The land of my birth, Asturias
A beautiful, ancient kingdom between the mountains and the sea
Okay, people. Maybe this isn’t one you had on your 2024 travel plans, but I’m telling you right now: if you want the natural beauty of both mountains and oceans—oh yeah, and great food—you need to plan a vacation to a tiny corner of Spain.
It’s called Asturias. And of course I have a place in my heart for it, because it was where I was born. It was in a small town called Mieres del Camín, just south of the town of Oviedo, about 20 miles from the coastal city of Gijón. My parents Mariano Andrés and Marisa Puerta weren’t originally from the area—she was born in Barakaldo, in the Basque Country to the east of Mieres, and he’s originally from Teruel, close to Valencia. But I was born there and lived there until I was 6 years old, when my family moved to the small town of Santa Coloma de Cervelló, just outside of Barcelona. My parents were both nurses, which is where I think I first got an understanding for helping people, serving the greater good.
I love to visit Asturias. It will always be home for me, this beautiful, rustic place where you are always within a short drive to the Cantabrian Sea to the north, and you always have sight of the Picos de Europa, a stunning mountain range that’s just as amazing as the Alps or the Rockies.
Asturias has always had its own history, and was once its own kingdom in the 8th through 10th centuries. We even have our own language, Asturian! If you ever want to hear it spoken, all you have to do is stand in the city center of Oviedo or Gijón…maybe you’ll even hear some songs in Asturian.
And the food of Asturias…I might not be José Andrés if I didn’t have roots in such a gastronomic place! The seafood of the coast, the cider of the meadows, the cheeses of the mountains….
The reason I’m writing to you now about Asturias is actually because of one particular stew, a very, very famous one called Fabada Asturiana, which is perfectly in season right now. Special buttery beans from Asturias called fabes are cooked with chorizo, morcilla, bacon, pimentón, and garlic…it’s rich and filling, perfect for lunch when you’re hiking in the mountains.
Speaking of fabada and hiking in the mountains of Asturias, one of my favorite memories from the area was not from when I was a kid, but in 2018, when I was lucky enough to take my old friend Anthony Bourdain on a trip there for his show Parts Unknown. We had such a magical time there. When the episode aired, I watched with tears in my eyes, remembering what we had shared. You can’t look at this and tell me that the setting isn’t incredible…somewhere you want to go, right?
So friends. Let’s talk Asturias today. If you are thinking about booking a trip there, don’t wait! Traveler’s tip…you can fly into Madrid and up to Oviedo (OVD), or if you want to start on a high note and absorb the natural beauty of northwestern Spain, I recommend renting a car in Madrid and making the 4 1/2 hour drive…it’s definitely worth it!