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& James Beard Award Winner

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  • Spain’s Northern Bounty

    Asturias From Sky to Sea 2024

    October 19-26, 2024

    ?

    The only part of Spain never to fall to the Moors, Asturias remains defiant, delicious, distinctive. Our collaborator José Andrés comes from these mountains, and his ideas, passions and people are woven throughout this magical weeklong journey from the coast to the hills and back again.

    Sold Out
    Nathan Thornburgh

    R&K Host

    Co-founder, Journalist
    Nathan Thornburgh

    Alejo Sabugo

    Local Guide

    Fixer, Producer, Explorer
    Alejo Sabugo

Overview

Asturias From Sky to Sea 2024

The only part of Spain never to fall to the Moors, Asturias remains defiant, delicious, distinctive. Join us for a weeklong journey through mar y montaña featuring a mountaintop fire-feast, a beachside seafood cookout, a visit to the secret cheese caves of a gamonéu master, and breaking bread with our friends who run some of the most dynamic restaurants in Spain.

  • Spain
  • October 19-26, 2024
Map
  • Spain
  • October 19-26, 2024
Asturias From Sky to Sea 2024 Sold Out

DISCOVER ASTURIAS:
DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY

Day
1

Welcome

  • Cocktails at Narbasu Restaurante y Hotel in the Asturian heartland
  • Classic tapas in the village of Arriondas
Day
2

Fiesta! Plus, the Legacy of Corn

  • Fiesta del Rosariu! This annual Autumn festival kicks off in Vibañu, one of Asturias’ most enchanting and off-the-beaten-track villages
  • Lunch at the Sobrino family cornmill in Vibañu, for all-senses exploration the history of corn in Asturias, the first landing spot for corn in Europe after the conquista
  • Drinks, costumes, music, village revelry
  • Siesta, giddy exhaustion, dinner of light bites back at our hotel
Day
3

Cave and Mountain

  • Visit the secret caves of Gamonéu cheesemaster Juan Sobrecueva
  • Lunch at Covadonga for Asturias’ famous bean dish, fabada
  • Dinner at one of Spain’s most elegant rural restaurants, the two-star Casa Marcial, under the guidance of chef Nacho Manzano
Day
4

Up to Narcea

  • Walk along Playa de Vega
  • Lunch at the legendary beachside Güeyu Mar seafood restaurant
  • Light dinner and Narcea wines in Corias monastery
Day
5

Bodegas

  • A journey through the traditional wine bodegas of Narcea
  • Cordero al Estaca lamb cookout at bodega de juaco
  • Dinner at Blanco with optional bar crawl afterwards
Day
6

Down to the Coast

  • A tasting menu at the longtable of Elio Ferpel, one of Asturias’ most creative seafood chefs
  • Welcome drinks at Palacio de Figueras
  • Dinner a short walk up the hill at the Bib Gourmand Mesón el Centro featuring the ebullient seafood dishes of chef Maria Antonia Fernandez
Day
7

Beach and Farewell

  • Free time to explore the coastal village of As Figueras
  • The crowning cove-party: Elio Ferpel live-fire cooking on a rugged beach as fishermen bring in their catch for us to cook
  • Farewell cocktails with passed plates from our private chef and Asturian music at the Palacio before departure the next morning
Day
8

Goodbye

  • One last breakfast at Palacio de Figueras
  • Private transfer back to Oviedo Airport

What’s Included

  • All breakfasts, lunches, dinners except when itinerary explicitly says “Independent Meals”
  • Expertise and services of our experienced trip leaders: at least one guide and one host per trip
  • Snacks and beverages between meals
  • Additional guides and experts from the region
  • Transfers to and from the airport or wherever you are on the day the trip starts and ends
  • Daily Roads & Kingdoms gifts related to the themes, activities and narratives of each trip
  • All gratuities for accommodations, meals, guiding or transport

What’s Not Included

  • International airfare to and from the journey (note: some trips begin and end at different airports)
  • Personal bar tabs (when not with the group)
  • Personal laundry or spa services
  • Personal travel insurance

Meet Our Hosts

Nathan Thornburgh

R&K Host

Nathan Thornburgh

Co-founder, Journalist

Nathan Thornburgh, a former TIME Magazine senior editor and foreign correspondent, co-founded Roads & Kingdoms in 2012 and ran the independent media company with Matt Goulding and Anthony Bourdain for years. He is an Emmy- and National Magazine Award-winning producer and editor and has reported everywhere from Russia to Iraq. R&K’s League of Travelers is his latest attempt to marry travel, journalism, and la dolce vita.

Alejo Sabugo

Local Guide

Alejo Sabugo

Fixer, Producer, Explorer

We met Asturias native Alejo Sabugo when he worked on the “Parts Unknown” Asturias episode. Though he’s worked as a producer and fixer, his true talent is as a tireless enthusiast for all things Asturias, from cider to fabada to gamoneu cheese to the wildness of its mountains and coasts. Today, Alejo is an integral part of the League of Travelers and Roads & Kingdoms family.

Where You’ll Stay

Narbasu Restaurante y Hotel 

Narbasu Restaurante y Hotel 

Rural Retreat

In rural Asturias, the Manzano family is the shining light of hospitality. Nacho Manzano is renowned as the chef/owner behind two-star Michelin restaurant Casa Marcial. His sister Esther is a famed restaurateur in her own right. And together, their newly renovated property Narbasu Restaurante y Hotel is a stunning reimagination of rural Asturian life at its most elegant and refined.

Parador de Corias

Parador de Corias

Forest Monastery

Surrounded by forests, mountains, and rolling vineyards, the Parador de Corias is set within the preserved Monastery of San Juan Bautista, known as “The Escorial of Asturias” for its imposing architecture. Managed by a community of Dominican monks, the Parador offers a transporting feeling of monastic life, with none of its privations. The basement houses a museum where you can view the archaeological remains of the original building, which dates to the early 11th century.

Vestige Palacio de Figueras

Vestige Palacio de Figueras

Seaside Palace

Perched above a tranquil ria, where the Cantabrian sea comes inland and separates Asturias and Galicia, a majestic 16th-century palace with a central tower and two crenellated wings dominates the skyline. The heritage-marked Palacio de los Trénor in Figueras underwent an 11-year renovation in its transformation into a luxury hotel. Landscaped gardens flow into a set of terraces bursting with plants, trees and flowers down towards the coast, offering winding pathways, hidden corners, a private chapel, and glimpses out to sea.

  • We pierced the ‘tourist bubble’ largely through Alejo’s connections.

    James B.
    Asturias Unconquered 2023

  • The selection of curated experiences surpassed our expectations. We are already talking about another trip.

    Jean M.
    Asturias Unconquered 2023

  • Nathan and Alejo were consummate hosts. Thank you for a truly magical experience!


    Asturias Unconquered 2022

DISCOVER ASTURIAS:
PAST TRIPS GALLERY

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Asturias From Sky to Sea 2024 Sold Out
R&K League of Travelers

Ready for a new adventure?

Inquire Now.

    Fill out the form to join the waitlist. We’ll reach out if space opens up.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How large are your groups?

    We have a maximum of 12 travelers for each trip, with very few exceptions. Our guiding light: how many people could cram into a perfectly-sized bar in Ginza? That’s how many we want to travel with, that’s how we came up with that number. Each trip has at least two members from the R&K team.

    Do I really have to do an interview?

    Yes! We don’t offer a way to book online, because we want the chance to talk to each of you about how you like to travel, and about what we do on our trips. That includes spouses and partners! Don’t sweat it, we have an appropriately high acceptance rate, but it is a requirement, whether by Zoom or by WhatsApp.

    Is there a solo traveler supplement?

    Yes, we have an $1800 solo traveler supplement ($1000 for four-night trips).

    Should I get travel insurance?

    Roads & Kingdoms is a fully insured travel provider but we recommend you purchase travel insurance for yourself to cover costs you might incur through change of plans, flights, etc. We do not have a recommended provider, but there are many reputable providers available online and the signup process is not onerous.

    What is included in the price?

    Our journeys are meant to free you from any financial decision-making whatsoever during the week, if you choose. You’re responsible for your own international airfare to our starting city. But then we take care of everything else, from tipping to transportation to hotels and meals and drinks along the way. You’re only responsible for personal bar tabs (when not with the group), personal laundry, or personal spa services.

    What happens if R&K cancels a journey?

    This has not happened in the post-acute-COVID period—nor do we anticipate it happening—but we do reserve the right to cancel or postpone a trip up to 100 days before departure. In that case, you would receive a full refund, including the $1500 deposit.

    CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE VEGETARIANS?

    The short answer is yes! Any trip can be adapted, but some work better than others. Salamanca and the World of Jamón, for instance, would probably not make sense for a vegetarian, whereas Tbilisi and the Western Winelands works well. Animal products do feature heavily throughout our journeys, and many include whole-animal barbecues, ceremonial slaughter, or other traditional culinary methods that might be off-putting to those who abstain.

    Traveler Rights And Responsibilities

    The League of Travelers is meant to be that: an intimate group of travelers who accompany us to some of our favorite places to spend time with some of our favorite people. That is why we interview all potential travelers. These trips are not for everyone, and we just want to be sure the vibe matches. Mostly, for you, that means treating the people who make these trips possible, from drivers to somms to waiters to hotel staff, with decency. We stay in luxury accommodations and do our best to accommodate special requests, but we don’t have full-time concierge or waitstaff on these trips, we have chefs and writers and storytellers. Our groups are a diverse bunch, so please also come with an open mind and heart for your fellow travelers. And in exchange, we pledge to open all doors we can to you. We promise we will have poured our whole selves into these journeys, and we will do everything in our power to make it a wondrous experience.

    Refund And Deposit Policy

    We require 50% downpayment to secure a spot. Second payment due 60 days after first payment. If you cancel up to 60 days before the start of the trip, the trips are fully refundable except for a nonrefundable $1500 deposit. Within 60 days we will refund everything except the $1500 deposit if we are able to replace your seat, otherwise you must contact us to see if a transfer to a later journey is possible. If we cancel a trip for any reason, the entire trip, including the $1500 deposit, is fully refundable.

    Dates

    2025

    Destinations

    Europe

    Asia-Pacific

    Latin America

    Africa