Stand at the neck of the peninsula where the old town meets the water, and Gijón shows you its shape at once: the headland of Cimavilla on one side, the long sand of San Lorenzo on the other, and the working coast running west. It is a city that reads as both port and promenade, and much of what is worth your time sits within a short walk of that first view.
This guide suits anyone planning a few days on the Cantabrian coast, whether you are here for the old centre, the beaches, or the museums that document Asturian life and industry. It covers the sights in and around the city, with the practical detail you need to fit them into a day.
Top things to do in Gijón
1. Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor is the focus of Cimadevilla, the oldest and most attractive part of the city, set on the neck of the peninsula. Ranged around it are the town hall, Hotel Asturias, Palacio Valdés and the Roman Baths, so it works well as a starting point for a walk through the old centre.
Use it as your orientation point: the Roman Baths are about 50 m east, and Plaza de Jovellanos is about 100 m north.
2. Santa Catalina Park
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 here is Eduardo Chillida's 1990 sculpture Elogio del Horizonte, "Eulogy to the horizon".
Come for the coastal views in both directions, and combine it with the old centre, which sits just behind the headland.
3. Roman baths (Termas Romanas de Campo Valdés)
These are the remains of a public bathing complex from the late 1st century AD, on Tránsito Campo Valdés about 50 m east of Plaza Mayor. Entry is free.
They are open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00-14:00 and 17:00-19:30. Pair the visit with San Pedro, the parish church next door.
4. San Pedro
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, and it has intricate mosaics and other decorations, especially in the chapel behind the main altar.
It is open daily 09:30-13:00 and 17:30-20:00, which makes it easy to slot in alongside the baths and Plaza Mayor.
5. Plaza de Jovellanos and the Birthplace of Jovellanos Museum
Plaza de Jovellanos is a small square 100 m north of Plaza Mayor. Around it are the Birthplace of Jovellanos Museum and some scraps of the old city walls and fortifications.
The museum occupies the birthplace of Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (1744-1811), a statesman, author and philosopher, and a major figure of the Age of Enlightenment in Spain. It is free and open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:30-14:00 and 17:00-19:30. Next to it, Nuestra Señora de los Remedios is a chapel of 1600, originally part of a pilgrims' hostel, and since 1936 the resting place of Jovellanos.
6. Palacio de Revillagigedo
This grand palace at Plaza del Marqués 2, about 100 m northwest of Plaza Mayor, dates from the 15th century but was rebuilt in the 18th. It now houses temporary exhibitions and is not otherwise open, and its Chapel of St John the Baptist sometimes hosts concerts. Entry is free.
Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday 11:30-13:30 and 17:00-20:00, and Sunday and Monday 12:00-14:00.
7. Barjola Museum
The Barjola Museum at Trinidad 17, about 100 m southwest of Plaza Mayor, holds a permanent collection of the artwork of Juan Barjola (1919-2004), who painted in abstract and expressionist styles, plus temporary exhibitions. Entry is free.
It is open Tuesday to Saturday 11:30-13:30 and 17:00-20:00, and Sunday 12:00-14:00, so it fits neatly into an afternoon in the old centre.
8. Basilica of the Sacred Heart
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Basílica-Santuario del Sagrado Corazón de Jesus) at Instituto 34 is an ornate church built 1918-22 in a mix of Neo-Gothic and Modernist styles. Entry is free.
It is open Monday to Saturday 08:00-13:30 and 17:00-20:00, and Sunday from 09:30. The Centro de Cultura Antiguo Instituto is just south of it, at Jovellanos 21.
9. Ciudadela of Celestino Solar
This working-class housing block at Capua 15, named for the man who built it in 1877, was inhabited until 1960. It is now a museum, with one house furnished in period, showing how residents lived in cramped conditions with a single window to each house. Entry is free.
It is a compact stop that pairs well with the Railway Museum, both of which can be reached on the same outing.
10. Railway Museum
The Railway Museum at Plaza Estación del Norte holds 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, though only for 100 m up and down the siding. There is also a library and resource on Spanish railways, and model railways. Entry is free.
Opening hours are April to September, Tuesday to Sunday 10:30-19:00, and October to March, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:30.
11. Bioparc Aquarium
The Bioparc Aquarium on Playa De Poniente has 60 different habitats of fresh and salt water. It is open daily 10:30-18:30, with adult tickets at €20 and child tickets at €11.50.
It sits by Poniente, the most central beach, so you can combine an aquarium visit with time on the sand.
12. Museum of the Asturian People
The Museum of the Asturian People (Museo del Pueblo de Asturias) on Paseo Dr Fleming 877 offers an extensive display of Asturian culture. The Bagpipe Museum is within its open-air compound.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-19:00, and the two museums together make a substantial half-day.
13. Universidad Laboral
Universidad Laboral is a campus of striking buildings erected 1946-1955, intended as a vocational school for disadvantaged children. It is now multi-use, and its chief buildings include a church, theatre, design college and tower. The Modern Art Museum here is open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00-19:30.
Allow time to walk the site rather than treating it as a single building.
14. Atlantic Botanical Garden
The Atlantic Botanical Garden on Av del Jardín Botánico has an extensive display of Atlantic plants. It is open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00, and until 21:00 from May to August. Adult tickets are €2.90, and concession or child tickets €1.80.
Several buses serve it, including 1, 2, 16, 18, 26, 35 and 71.
15. Campa Torres
Campa Torres at Cabo Torres, about 7 km northwest of the centre, is a fortified settlement from 500 BC on a breezy headland, with a museum and reconstructed dwellings. It was Romanized in the 1st century AD but abandoned after the founding of Gijón. Entry is free.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-17:00. The Veranes Roman Villa, 13 km southwest of the centre, is the other Roman site worth adding if you have a car or are willing to travel; it is free and open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-15:00, extending to 19:00 from mid-June to mid-September.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Plaza Mayor, then walk the short distance east to the Roman baths (Termas Romanas de Campo Valdés) and San Pedro next door. Head north to Plaza de Jovellanos for the Birthplace of Jovellanos Museum and the old city walls.
Afternoon: Continue to Palacio de Revillagigedo and the Barjola Museum, both close to Plaza Mayor. If time allows, walk out to Santa Catalina Park for the coastal views and Elogio del Horizonte.
Evening: Finish at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, then take a stroll along Poniente, the most central beach, or the marina, before dinner in the old centre.
Frequently asked questions
Which sights in Gijón are free to enter?
The Roman baths, the Birthplace of Jovellanos Museum, Palacio de Revillagigedo, the Barjola Museum, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Ciudadela of Celestino Solar, the Railway Museum, Campa Torres and the Veranes Roman Villa all have free entry. The Bioparc Aquarium, the Evaristo Valle Museum and the Atlantic Botanical Garden charge admission.
When is the best time to visit the beaches?
Beaches here face the Atlantic, so factor in tides and chilly waters. San Lorenzo, the main city beach, is almost covered at high tide, and Poniente is the most central option west of the marina.
What events take place in Gijón during the year?
El Antroxu is a carnival in March before the onset of Lent. Semana Negra is an arts festival and funfair in July, and Semana Grande or "Big Week" is in August, with concerts, fireworks and parades. The International Film Festival is in November.
How do I reach the sights outside the centre?
Campa Torres is about 7 km northwest of the centre, and the Veranes Roman Villa is about 13 km southwest. The Evaristo Valle Museum is served by Bus 10, and the Atlantic Botanical Garden by buses 1, 2, 16, 18, 26, 35 and 71.
With the old centre, the headland and the coast all within reach of each other, you can start shaping an itinerary around the places above and let the tide set the pace.