2018 Primetime Emmy
& James Beard Award Winner

Asturias Is Spain

Asturias 
Unconquered

Sep 24-Oct 1, 2023

The only part of Spain never to fall to the Moors, Asturias remains defiant, delicious, distinctive. Our friend and 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.

Alejo Sabugo

Our Host

Fixer, producer, explorer
Alejo Sabugo

Andy Ricker

Trip Guide

Chef, writer, raconteur
Andy Ricker

R&K Trip Itinerary

THE HOSTS

ALEJO SABUGO: Asturiano, film producer, explorer, host

We met Asturias native Alejo Sabugo because he worked on the Parts Unknown Asturias episode. But 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.

ANDY RICKER: Chef, writer, raconteur

Andy Ricker, whom we first met through our mutual friend and partner Anthony Bourdain, ran the legendary PokPok restaurants, is a helluva guy to grab a drink with, and remains one of the most knowledgeable people we’ve ever traveled with.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:

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.

Sep 24-Oct 1, 2023

Day 1

Sep 24 Sun

Welcome

  • CANGAS DE ONÍS – PUEBLOASTUR ECO-RESORT
  • 33548 Cofiño
  • +39 011 5515826
  • Cocktails at Puebloastur Eco-resort in the Asturian heartland
  • Tour of the art onsite at PuebloAstur, including works by Dali and other masters
  • Classic tapas and cider in the mountain village of Arriondas

Day 2

Sep 25 Mon

The Legacy of Corn

  • CANGAS DE ONÍS – PUEBLOASTUR ECO-RESORT
  • 33548 Cofiño
  • +39 011 5515826
  • An all-senses exploration the history of corn in Asturias, the first landing spot for corn in Europe after the conquista
  • Lunch at a family cornmill in Vibañu 
  • A walk and a drink in the port town of Llanes

Day 3

Sep 26 Tue

Cave and Mountain

  • CANGAS DE ONÍS – PUEBLOASTUR ECO-RESORT
  • 33548 Cofiño
  • +39 011 5515826
  • Visit the secret caves of Gamonéu cheesemaster Juan Sobrecueva
  • Lunch at Covadonga for Asturias’ famous bean stew, 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

Sep 27 Wed

Up to Narcea

  • PARADOR DE CORIAS
  • Monasterio de Corias, s/n 33816
  • +34 985070000
  • Walk along Playa de Vega
  • Lunch at the legendary beachside Güeyu Mar seafood restaurant
  • Light dinner and Narcea wines in Corias monastery

Day 5

Sep 28 Thu

Bodegas

  • PARADOR DE CORIAS
  • Monasterio de Corias, s/n 33816
  • +34 985070000
  • A journey through the traditional wine bodegas of Narcea
  • Roast lamb in the traditional Asturian (by way of Argentina) grill style
  • Dinner at the region’s best restaurant, Blanco, with a Narcea bar crawl afterwards

Day 6

Sep 29 Fri

Down to the Coast

  • AS FIGUERAS – PALACIO TRENOR
  • Palacio de Figueras, Avenida de Trenor, Castropol 33794
  • +34 613009777
  • A tasting menu at the longtable of Elio Ferpel, one of Asturias’ most creative seafood chefs
  • Welcome drinks at the gorgeous Palacio Trenor
  • Dinner at the Bib Gourmand Mesón el Centro featuring the ebullient seafood dishes of chef Maria Antonia Fernandez

Day 7

Sep 30 Sat

Beach and Farewell

  • AS FIGUERAS – PALACIO TRENOR
  • Palacio de Figueras, Avenida de Trenor, Castropol 33794
  • +34 613009777
  • 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

The Hotels

In Asturias, there is only one hotel that would be both in the heart of the rural magic and yet refined enough for any taste: Puebloastur Eco-Resort. It is where our friend José Andrés and our partner Anthony Bourdain stayed while shooting the Asturias Parts Unknown episode, and it is our home anytime we are in the mountains.

Monasterio de San Juan Bautista in Cangas del Narcea is a living monument not just to history, but to the very specific history of wine in this corner of Asturias. Now housing a grand national parador hotel, the monastery is still inhabited by the Benedictine monks whose predecessors brought winemaking to this mountain valley.

As Figueras’ Palacio Trenor is a private property restored to grandeur, overlooking the Cantabrian Sea, in full communication with its past as the estate of a wealthy patron from the New World. We’ll have the entire property to ourselves as the luxurious canvas for our last coastal days.

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