clementine
Nowadays it is rare to not know or be a coeliac. Food-related intolerances and dietary problems are so common that you need to think about it every time you organized a dinner, a party or a group trip where there may be someone who has to pay special attention to the food. Organizing a holiday with coeliac disease in mind a few years ago was a drama...
Madrid is always a good destination for a break in a group or with children. The capital’s leisure and cultural list is almost without end especially now in these winter months, it is a meeting point that draws you to it. The Christmas market is the most beautiful and entertaining in Spain and its billboards advertising concerts, films and music, are the envy of the country. If you want a hotel for coeliacs you will find several (for example, the IBEROSTAR Las Letras on the Gran Vía, has special dishes for them in its famous Al Trapo restaurant) and also numerous dining places throughout the city, from the most exalted Japanese to gourmet vegetarian restaurants with a totally gluten-free menu.
Our Mediterranean holiday island par excellence is one that offers more options for coeliacs: Palma, the capital, has dozens of speciality restaurants, offering both vegan cuisine and traditional. Its hotels are also prepared to accommodate people with food allergies and intolerances, such as Garden Hotels like the Green Garden Aparthotel or the Garden Holiday Village, which recently signed an agreement with the Federation of Associations of Coeliacs in Spain. Also, a year ago, they opted to use meat on their menus only sourced in Mallorca and of Mallorcan origin. They also strengthened their commitment to local organic products.
In Almería, just off the coast of Cabo de Gata National Park, there are a number of hotels and restaurants that have thought about people with eating problems. Visiting this area is ideal if you go with children because it offers great options for adventure, nature and beach without having to move away from the areas near the hotels and holiday accommodation. Andalusian cuisine also uses a lot of fresh homegrown produce giving many alternatives to gluten and they are all delicious. A good example of this kind of hotels is Cabogata Mar Garden Hotel & Spa.
Like Madrid, Barcelona is always a wise choice when it comes to organizing a weekend with friends or with the children. The entertainment options are endless and the versatility of accommodation and catering services are manifold. As a cosmopolitan city, its restaurants and hotels have been working for some time, contemplating the needs of those who suffer intolerances when eating certain foods and their menus and food lists are very detailed, specific and carefully thought out in this regard. To guarantee a smooth stay, however, it is best to first consult your chosen hotel to be sure that suitable foods are available on all the menus including the breakfast one.
There are few places for gastronomic holidays like Asturias. The Principality is a must when organizing a trip to northern Spain: combines the best of the urban culture in its big cities like Oviedo, Gijón and Avilés with the wonder of nature in rural coastal resorts and inland near the amazing Picos de Europa. The food in Asturias is a basic essential and best of the day happens around a table, so it is important to choose good restaurants and hotels to stay if we suffer intolerance to gluten or lactose as cheese and bread are two of the staple products in their diet. While in the villages it is more difficult to find options in the cities there is a variety of alternatives.
Another special place for a Winter gourmet break, especially for coeliacs. Firstly: Be careful with your choice of assorted tapas. You have to look at what we said before, although in almost all taverns in the Market Square and the streets Toro and Zamora there are options for those who are vegetarians and have problems with dairy or gluten. To ask before choosing is obvious, but the alternatives are succulent: from meats and grilled vegetables to hummus and vegetable stews. City hotels tend to give thought to breakfast choices for those on a diet and coeliacs.
Offers entertainment for everyone and unique cuisine. Seville is the place for your getaway this winter to enjoy its unstoppable street life, its eternal nights, its monumental wonders and its theme parks for the children. Flamenco accompanies tapas, which are increasingly adapted to the new food needs and varied dietary choices of 21st century travelers. A good gluten-free gazpacho or salmorejo is possible. In fact, the list of gluten free restaurants is huge: The Carrillo Bar, Bar Restaurant Sacramento, Zarabanda, Ayre Hotel Sevilla, Restaurant Fargo, Sana Sana... Or the Society of Silversmiths of Mary Auxiliadora where they make the best gazpacho and gluten-free ‘flamenquines’ imaginable.
