We completed our second “Familiarisation Trip” for the Coastal Route of Santiago, a route that takes pilgrims along the entire coastline of Asturias to their final destination in Santiago de Compostela and allows them to experience the wonderful landscapes and great local food and marvellous accommodation.
Part of remit of Where is Asturias is to work alongside both the public and private bodies of the tourism sector in order to generate as much exposure as possible for Asturias, its people and the products they produce.
25 tour operators and Journalists from 11 different European communities arrived in Aviles on the 15th of May, 2013 and spend the next 5 packed days discovering all that Asturias has to offer visiting many towns, cities, restaurants, national monuments and quite a few Coastal Route walkways.
Despite the less than clement weather, the trip was a resounding success and our visitors displayed an eagerness to share Asturias with their clients back home… in fact, many seemed amazed that they hadn’t heard about Asturias and her natural beauty up till now. All of them thought they could sell Asturias to their clients and praised the quality of accommodation and especially the food.
The above video is a montage of their journey as we brought them along the Coastal Route of Saint James and also a few interviews we recorded with the visitors on their final night in Asturias. As you can hear from them, they enjoyed the trip very much but also felt that more promotion was needed to give Asturias the international recognition it deserves.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who gave up their time and energy to produce a rewarding experience for the visitors (you will find them mentioned at the end of the video). For us, the WIA team, it’s always an honour to be a part of a team so focused on promoting Asturias to the international tourism market, be it the Way of Saint James or any other aspect of tourism in the region.
The Way of Saint James was in origin a religious pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela that has, over the years, developed in more than that. Still having that religious implication of visiting the final resting place of the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela, nowadays it is followed by thousands of people every year with different motives: from the original religious one, to a spiritual and self-discovery one, without forgetting cultural and touristic values.
The Coastal Route of Saint James will take pilgrims along the breath-taking coastline of Asturias to their destination in Santiago de Compostela. Whether the motive for the pilgrimage is religious, cultural or spiritual is up to the traveller, but all visitors will be able to enjoy the beautiful landscapes, the company of the warm locals, the unique gastronomy and the best services available.
On your way to Santiago de Compostela you will enjoy the magic of Asturias, with wonderful beaches like Gulpiyuri, Cuevas de Mar or El Silencio, natural phenomena like the “Bufones” in Llanes, its ancestral culture and traditions, or the southernmost cave paintings in Europe. During the Fam trip our guests had the opportunity to experience all these marvels and much more, and any visitor will be able to replicate their experience. There are many ways to go to Santiago de Compostela, but none of them displays the variety in scenery and culture that the Coastal Route of Saint James does.
Before entering Galicia and taking last steps to Santiago de Compostela, pilgrims will enjoy the wonders of Asturian gastronomy, with the perfect mixture of products from the sea and the mountains and pastures, like “Fabada” with oysters or clams, the wide variety of cheese locally produced, roasted lamb and pork, local chicken or beef, natural cider and other liquors or the finest sweets.
If you wish to plan your way to Santiago de Compostela following the Coastal Route of Saint James or any other route going through Asturias you can contact Where is Asturias at info@whereisasturias.com