Mercado del Sur
Built in 1898 inside a beautiful iron-frame pavilion in the Cimavilla–Centro district, Mercado del Sur is where Gijón's home cooks and professional chefs shop side by side for the best Asturian produce the region can offer.
What to Buy
The fish counters are the main event: look for fresh merluza (hake) landed at El Musel port that same morning, percebes (goose barnacles) from the Cantabrian coast, and nécoras (velvet crabs) that locals cook simply in salted water.
On the inland side, stalls overflow with Asturian cheeses — seek out Afuega'l Pitu, a crumbly, slightly sour fresh cheese that comes in both white and paprika-red versions, and Casín, one of Spain's oldest named cheeses, made in the mountains south of Oviedo.
The Building Itself
The market's 19th-century iron skeleton, with its high glass roof flooding the interior with natural light, makes it one of the most photogenic covered markets in northern Spain — think Les Halles in miniature, with Atlantic drizzle outside and the smell of smoked chorizo inside.
A recent renovation preserved the original structure while adding modern refrigeration and better lighting; the result is a market that feels genuinely historic without being shabby.
Eating In and Around
Several stalls have added small bar counters where you can eat boquerones en vinagre (anchovies in vinegar) or a plate of jamón with a glass of Asturian cider right there among the shopping carts — the best kind of breakfast.
The surrounding streets of the Centro district are full of bakeries and coffee bars; combine your market visit with a stop at Pastelería Rialto on nearby Calle Corrida for one of their caramelised rice-milk pastries.
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