Asturias Private Food & Wine Tour

On your arrival at the airport, your elegant chauffeur will pick you up and transfer you by luxury Mercedes to the gorgeous coastal village of Cudillero for a welcome lunch overlooking the sea at the Mariño Restaurant at Concha Artedo. Here, the focus is on fresh fish and seafood, and the lobster rice is divine. But there is also a selection of locally sourced meat and game prepared to perfection.

After lunch, you will undoubtedly appreciate a digestive walk and the opportunity to stretch your legs; you can enjoy your free time exploring colorful Cudillero, a picture-perfect fishing hamlet, and the stunning coastline around Cadavedo. Then, when you are ready, your chauffeur will drive you to your delightful, nautical-themed inn, Hotel Pleamar in Navia. Settle in and enjoy a free evening with our recommendations.

After a leisurely breakfast, your chauffeur will collect you at about 10 a.m. for a morning to explore the local areas of Tapia de Casariego, Coaña, and Taramundi. Tapia is a quaint port with a pretty lighthouse. Depending on the time of year you visit, you might coincide with the Mussel Festival or, in autumn months, see the waves leap the harbor’s breakwater.

Moving onto Coaña, there are several historical sites to explore, such as the “Castro de Coaña” or Mohias Palace and Santa María de Cartavio Church. Moving further inland, Taramundi is a picturesque town in the mountains. Visit a fascinating Knife Museum that produces handmade knives that keep their sharpness forever! Taramundi is also full of cute “Teitos,” old thatched roofed huts unique to the mountainous area of Asturias, and are used to protect farmers and their livestock from the elements. You would be forgiven for thinking you stumbled across a film set for the “Lord of the Rings” movie.

After all of this sightseeing, you will most likely be famished. Lunch today is at the wonderful Los Arandanos restaurant; this is a fantastic treat. The restaurant is set on a hilltop in the countryside and has a beautiful Japanese-style garden. You will find dishes such as peppers stuffed with morcilla, walnuts, and pinenuts; croquetas flavored with Asturian cheese; and delicious cured beef from Leon. For fish lovers, there is pan-fried cod with morcilla and chorizo; octopus prepared on a woodfired grill; Filet steak with a sauce made from blueberries served with oven-baked potatoes. We will not spoil the surprises for dessert. All this in a stunning location, with top-class service, truly an unforgettable dining experience.

After lunch, you can ask your driver to stop where you wish for some further sightseeing and picture opportunities before being returned to your charming inn for an evening to yourselves.

After your delightful breakfast, check out, and at about 10:30 a.m., your chauffeur will be ready to collect you for a short 40-minute drive to the fantastic Rey Silo craft cheese farm. Steeped in history and tradition, you will enjoy a VIP tour and taste their mouthwatering cheeses. Just enough to get your taste buds going, as next, you will be moving onto the beautiful seaside town of Salinas, where the Michelin-starred restaurant Real Balneario is located.

Here, you can savor local Asturian produce prepared most originally and tantalizingly. Such delights may include Hake Cocochas and clams in a green fennel pil-pil sauce, Asturian Fabada stew with compango (meat trimmings), Red Tuna Tataki on fried rice breaded in panko and served with glazed vegetables or Suckling pig on a bed of grilled vegetables, finishing with something sweet such as Chocolate soufflé with carrot ice cream, all accompanied with carefully selected wines.

Once back in your comfortable Mercedes, you can sit back and enjoy the views as your driver takes you to your next destination, Coya, where you will stay in the gorgeous Countryside Manor House, Casona del Viajante. Your hotel is steep in history and is referred to locally as a “CASONA DE INDIANOS.” These were houses built in the 19th and early 20th centuries by well-to-do returning emigrants from South America.

Learn all about Spanish “Sidra” today! First, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and at about 10:30 a.m., your driver will collect you for a short 30-minute drive to the first cider house of the day, Castañón. Here, you will have a private tour followed by a tasting.

Then, move on to the second cider house visit, El Gaitero; this, in contrast, is one of the oldest and is steeped with history. Situated on the banks of the river Silla, this cider house has a long and exciting history that connects this region with its emigrant population abroad; you will visit the barrel rooms where they store the cider in giant barrels labeled with their final export destination, Venezuela, Columbia, Cuba, etc.; ensuring that their emigre always has a taste of home. El Gaitero cider is sparkling and will contrast with the cider you tasted earlier at ‘Castañón,’ interestingly, their cider was advertised as Champagne in the days before the E.U.

Again, you will be treated to a private tour and tasting. By now, you will undoubtedly be famished; your chauffeur will drive you just a few miles down the road to yet another cider house, the delightful Sidra Cortina, set in the most beautiful gardens where a delicious lunch will be served. Here, you will enjoy typical dishes prepared with locally sourced products, all washed down with their delicious cider.

After a late lunch, you can relax and take the scenic drive back to your countryside manor house, Casona del Viajante. The evening is yours to make the most of your hotel or explore locally with our recommendations.

At the time that suits you, your chauffeur will drive you to the fantastic lookout, “Mirador del Fitu,” in the ‘Sierra del Sueve.’ The mountain range is an excellent way to start the day. The Mirador is approximately 600 meters above sea level; the vantage point offers guests unparalleled panoramic vistas of the stunning coastline and majestic mountain ranges, featuring the awe-inspiring Pico de Europa as a dramatic centerpiece. Depending on how energetic you are, there is a beautiful, easy-level hike from here with the most rewarding views. According to your chosen route, it takes about half an hour to an hour.

Next, take a scenic 20-minute drive up the coast to Lastres, often hailed as one of Northern Spain’s most picturesque villages, reminiscent of a perfect scene on a chocolate box postcard. Explore the cobblestoned streets and delicious sea views, peeking out at every turn. Spain’s version of Doc Martin, Doctor Mateo, was filmed here.

Lunch is next, and it’s a seafood blowout at Eutimio. Located in the center but with sea views, Eutimio attracts diners from miles around because of the gourmet accolades. Here, fresh fish and seafood are king, all carefully selected by the chef each morning. The mixed seafood platter is fantastic, and the service is top-notch!

After lunch, board your boat for a 2-hour cruise along this stunning coastline. Then, after a magical day, head back to your darling inn, Casona del Viajante.

Today is all about beautiful mountain scenery, lakes, and memorable cuisine. At 10 a.m., your chauffeur will collect you, and you will head towards the “Picos de Europa.” Your first destination is the Sanctuary of Covadonga and the glacier lakes of Enol and Ercina. The views from here are breathtaking, and when you reach Ercina, you have climbed over 1000 meters. It is the most visited tourist destination in Asturias, and there is no doubt why!

Next, carry on to the bustling market town of Cangas de Onis, which is an excellent stop for charming souvenirs – especially typical Asturian cheeses or cider. Also, don’t miss the Roman Bridge of Cangas de Onís over river Sella, with a reproduction of the famous Victory Cross hanging from the central arch.

Lunch then is a 2 to 3-hour affair- a refined tasting menu in the hills outside of the adventure hub of Arriondas in a delightful rural setting at Casa Marcial. This two-Michelin-starred eatery is a real gastronomic treat run by Nacho Manzano. Here, you will be treated to a tasting menu that takes its inspiration from local traditional dishes and produces – paired with delicious wine and cider.

After lunch, head to the coast of Llanes and settle into your lovely lodge, Arpa de Hierba, in a leafy neighborhood of Llanes. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon and evening in this picturesque town.

Cheese, please! Taste the signature cheese of Asturias today, Cabrales, at a family-run “queseria” (cheese farm), Queseria Main, set at the peak of the mountaintop village of Sotres. At 11 a.m., your driver will collect you and take you to this divine cheese farm.

The cheese is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk or traditionally blended with goat or sheep milk for a spicier touch; its journey begins in the Picos de Europa mountains and culminates in the region’s limestone caves where penicillium molds impart the characteristic blue-green veins. With a robust and occasionally acidic taste, Cabrales stands proudly alongside blue cheese giants like Gorgonzola and Roquefort.

First, visit their traditional cheese cave, located a scenic 20-minute walk into the mountains, and follow with a tasting of their cheeses. Start with the young, white, fresh cheese with no aging, followed by an older blue, and finish with a fabulously honking aged blue. Wash it down with traditional cider, naturally, and you might like to pick up some gourmet goodies from the little gift shop.

After a great morning, sit down to lunch in Sotres in a humble, authentic mountain inn and taste classic dishes like Fabada, Pote, Cachopo, and Rice pudding.

Next, you will be pleasantly stuffed and can enjoy a digestive walk down the road in the cute tiny hamlet of Tielve. Then, enjoy the panoramic drive back to the coast, stopping in gourmet shops in the mountain hamlets if you wish to pick up artisan cheeses, local liqueurs, or pretty pots of honey. Finally, enjoy a free evening in Llanes; you might like to try out the local “tapas.”

Today, we have planned time to get to know gorgeous Llanes. Llanes is a quaint fishing village with neat boutiques, upmarket souvenir shops, and a beautiful province with 30 spectacular beaches. Enjoy a leisurely coastal walk starting in the town with stunning views.

Yet Llanes has a history dating back over 1000 years, and up until the start of the 20-century was very much a whaling town. It is said that if you dig anywhere in the town center, you will soon discover whale bones. And on the “Paso de San Pedro” on the cliffs near the town, you will see the remains of watchtowers used by the locals in bygone days to observe the migration of whales along the coast.

Lunch is something completely different today- creative cuisine at the Michelin-starred Retiro. As well as the most amazing sensual discoveries prepared here, the dishes are pure art on a plate! The tasting menu, “San Patricio,” celebrates Saint Patrick, the hamlet’s patron saint where the restaurant is located. You will taste scallops, oysters seasoned in aged cider vinegar, Asturian beef, grilled pigeon, and much more.

A free afternoon follows to potter around Llanes, get in some shopping, or relax at one of the beaches right in the village, like Sablon or Toro. Then enjoy your last evening in this great part of the world, taking in a drink or two in one of the port towns’ many bars and cafes.

Enjoy a hearty breakfast at your cozy inn and then at the time to suit you your chauffeur will collect you and transfer you back to Santander, Asturias or Bilbao airport for your journey home.

We hope you had an unforgettable time in our favorite region of Spain, Asturias!