Gijón (or Xixón) is the biggest city of Asturias region, and the most touristic one. With near 300,000 inhabitants, Gijón is a nice seaside city which invites all its visitors to enjoy its beaches, its gastronomy and its way of life.
In this article we are going to talk about the best places to see when visiting Gijón: beaches, monuments, restaurants and many more. For doing that, we will suggest three routes through the city, with the main sites and the recommendations of their citizens (thanks Tania!)
Route one: San Lorenzo beach (Playa de San Lorenzo), Cimadevilla and West Beach (Playa de Poniente)
San Lorenzo beach is probably the most famous beach of Gijón. It is located from Isabel la Católica Park, through Ezcudia Avenue to San Pedro Church.
In this area, close to San Pedro Church, you will also find the ruins of the Roman Baths (Termas romana de Campo Baldés) and the Jovellanos museum (Casa natal de Jovellanos). In the Roman Baths museum are exposed the ruins of this public baths: The first ruins were discovered in 1903 but they haven’t been fully explored and the museum wasn’t inaugurated until the end on the 20th century. On the other hand, in Jovellanos museum you will visit the 15th century birthplace of Jovellanos family (a famous Spanish writer and politician).
Once passed San Pedro Church beach, you can walk uphill to Cimadevilla neighborhood, where it’s placed Santa Catalina Park (Parque del cerro de Santa Catalina) and one of the icons of the city: the “Elogio del horizonte” monument. This construction was designed by sculptor Eduardo Chillida and built in 1990. Near this zone you also can visit Plaza Mayor of Gijón.
From this point of Santa Catalina Park, you will be able to see on the horizon the Cantabran and Gijón coasts (on one side San Lorenzo beach and on the other one The Port and El Musel).
For finishing the route, you can walk downhill to the other side of the city, where it’s placed the Port of Gijón, the famous red structure with the name of the city (Las Letronas), Revillagigedo Palace (Palacio de Revillagigedo) and the West Beach (Playa de Poniente).
Route two: Visiting the City centre
For visiting the centre of Gijón, a good start point is Begoña Street (Paseo Begoña) and Covadonga Street, in where you will find Jovellanos Theather and San Lorenzo Parish.
Another popular site is Jovellanos Square (Plaza del Instituto Jovellanos), popularly known as Plaza del Parchís. This is one of the meeting points of the city. Also, in this square is located the Municipal Library.
Route three: The view point of La Providencia
If you have enough time, you can go to La Providencia by foot. The walk from Gijón city to La Providencia could last around one hour from San Lorenzo beach (stair 17). During this walk, at first you will reach the “Juana la Lloca” monument, In memory of the fishers who were disappeared in the sea. Then, once passed the beach, there is placed La Providencia, a boat-shaped view point from where you will be able to enjoy one of the best view of Gijón.
Gastronomy: Eating in Gijón
Asturias is famous for its nature and for its gastronomy. For discovering Asturias nature you can look for routes in its villages and mountains. For tasting the Asturian food you can eat at some of the traditional restaurants of Gijón as the following ones.
Two examples of traditional restaurants of Gijón:
– El Otro Mayu (Sanz Crespo Street, number 15): An ideal option to taste the traditional food of Asturias.
– El Trasgu Farton (Luanco Street, number 16): Another option, in where you will be able to eat for a cheap price (around 10 euros per person).
More places to visit in Asturias
– Oviedo: With 225,000 inhabitants, Oviedo is the capital city of Asturias. If you want to visit it, Gijón is only 28 km away of Oviedo.
– Cudillero, Lastres and Llanes: These three seaside towns are highly popular among the tourists. If you have enough time, don’t miss them!
– Covadonga: In the Covadonga Sanctuary it’s placed the famous cave with Don Pelayo tomb and the statue of Lady of Covadonga. Close to the cave, there is located San Pedro Monastery and the Basilica of Santa María la Real of Covadonga.
– Routes in the nature: For discovering the “green Asturias” a recommended option is to plan a route on foot through the nature. For doing that you can start by trying this two routes: Ruta de las Xanas and Ruta del Cares.