Gijón is a city in Asturias with a complete offer for its visitors: heritage, gastronomy, nature… In this post, I tell you what to see in Gijón, from its beaches to its museums. Also, I talk about unique experiences to do in the city, and I show you the hotel where I stayed.

1. What to see in Gijón

These are the places to visit in Gijón (Xixón in Asturian) so you get to know different aspects of the city, such as its history, the beaches and beautiful green areas:

1.1 San Lorenzo beach

A great place to start exploring Gijón is its promenade next to San Lorenzo beach (paseo del Muro de San Lorenzo), because, as I explain below, there is a good place to park the car close. This beach is 1.5 km long and, weather allowing, it’s very frequented by locals to enjoy fresh air and the sea.

1.2 Las Letronas

Next to the marina, you can find Las Letronas (“the big letters”), a popular spot to take a photo. Each letter weights two tones, so its name fits it perfectly. Very close to Las Letronas there is the Árbol de la Sidra (the cider tree).

1.3 Revillagigedo Palace

Revillagigedo Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings in Gijón. This palace was built in the 18th century, and the two towers on each side are from the 15th century. Apart from the palace, the square where it’s located (plaza del Marqués), seemed to me one of the most enchanting spots in the city, with its historical flair, but with a view to the marine. Here you can also find Pelayo’s fountain and sculpture.

1.4 Major Square

Another highlight of the city centre is Plaza Mayor or Major Square, a porticoed square built in the 19th century. Here it’s Gijón city hall, as well as some restaurants and shops. Just some meters from Major Square, it’s the old Municipal Fish Market, that nowadays is an administrative centre.

1.5 Cimadevilla

Cimadevilla is Gijón’s origin, the oldest part of the city. Surrounded by the sea, this was a fishermen neighbourhood. Apart from strolling through the streets full of colourful houses, you can’t miss Plazoleta de Jovellanos, a square where Jovellano’s Birthplace and Museum, and San Pedro Church are located.

1.6 Elogio del Horizonte

Santa Catalina mount is a great green area overlooking the sea located in the north of Cimadevilla neighbourhood. Here, the most famous spot is Elogio del Horizonte (Praise of the Horizon), a huge sculpture from the artist Eduardo Chillida. It was made with concrete, and it is 10 meters long.

1.7 Celestino Solar Citadel

In the 19th century, in Gijón, there was a great population increase due to industrialization. Most of this population were low-income workers. That’s why they were created more than 200 citadels, working-class districts made up with humble dwellings.

Nowadays, one of these citadels stills conserved: it’s the Ciudadela de Celestino Solar, that is located in Capua 15, disguised by the blocks of flats that have been built around it. By visiting it, you can get a sense about how was the life of these working-class families during the 19th and 20th centuries. The entry is free.

1.8 Modernist buildings

On the other hand, industrialization supposed also wealth and the development of bourgeois in Gijón, and that’s something you can see in the modernist buildings that are in the city centre. These are some streets and squares where you can find this kind of building:

• Calle Jovellanos
• Calle La Merced
• Calle Cabrales
• Plaza San Miguel
• Plaza Europa
• Calle Corrida

Taking advantage of being in the city centre, you can visit a beautiful square named plaza Campinos de Begoña, where San Lorenzo Church is located, as well as Paseo Begoña, where you can find Jovellanos Theatre.

1.9 Poniente beach

If you feel more beachy, and you want to have a different view of the city, you should go to Poniente beach, next to the marine. This is a smaller beach that was created artificially in the 90s.

1.10 La Laboral

We move away from the city centre, and is that on the outskirts of the city there are some musts to see in Gijón. One of them is La Laboral (formerly named Universidad Laboral, nowadays, Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura). Built between 1948 and 1957, it is the biggest building in Spain. You can go up the Tower Viewpoint to have spectacular views (for us the fog didn’t allow it, but it gave a special charm to the enclosure).

If you go by car, be aware of Google Maps indications, because, at least in 2023, they were wrong. To go to the parking in the main entrance, you have to go to Aparcamiento Universidad Laboral.

1.11 Muséu del Pueblu d’Asturies

One of the most important museums to visit in Gijón is Museum of Asturian People. It is free, and it has a big collection of objects and furniture whose aim is to preserve the memory of the Asturian people. Nevertheless, the most outstanding part is in their gardens, where there are some historic and traditional Asturian buildings, most of them original.

1.12 El Molinón arena

If you like football, you can visit the arena of the Real Sporting de Gijón: El Molinón. This stadium is the oldest in Spain, as it was built before 1908. Nowadays, El Molinón can hold 30 000 spectators.

1.13 Botanical Atlantic Garden

Close to La Laboral it is the Botanical Atlantic Garden, or Jardín Botánico Atlántico. This garden has an area of 4000 ㎡ and is divided into different zones. The ticket costs €2.9.

2. What to do in Gijón: experiences and activities

Other than knowing what to see in Gijón, for really getting to know a place, you should do some of these plans and experiences:

2.1 Visit a llagar

You can’t comprehend Gijón without its most popular drink: la sidra (the cider). To get to know how it’s made, how to taste, and, why not, how to pour it or escanciarla, you can visit one of the several cider mills that are around Gijón. We visited llagar de la Sidra JR, where we tasted different types of cider freshly served from the barrel.

2.2 Enjoy Gijón’s gastronomy

To delve deeper into Gijón’s gastronomy, you can opt for Gijón Gourmet, an offer that allows you to taste a complete avant-garde menu in one of the six most emblematic restaurants in the city.

Gijón Gourmet’s menu costs €45 per person (€70 in the case of Restaurant Agua, that has a Michelin star), and includes two starters, two main courses, dessert, and wine. We enjoyed in Restaurante V. Crespo.

2.3 Make a route of confectioneries

I am a really sweet tooth. If you are like me, you should try another gastronomic experience of the city: Gijón Goloso. In this case, you can go to different confectioneries and taste their most special preparations. For €9, you have five tastings, and, for €15, ten tastings. From all the sweets I tasted, my favourite one was the ice cream offered by Turrones y Helados Federico Verdú.

2.4 Take a boat trip

Gijón is a city that overlooks the sea, and lives it and works it. That’s why another thing to do here is taking a boat trip. There are several options, depending on your preferences and budget. Two you can book online are:

• Gijón Coast Speedboat Tour (€20)
• Jet Ski Tour (€60)

2.5 Learn to surf

If you prefer to sense the sea and its waves closer, and you are eager to learn something new, you can check this surfing lesson (€40). However, there are other active sport activities you can do, such as a tandem paragliding flight (€49).

3. Where to sleep in Gijón

With all you can see and do in Gijón, good accommodation is a must. We stayed in Casona de Cefontes, and we loved the experience. It’s in the outskirts, but just 10 minutes to the city centre by car. It is a beautiful, large house with amazing views (we stayed in one of the rooms called Habitaciones Garden). The treatment is wonderful and, the breakfast, great.

4. Where to park in Gijón

Finding free parking in the city centre of Gijón can be challenging. If you don’t mind a bit of walking, you can park in Aparcamiento Parque de los Hermanos Castro. This is free and has a lot of parking spaces, and you can walk to the city centre strolling near San Lorenzo beach. Nevertheless, you can also park in one of the pay parkings that are in the heart of the centre.

I hope now you have a better idea about what to see in Gijón and what activities you can do. If, apart from the city, you want to explore some natural part of Asturias, check the next article about Somiedo Natural Park.

Pictures are from my travel blog in Spanish, Meraviglia, so I own the rights to them.