El Fontán Market

The old town's food market

El Fontán market is right in the historic centre of Oviedo, in the square of the same name, a few minutes' walk from the cathedral and next to Plaza de Daoíz y Velarde. It is the city's food market: a building devoted solely to food, with stalls selling fresh produce, cheese, meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, and, according to Turismo Asturias, a café and restaurant inside as well. It is not a gastronomic market with a bar and tapas, but an everyday market where people from the centre do their shopping.

The place has a history. Turismo Asturias traces its origin to the 16th century, to a grant from the Catholic Monarchs that allowed Oviedo to hold a weekly market on Thursdays. In time Sundays were added and the Plaza del Fontán was built, with its arcades and coloured houses, which today forms, with the market, a renovated ensemble in the city centre.

The outdoor flea market

Around the building, in the square and the nearby streets, the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday street market is set up, which are the days with the most atmosphere. Turismo Asturias describes stalls of flowers, vegetables, books, newspapers, music and antiques, with the feel of a flea market. If you want to see El Fontán full of people, go on one of those three days in the morning; during the week, first thing, the covered market is quieter and it is easier to shop.

Opening hours

Neither Turismo Asturias nor the Town Council publishes detailed opening hours on the pages we consulted. Recent reports agree that the food market is open Monday to Friday and on Saturday morning, and that on Sunday the atmosphere is at the outdoor market, not at the stalls inside. Each stall keeps its own hours: if you are going for something specific, go in the morning, when everything is open.

What to do nearby

El Fontán is a natural stop on a walk around the centre. You can link it with the route through the old town, Plaza del Fontán and Calle Gascona, which goes down from the cathedral, passes through Plaza de la Constitución and climbs to the cider boulevard. Turismo Asturias recommends finishing the visit with a wine, a culete of cider or a vermouth in one of the bars in the area, of which there are many around the square.

For a sit-down meal, in Plaza de Daoíz y Velarde, a step away, is Casa Ramón, known for its fried squid. And if you come to buy something to take home, the market is a good place to look for Asturian cheeses and cured meats without leaving the centre.

Getting there

The old town of Oviedo is pedestrianised: leave the car outside the centre and walk in. From the train station, at the end of Calle Uría, it is a little over a quarter of an hour on foot, along the same route that leads to the cathedral.