The best quality cider in Gijón de Sidra® 2011

“What is it about this cider that tastes so good?  The more I drink it, the more I want to drink”; those were the words of a well-known singer and composer from Asturias and we would probably say he was right after consulting our Cidermap of  Gijón…

The third edition of GijóndeSidra® – AsturiasdeSidra® 2011 is on from 7-16 October. For ten days, people from Gijón and tourists can visit the 34 cider houses taking part. The most curious thing about this event is that each of the 34 houses taking part obtains its cider from just one cider press. Quality is assured, as each type of cider has been selected by a tasting committee.

Gijón de Sidra has everything planned; as drinking cider usually whets the “appetite”, for a modest price of €2.90 you can have a bottle of cider accompanied by a cazuelina (a small serving of exquisitely-prepared food). If you are with a group, €3.90 entitles you to a bottle cider and a cazuelona (large serving of food) for 3 or 4 people. These prices are well worth it!

To make sure you don’t get lost, the Cidermap proposes routes for visiting the cider houses taking part and a map of the 34 cider presses, with their names, locations, and the variety of cider produced… It also describes the food on offer in each cider house.

So come to Gijón and have a glass of cider,.. or even a few glasses!

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The strong points of tourism in Gijón – Expert Tourist Consultant

It may be difficult to answer this in a few words What is the strong point of tourism in Gijón? Well, this coastal city offers many varied attractions for all those who are fortunate enough to be able to visit it.

However, from a professional standpoint, and with respect to international tourism, Begoña Medio, who was born in Gijón and is a Tourist consultant, gives us her opinion about the strong points of Gijón. After working for other companies for many years, three years ago Begoña decided to set up her own consultant firm, Bmedio. Consultoría Turística. “I decided to set up on my own as a professional tourist consultant. And what is more, I still enjoy my job”, she says.  Since then she has continued to work in and for the tourist sector.

Begoña considers that gastronomy can be a great incentive for national tourists, and above all, international tourists. Gastronomy is, without doubt, an attraction for tourists in Gijón, and this is borne out by the high level of participation in the almost monthly Gastronomic Events organised in the city.

In addition, Gijón, like the rest of Asturias, has a special attraction for international tourists: Its Cider “…cider, the cider presses in the rural area and urban areas of the city, cider houses with expert cider pourers, restaurants whose menus include cider… Cider must be defended in order to convert it into a product for tourists, and not just a drink…” says Begoña after analysing the resources available in the city.

As an expert tourist consultant, Begoña is quite clear about the fact that Cider is one of the most attractive aspects that draw tourists to the city each year, “ at national level, the Spanish wines routes are meeting with great success, and in Gijón we should promote cider to make it a tourist product, not just as a drink… but as something unique, we must make visitors understand why we drink it like that, as it is something that is different at a national and international level”

Being proud of our cider and showing it off to potential tourists are the first steps to setting up the Cider Route in Gijón.

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