Gijon travel guide

Gijon, Spain

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Gijon

Introduction

Gijón, also known as Xixón, is a city and municipality in northwestern Spain. It is the largest city in the autonomous community of Asturias, and it serves as a natural starting point for exploring the surrounding region.

Before you go

Gijón sits on the coast of Asturias, historically isolated from the rest of Spain by the Picos de Europa. Those mountains draw the clouds and rain, so expect cool, wet summers and weary winters; the Bay of Biscay is cool and sometimes storm-tossed. The city began as a small harbour village on a peninsula and grew with maritime trade and, later, steel. Pack for damp, changeable conditions and bring layers rather than relying on beach weather.

Infogijón is the tourist office, on the waterfront west side of the peninsula, and its website also covers other city services including transport. As anywhere, beware traffic, safeguard valuables and swerve clear of drunks and low-life. The emergency number is 112, and operators are fluent in English.

Getting there

Asturias Airport (OVD) is 30 km west of Gijón, near Avilés, with flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Sevilla and other Spanish cities. International flights are sparse and mostly by budget carriers, though they do cover major European cities, London and Istanbul. An ALSA bus runs direct from the airport to Gijón hourly, taking about 50 minutes; a taxi takes around 20 minutes. You could also fly into Santander, but the choice of flights is similar, and Madrid offers a much greater range including intercontinental connections.

Renfe trains from Madrid Chamartín run every 2–3 hours, taking about 4 hours via Segovia, Valladolid, Palencia, León and Oviedo, and may start from Valencia or Alicante. Cercanías local trains C1 and C5a shuttle every 30 minutes between Oviedo and Gijón in 35 minutes, while 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 reach Gijón from anywhere in Central Asturias by Cercanías, though travel times can be long. All trains terminate at Gijón Sanz Crespo, 500 m southwest of the city centre, which has just a couple of vending machines, shabby toilets and nowhere to sit down. ALSA buses run hourly from Madrid Estación Sur, taking 6–7 hours via Madrid Moncloa, Valladolid, León and Oviedo, with some starting from Madrid Airport T4. Buses between Oviedo and Gijón run every 15 minutes and take 30 minutes, and from Avilés every 20 minutes, also taking 30 minutes, with one an hour starting from Asturias Airport. The Estación de Autobuses is southwest of the town centre on Magnus Blikstad, a 1941 modernist building that looks like it wants to be an arthouse cinema. By road, from Madrid follow the A-6 / A-66 toll route, 466 km, reckoning about 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 the AS-I to avoid the traffic. The A-8 runs east–west along the coast, toll-free except between Bilbao and the French border.

Getting around

Walking is the best way to explore Cimadevilla, the old peninsula neighbourhood that forms the historic heart of Gijón. The old centre is traffic-restricted with camera enforcement, so you don't need a car there — and in practice you can't drive through it. If you arrive by car, leave it in one of the nearby underground public parking lots and continue on foot.

Where to stay

Gijón's accommodation clusters in two main areas: the old centre around Plaza Mayor and the streets inland from San Lorenzo beach. In the centre, Hotel Asturias on Plaza Mayor is old but comfy and central, while Hotel Hernán Cortés on Fernández Vallín is a good-value midrange option in the town centre. Near the marina, El Moderne Hotel on Marqués de San Esteban is clean and comfy, though you may hear some street noise.

For a beach stay, the hotels along San Lorenzo and Paseo Dr Fleming put you within steps of the sand, and the Parador and Hostal Costa Gijón sit by Parque Isabel La Católica. Hotel Rey Pelayo or Zentral is near the Parador on Avenida Torcuato Fernández Miranda.

Food & drink

Sidrerías are the heart of eating out here, places where food is served alongside cider. In the old town around the Plaza Mayor you'll find El Centenario, known for filling portions, and La Galana, a popular spot for cider and tapas. Near the Jovellanos Birthplace Museum, Zabala serves inexpensive seafood and meat, with Restaurante Tandoori next door for Indian cuisine. A cluster of sidrerías lies just behind and north of Zabala: El Veleru and El Lavaderu, the latter a short block further on. For traditional Asturian cooking, head to Casa Carmen, and for creative cuisine try Mercante, a waterfront grill. Simpler options include Berty's Burger and Sibuya, a sushi bar by the beach. To drink, bars line the streets of Cimadevilla and the waterfronts to the west and east. Asturias doesn't export much of its wine, so this is the place to try it, with Cangas a DO region.

What to see and do

The old centre clusters on the neck of the peninsula in Cimadevilla, the city's oldest quarter, where Plaza Mayor is ringed by the town hall, the Palacio Valdés and the Roman baths. Those baths are a public bathing complex dating from the late 1st century AD, and beside them stands San Pedro, a parish church rebuilt in retro medieval style after its 15th-century predecessor was destroyed in the Civil War, with intricate mosaics behind the main altar. A short walk north brings you to Plaza de Jovellanos, home to the Birthplace of Jovellanos Museum and fragments of the old walls, and to the chapel of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, which holds the statesman's remains. Nearby you can take in the Palacio de Revillagigedo, a grand palace now used for temporary exhibitions, and the Barjola Museum, devoted to the abstract and expressionist work of Juan Barjola. On the grassy headland of Santa Catalina Park you'll find old fortifications, skateboarding and play areas, coastal views in both directions, and Eduardo Chillida's sculpture *Elogio del Horizonte*. Other stops include the ornate Neo-Gothic and Modernist Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Ciudadela of Celestino Solar — a working-class housing block preserved as a museum — and the Railway Museum, with locomotives and rolling stock from Asturias' coal and steel heyday. Further out lie the Museum of the Asturian People, with a bagpipe museum in its open-air compound, the Evaristo Valle Museum, the striking Universidad Laboral campus, the Atlantic Botanical Garden, the fortified settlement of Campa Torres and the Veranes Roman Villa. For activities, there's the leisure marina, a pool and fitness centre, cultural and concert venues, a casino, football at El Molinón, and golf courses to the southeast. Beaches range from central Poniente and San Lorenzo to smaller spots like Arbeyal, El Rinconin, the nudist Peñarrubia and Estaño — and remember you're not in the Med, so factor in tides and chilly waters. Events include the El Antroxu carnival, the Semana Negra arts festival and funfair, Semana Grande with concerts and fireworks, and an international film festival.

When to go

Gijón has a temperate oceanic climate, so think mild and damp rather than Mediterranean. Humidity stays high all year, and the Atlantic onshore flow keeps things cloudy and humid by Spanish standards.

Three days in Gijon

Day one: Base yourself in Gijón, known in Asturias as Xixón, and start by getting your bearings in the city itself before deciding how far afield to roam. Gijón sits on the Bay of Biscay in Asturias, with the Picos de Europa rising further inland. If you arrive by air, Asturias Airport (OVD) is the regional gateway; if you come overland, ALSA coaches and Renfe trains connect the region with the rest of Spain, including Santander and the route down through Madrid Chamartín, Segovia, Valladolid, Palencia and León to Oviedo. Pick up practical information from Infogijón, and note that English is not always widely spoken, so a few words of Spanish will serve you well.

Day two: Use Gijón as your base for a wider Asturian loop. Avilés lies close by and pairs naturally with a day in the region, while Oviedo, the Asturian capital, is an easy onward stop. If you are tracing the rail corridor, the line through León, Palencia, Valladolid and Segovia down to Madrid Chamartín gives you a sense of how the north connects to the centre of Spain. Keep your plans flexible: Spanish and International connections fan out from the larger hubs, with European and long-haul routes typically routed through Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Sevilla, Valencia, Alicante, London or Istanbul.

Day three: Slow down and let the coast and the mountains set the pace. From Gijón you can look out across the Bay of Biscay, and on clear days the Picos de Europa frame the horizon inland. If you are heading home, allow time for the run to Asturias Airport, or take the train or ALSA coach back through Oviedo and León toward Madrid Chamartín for onward Spanish and International flights. Pack for changeable northern weather: Asturias is green for a reason, so expect damp, mild conditions rather than guaranteed sun.

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