Un paseo, un poema y la sidra in Llanes

“Llanes es preciosa,” my Santander host Maria Rosa told me. I hadn’t planned to visit, but based on her enthusiasm for the Asturian city I decided to change my plans. It was good advice. Llanes was indeed preciosa. Absolutely lovely.

My stay started with a very warm welcome. As I checked in to my hotel the host immediately pulled out a map to show me around his hometown. Pointing to Paseo San Pedro he said “You must go there.” So that’s where I started my tour of Llanes.

Paseo San Pedro is a grassy promenade atop a cliff overlooking the sea. Stunning views were accompanied by the soothing sound of waves pounding against rocks. As Maria Rosa had told me the rocky cliffs were even more dramatic here in Asturias. The path stretched on and on. At one end there was a great view of the town. I descended, walked passed a small beachy cove (all these coastal towns have beaches!) and through some very old looking walls to enter the old town.

Not only was the entire old town pedestrianized but there was poetry on the ground. Reading the verses etched on metal plaques took me on a pleasant meander though the pretty streets. I attempted to follow its meaning. I caught enough to understand the poem was an ode to this lovely town, including its sea and beaches and its cider (sidra). Te amo, te amaré. I love you, will love you. The city is easy to love. The curvy harbour was also picturesque. I was envious of the pedestrian bridge crossing imagining such a connection in Bronte harbour!

Apparently Llanes gets extremely busy in the summer. This was not an issue in late October. Since it was off season my hotel even allowed me a late check out the next day as my transfer to Picos de Europa was at 5 pm. The customer service at Hotel Montremar was exceptional.

So about that sidra! Asturias has an incredible cider making tradition. They make a natural sidra from pressed apples, no added sugars or yeast or carbonation. It’s served in Sidrerías, which are restaurants or bars that serve cider. The technique to pour this Asturian bevvy is pretty fun. Servers tilt the sidra into the glass from a daring height with pouring arm stretched high above the head. This is to add some fizziness. There may be a little splashing but they know how to hit the mark. It’s a small pour, two fingers, and the idea is to drink it fast before the bubbles fade.

At Sidraría la Amistad they brought an unlabelled green bottle to my table. One size only. I asked the server the alcohol content and she replied “Poco, poco.” The taste was crisp, a little sour. When I finished my two fingers pour they came to refill my glass, replacing the cork to keep it from going flat. They always asked before refilling. And I always nodded appreciatively.

Cider appears in many dishes too. I had a very tasty chorizo a la sidra served in a terracotta dish. The apple cider and smoky juices from the chorizo combined for a flavourful sauce to mop up with bread. For lunch the next day I had bacalao a la sidra, cod in a cider sauce with a hint of heat with the addition of a dried chili pepper.

I am so glad I added Llanes to my itinerary, I loved it. From Llanes I was off to the Picos de Europa for a week of studying Spanish and hiking. Lucky for me there was more sidra on the itinerary too.