Sidrería Casa Marcial Outpost & Local Sidra Culture in Cangas de Onís
Covadonga sits just 11 km from Cangas de Onís, the nearest town and the true hub of Asturian cider culture in this corner of the Picos. Pulling into any of the wooden-fronted sidrerías along Calle Mayor and watching a waiter escancilar — pouring cider from arm's height into a wide glass — is one of Asturias's great sensory rituals.
The Sidra Experience
Asturian natural cider (sidra natural) is flat, tart and bone-dry — nothing like the sweet fizz sold elsewhere in Spain. The theatrical high pour aerates it, releasing apple aromas and creating a brief frothy head that you're expected to drink in one swift gulp before the bubbles vanish. It's a social act as much as a drink.
El Molín de la Pedrera, a converted mill on the Río Güeña just outside Cangas de Onís, pairs its sidra with proper Asturian cocina: fabada asturiana (white bean and chorizo stew), cachopo (a giant breaded veal escalope stuffed with ham and cheese) and local Cabrales blue cheese drizzled with honey.
Market & Cheese Stops
Cangas de Onís hosts a lively Sunday market on the Paseo del Ayuntamiento where local farmers sell Cabrales and Gamonéu cheeses, smoked sausages and wild honey. Arrive by 10 am for the best selection before the tourist coaches arrive from Oviedo.
For a sit-down meal closer to Covadonga itself, the restaurant at Hotel Pelayo (right on the basilica esplanade) serves a solid menú del día for around €15, with views of the pink towers from the terrace — unbeatable for the price and location.
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