter has a unique ambassador,
Paula Echeverría,
born here. Sheila Vieira, owner of the
boho chic
clothing and accessories store,
Ro-Cocoa,
knows about his pull
. «When Paula buys something and uploads it to Instagram, it runs out. He is a sweetheart and he likes our hats and pendants very much
». The actress is also a
fan of typical sweets, marañuelas
(or marañueles
), a bomb based on flour, sugar, eggs, butter and lemon.
All Candás smells like that
.
One of the best places to buy them is the San Félix workshop where Toñi Durán, their owner, continues to make them as they have done after generations.
"They are eaten here for breakfast, a snack, an aperitif, for the children's recess ...", he points out behind the counter.
The crafts of the sea of Candás
Before leaving the town, you must download the app for the route
Los trades del mar
devised by its mayor, Amelia Fernández.
"It shows the lives of patrons and boatmen (inshore fishermen), but also that of those women who built the
canning industry by
working in factories or weaving nets."
What's more, the town became the second
whaling port in
the world with 24 companies of this type.
Today, that of Ortiz, one of the most famous, hosts an exhibition that puts a face on these
anonymous heroines
.
In short, it will be a museum.
Patio de Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura de Gijón.
The marked itinerary ends in Gijón, where
Reliquiae
is located
, the
luxury leather goods
firm
made in Asturias
that won the National Fashion Award in 2018. With clients such as models and influencers
Eugenia Silva, Nati Abascal, Tamara Falcó or Inés Domecq
, the jewel in the crown are its
leather bags
-especially
its desired
Archy,
available in 25 colors from 525 euros-, but it also sells clothes and accessories.
"The source of inspiration for everything is architecture,"
says his
alma mater,
Héctor Jareño, in his
atelier
on the outskirts of the city.
From there we went to
Laboral Ciudad de Cultura
, the final point of the route and an architectural marvel in
the Herrerian style
with space for faculties, a Conservatory, a theater, a cafe, exhibitions,
open-air shows
... and everything else. the old Labor University of Gijón.
More information at www.turismoasturias.es
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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