Where cider houses rule in Spain: a tour of Asturias

Loved by the Spanish but less known in the UK, the region is recognised by Unesco for its centuries-old cider culture – and has plenty more to offerAsturias is a place of mossy silence and ocean light, where mountains rise suddenly from the sea. The culture and landscape of the region are deeply intertwined – its ancient rivers are still used to chill bottles of the famed local cider on warm summer days.For much of the world, Asturias remains a mystery, but in the Spanish imagination it is very much alive. Traces of the region’s Celtic heritage echo in its traditions, music and mythology, giving it a distinctive identity. The northern kingdom of Asturias was the only part of what is now Spain to successfully resist the eighth-century Muslim conquest. In 1934, miners here staged an uprising that was crushed in a brutal crackdown that foreshadowed Franco’s dictatorship. Today, the region is cherished as a milder refuge on a peninsula scorched by the climate crisis: one recent poll found that Spaniards consider Asturias the most beloved part of their country. Continue reading...

Mar 29, 2025 - 13:44

Where cider houses rule in Spain: a tour of Asturias

Loved by the Spanish but less known in the UK, the region is recognised by Unesco for its centuries-old cider culture – and has plenty more to offer

Asturias is a place of mossy silence and ocean light, where mountains rise suddenly from the sea. The culture and landscape of the region are deeply intertwined – its ancient rivers are still used to chill bottles of the famed local cider on warm summer days.

For much of the world, Asturias remains a mystery, but in the Spanish imagination it is very much alive. Traces of the region’s Celtic heritage echo in its traditions, music and mythology, giving it a distinctive identity. The northern kingdom of Asturias was the only part of what is now Spain to successfully resist the eighth-century Muslim conquest. In 1934, miners here staged an uprising that was crushed in a brutal crackdown that foreshadowed Franco’s dictatorship. Today, the region is cherished as a milder refuge on a peninsula scorched by the climate crisis: one recent poll found that Spaniards consider Asturias the most beloved part of their country. Continue reading...