Gijón

Gijón (or Xixón in Asturian) is a port and metropolis in Asturias on the north coast of Spain. With a population of 270,000 in 2024, it's mostly modern but has an attractive old centre and many cultural attractions. == Understand == Until the 18th century Gijón was a small harbour village on the neck of a peninsula. It expanded as maritime trade grew, on a grid devised by Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, but the big expansion was with the steel industry of the 19th century. The ports along the north coast of Spain became mirror-images of those of south Wales, exchanging Spanish iron ore for Welsh coal, so both adopted smoke-stack heavy industry. Steel and related manufacture collapsed in the late 20th century and Gijón perforce transitioned into service and public sector employment. The Picos de Europa mountains are no great barrier to modern highway construction, but historically they isolated Asturias from the rest of Spain. They draw the clouds and rain, so even Gijón down on the coast has cool wet summers and weary winters. It has several good beaches but the waters of the Bay of Biscay are cool and sometimes storm-tossed. Gijón nudists would deserve a medal for fortitude if only there was somewhere to attach it. Infogijón is the tourist office, on the waterfront west side of the peninsula, open daily 10:00-14:30, 16:00-19:30. The same website has information on other city services including transport. == Get in == === By plane === Asturias Airport (OVD IATA) is 30 km west of Gijón, near Avilés. It has flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Sevilla and other Spanish cities. International flights are by budget carriers and are sparse but include major European cities, London and Istanbul. An ALSA bus runs direct from the airport to Gijón hourly, taking 50 min. A taxi might take 20 min. You could also fly into Santander (SDR IATA), but the choice of flights is similar. Madrid has a much greater range including intercontinental. === By train === Renfe trains from Madrid Chamartin run every 2-3 hours, taking 4 hr via Segovia, Valladolid, Palencia, León and Oviedo. They may start from Valencia or Alicante. Cercanias local trains C1 and C5a shuttles run every 30 min between Oviedo and Gijón, taking 35 minutes. C4 runs hourly along the coast from Cudillero via Pravia and Avilés, and C5 runs hourly from Laviana in the southeast. In general, you can get to Gijón from anywhere in Central Asturias through Cercanías, but travel times might be long. 1 Gijón Sanz Crespo is the terminus for all trains, 500 m southwest of city centre. Just a couple of vending machines, shabby toilets and nowhere to sit down. === By bus === ALSA buses run hourly from Madrid Estación Sur, taking 6-7 hours via Madrid Moncloa, Valladolid, León and Oviedo. Some start from Madrid Airport T4. Buses between Oviedo and Gijón are every 15 min and take 30 min. From Avilés is every 20 min, taking 30 min: once an hour these start from Asturias Airport. 2 Estación de Autobuses is southwest of town centre on Magnus Blikstad. It's a 1941 building in modernist style that looks like it wants to be an arthouse cinema. === By road === From Madrid follow A-6 / A-66 (toll), 466 km. Reckon 5 hours, but slower in winter as you cross the bleak mountains. If it's rush hour as you descend towards Oviedo, swing east onto AS-I to avoid the traffic. A-8 runs east-west along the coast, toll-free except between Bilbao and the French border. == Get around == Walking is the best way to explore Cimadevilla. You don't need a car in the old centre, and its streets are traffic-restricted, camera-enforced. Park in one of the nearby underground public parking lots. EMTUSA operate some 20 local bus routes. As of Dec 2025, a single ticket within town is €1.50. A Bono bus card gets you half fare and allows free transfers within 45 minutes. Buho night buses have six routes from Plaza del Humedal. They're hourly every night July-Aug, and Friday and Saturday nights plus festivals the rest of the year. Gijón Bici is the municipal bike-share service, now all-electric. It's simplest to access through their phone app; or via the Tarjeta Ciudadana, but this is tedious for non-residents to obtain. A score of taxi firms ply in Gijón. In 2025 flagfall is €5, then it's €1.4 per km. == See == A total solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 Aug 2026, starting at 20:27 and lasting 1 min 45 sec. The chances of a clear sky are only 45%, and you need to find a spot with a clear view to the northwest horizon, where the sun will be setting. === Old centre === 1 Plaza Mayor is the focus of Cimadevilla, the oldest and most attractive part of the city on the neck of the peninsula. Ranged around it are town hall, Hotel Asturias, Palacio Valdés and the Roman Baths. Palacio Valdés is a Baroque building of circa 1600, northeast of Plaza Mayor. It's now a school, no entry to this or the adjacent Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Roman baths (Termas Romanas de Campo Valdés), Tránsito Campo Valdés (50 m east of Plaza Mayor), ☏ +34 985 185151. Tu-Su 10:00-14:00, 17:00-19:30. Public bathing complex from late 1st century AD. Free. (updated Dec 2025) San Pedro is the parish church next to the Roman baths. It was built 1945-55 in retro medieval style after the 15th century original was destroyed in the Civil War. It has intricate mosaics and other decorations, especially in the chapel behind the main altar. It's open daily 09:30-13:00, 17:30-20:00. Plaza de Jovellanos is a small square 100 m north of Plaza Mayor. Around it are Birthplace of Jovellanos Museum and some scraps of the old city walls and fortifications. Birthplace of Jovellanos Museum, Plaza de Jovellanos, ☏ +34 985 185152. Tu-Su 09:30-14:00, 17:00-19:30. Birthplace of Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (1744-1811), a statesman, author and philosopher, and a major figure of the Age of Enlightenment in Spain. Free. (updated Dec 2025) Nuestra Señora de los Remedios next to the museum is a chapel of 1600, originally part of a pilgrims' hostel. It continued to provide health care until 1836. Since 1936 it's the resting place of Jovellanos, who originally lay in San Pedro, but his admirers moved his body here when that church was about to be blown up. Palacio de Revillagigedo, Plaza del Marqués 2 (100 m northwest of Plaza Mayor). Tu-Sa 11:30-13:30, 17:00-20:00; Su M 12:00-14:00. Grand palace from 15th century but rebuilt in the 18th, this now houses temporary exhibitions and is not otherwise open. Its Chapel of St John the Baptist sometimes hosts concerts. Free. (updated Dec 2025) Barjola Museum, Trinidad 17 (100 m southwest of Plaza Mayor), ☏ +34 985 357939. Tu-Sa 11:30-13:30, 17:00-20:00; Su 12:00-14:00. The permanent collection is the artwork of Juan Barjola (1919-2004), who painted in abstract and expressionist styles. Plus temporary exhibitions. Free. (updated Dec 2025) 2 Santa Catalina Park is the grassy headland of the peninsula, with old fortifications, areas for skateboarding and play, and views both ways along the coast. The looming concrete structure is Eduardo Chillida’s 1990 sculpture Elogio del Horizonte, "Eulogy to the horizon". 3 Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Basílica-Santuario del Sagrado Corazón de Jesus), Instituto 34, ☏ +34 985 350302. M-Sa 08:00-13:30, 17:00-20:00; Su from 09:30. Ornate OTT church built 1918-22 in a mix of Neo-Gothic and Modernist. Free. (updated Dec 2025) 4 Ciudadela of Celestino Solar, Capua 15, ☏ +34 985 181777. A working-class housing block, named for the fellow who built it in 1877, and inhabited until 1960. It's now a museum, with one house furnished in period. Folk here lived in cramped conditions, with a single window to each house. Free. (updated Dec 2025) 5 Railway Museum, Plaza Estación del Norte, ☏ +34 985 181777. Apr-Sep: Tu-Su 10:30-19:00; Oct-Mar: Tu-Su 10:00-18:30. Steam, diesel and electric locomotives and shunters and other rolling stock, mostly from Asturias' industrial heyday of coal and steel. The steam locos are occasionally fired up and haul rides, but it's just for 100 m up and down the siding. Plus a library and resource on Spanish railways, and model railways. Free. (updated Dec 2025) 6 Bioparc Aquarium, Playa De Poniente, ☏ +34 985 185220. Daily 10:30-18:30. The aquarium has 60 different habitats of fresh and salt water. Adult €20, child €11.50. (updated Dec 2025) Casa del Ratoncín Pérez is one for the kids. It's the cosy bourgeoise home of a mouse, hidden behind the Parador in Parque Isabel La Católica. 7 Nicanor Piñole Museum, Plaza Europa 28, ☏ +34 985 181019. Tu-Su 09:30-14:30, 17:00-20:00. Exhibiting the work of post-impressionist painter Nicanor Piñole (1878-1978). The building of 1902 was originally a school for under-privileged children. Free. (updated Dec 2025) === Further out === 8 Museum of the Asturian People (Museo del Pueblo de Asturias), Paseo Dr Fleming 877, ☏ +34 985 182960. Tu-Su 10:00-19:00. Extensive display of Asturian culture. (updated Dec 2025) Bagpipe Museum is within the open-air compound of the Museum of the Asturian People. 9 Evaristo Valle Museum, Camino de Cabueñes 261 (Bus 10), ☏ +34 985 334000. Tu-F 11:00-14:00, Sa Su 12:00-14:00. Displaying the work of painter Evaristo Valle (1873-1951) and allied Gijón artists. Adult €7, conc €4. (updated Dec 2025) 10 Universidad Laboral is a campus of striking buildings erected 1946-1955, and therefore condemned by some crosspatches as Francoist. It was intended as a vocational school for disadvantaged children, though all the skinny urchins in all the teeming Hispanic barrios would scarce fill it. It's now multi-use, its chief buildings include a church, theatre, design college and tower. The Modern Art Museum is open Tu-Sa 10:00-19:30. 11 Atlantic Botanical Garden, Av del Jardín Botánico (Bus 1, 2 16, 18, 26 35, 71), ☏ +34 985 185130. Tu-Su 10:00-18:00, May-Aug to 21:00. Extensive display of Atlantic plants. Adult €2.90, conc or child €1.80. (updated Dec 2025) 12 Campa Torres, Cabo Torres (7 km northwest of centre), ☏ +34 985 185 234. Tu-Su 10:00-17:00. A fortified settlement from 500 BC on a breezy headland, with museum and reconstructed dwellings. It was Romanized in the 1st century AD but abandoned after the founding of Gijón. Free. (updated Dec 2025) 13 Veranes Roman Villa, Camino Venta Veranes (13 km southwest of centre), ☏ +34 985 185129. Tu-Su 10:00-15:00, mid-Jun-mid-Sep to 19:00. Remains of a Roman villa, close to the Roman road to Asturica Augusta, nowadays Astorga. Free. (updated Dec 2025) == Do == Puerto Deportivo is the leisure marina, sheltered by breakwaters west of the peninsula neck. Forus is a pool, sports and fitness centre on the breakwater east end of Playa de Poniente. Centro de Cultura Antiguo Instituto is a cultural centre at Jovellanos 21, just south of Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Teatro Albéniz is a concert hall at San Bernardo 62. Teatro Jovellanos is at Paseo Begoña 11. Asturias Casino is within Hotel Hernán Cortés, open daily 18:30-02:30. Football: Sporting de Gijón play soccer in Segunda Division, the second tier. Their stadium El Molinón (capacity 29,000) is by the Parador. Golf courses are to the southeast. Municipal courses are El Tragamón and La Lloreal. Real Club de Golf de Castiello is near Castiello Bernueces. Deva Golf is a pitch and putt. Beaches: you're not in the Med remember, so factor in tides and chilly waters. Poniente is the most central, a half-moon of sand west of the marina. Arbeyal is a smaller sandy beach 1 km west of Poniente. Pity about the vista of industrial dockland. San Lorenzo is the main city beach, a 1 km expanse of sand east of the headland. It's almost covered at high tide. El Rinconin or Cervigon is 1 km northeast of San Lorenzo. It's pebble and sand, dogs permitted. Peñarrubia is a nudist beach 4 km east of town centre. It's narrow and surrounded by high cliffs. It's considered polite to put your pants back on before lumping up the steps to the car park. La Cagonera / Serin beach, below the cliffs, is 5 km east. Estaño is 6 km east of town centre, a small beach of sand and gravel, reached by steps down the cliffs. === Events === El Antroxu is roughly equivalent to Mardi Gras, a carnival in March before the onset of Lent. Semana Negra is an arts festival and funfair in July. Semana Grande or "Big Week" is in August, with concerts, fireworks and parades. International Film Festival is in November. == Buy == Supermarkets near the old centre are Masymas on Instituto 5, Opencor on Munuza 2, Supercor at Donato Argüelles 6 and Carrefour Express at Plaza de San Miguel 5. Mercado del Sur is a trad indoor market hall on Plaza Seis de Agosto, open M-Sa 08:00-20:00. Mercadona has branches all over town. El Corte Inglés is a big department store southwest on Ramón Areces. == Eat == Sidrerías specialise in food paired with cider. El Centenario, Plaza Mayor 7, ☏ +34 985 343561. Tu-Su 13:00-16:00, 20:00-00:00. Filling portions at this old town sidrería. (updated Dec 2025) La Galana, Plaza Mayor 10, ☏ +34 985 172429. Daily 12:00-16:00, 19:00-01:00. Popular place for cider and tapas. (updated Dec 2025) Zabala, Vizconde de Campo Grande 2 (by Jovellanos Birthplace Museum), ☏ +34 985 341731. Tu-Su 13:30-16:30, 20:30-23:00, Su 13:30-16:30. Inexpensive seafood and meat. (updated Dec 2025) Restaurante Tandoori is Indian cuisine next door at Vizconde de Campo Grande 4, open daily 13:00-17:00, 20:00-00:00. El Veleru is a sidrería behind Zabala at Rosario 2, open Th-M 12:00-01:00. El Lavaderu is a sidrería a short block further north at Plaza Periodista Arturo Arias 1, open W-M 12:00-00:00. Mercante, C del Cholo, ☏ +34 985 350244. W-M 09:00-23:00. Creative cuisine at this waterfront grill. (updated Dec 2025) Berty's Burger is at Santa Elena 12, open daily 13:30-00:00. Casa Carmen, Manso 26, ☏ +34 985 334415, contacto@casacarmengijon.com. Th-Su 12:30-16:30, 20:00-23:45. Sidrería with trad Asturian cuisine. (updated Dec 2025) Sibuya is a sushi bar by the beach at Paseo del Muro de San Lorenzo 6, open daily 13:30-16:00, 20:30-23:30. == Drink == Bars line the Cimadevilla streets and the waterfronts to west and east. Wine: Asturias doesn't export much wine, so here's the place to try it. Cangas is a DO region. == Sleep == Hotel Asturias, Plaza Mayor 11, ☏ +34 985 350600. Old but comfy and central. B&B double €90. (updated Dec 2025) 1 El Moderne Hotel, Marqués de San Esteban 27, ☏ +34 984 080809. Clean and comfy hotel near the marina, some street noise. B&B double €100. (updated Dec 2025) 2 Hotel Hernán Cortés, Fernández Vallín 5, ☏ +34 985 346000. Good value midrange place in town centre. B&B double €90. (updated Dec 2025) 3 Hostal Costa Gijón, Emilio Tuya 64, ☏ +34 985 839591. Clean well-run small hotel (no dorm) by Parque Isabel La Católica. Storage for bikes and surf boards. B&B double €60. (updated Dec 2025) Hotel Rey Pelayo or Zentral is at Av Torcuato Fernández Miranda 26 near the Parador. 4 Parador de Gijón, Av Torcuato Fernández Miranda 15, ☏ +34 985 370511. Comfy hotel in Parque Isabel La Católica, a bit dull and needing a spruce. B&B double €100. (updated Dec 2025) 5 Hotel Principe de Asturias, Manso 2, ☏ +34 985 367111. Boxy midrange hotel on San Lorenzo beach, make sure to get a sea view. B&B double €90. (updated Dec 2025) 6 NH Gijón, Paseo Dr Fleming 71, ☏ +34 985 195755. Upscale hotel by San Lorenzo beach, some reckon it's overpriced for what you get. B&B double €100. (updated Dec 2025) Abba Playa Hotel is a smart business hotel 50 m north of NH Gijón at Paseo Dr Fleming 37. == Stay safe == Beware traffic, safeguard valuables and swerve clear of drunks and low-life, same as anywhere else. 112 is the emergency number: operators are fluent in English. == Connect == As of Dec 2025, Gijón and its approach roads have 5G from all Spanish carriers. == Go next == Oviedo is 35 km southwest. As the region's capital it has plenty of museums, churches and accommodation, and good transport links. Picos de Europa are the mountains and national park dividing Asturias from the rest of Spain.