Mercado Municipal El Fontán de Avilés
Housed in a handsome early-20th-century iron-and-glass market hall just off the old town, the Mercado Municipal is where Avilés does its serious food shopping — and where a curious traveller can eat and drink extraordinarily well for very little money. Arrive before 10 am on a Saturday to catch it at its vivid, noisy best.
What to Buy and Eat
The stalls overflow with Asturian staples: fat fabes de La Granja beans, whole wheels of Cabrales blue cheese wrapped in foil, freshly smoked chorizo and morcilla, and glistening trays of percebes and nécoras hauled in from the Cantabrian coast the same morning.
Several stalls double as informal bars serving bocadillos and glasses of chilled sidra from the tap. Pull up a stool at one of the counters, order a tortilla bocadillo and a half-pint of cider and you have the perfect Asturian breakfast for under €4.
Navigating the Market
The ground floor is dedicated to fresh produce, meat and fish; the upper gallery has a handful of deli-style stalls selling conservas, local honey and artisan cheeses — excellent for edible souvenirs that pack well.
The market is small enough to cover in 30 minutes but rewarding enough to linger in for two hours if you stop to chat with vendors, most of whom are proud to explain their products and their provenance.
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