Gijón, Xixón in Asturian, with about 270,000 inhabitants, is the largest city in Asturias, on the Cantabrian coast about 30 km from Oviedo. A port and industrial city now renewed, it is lively, young and outdoorsy, with a strong cider culture.
History
Inhabited in Roman times, as the Campo Valdés baths show, it was by tradition one of the first capitals of the Kingdom of Asturias. In the 18th century it was the birthplace of Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, the Enlightenment politician and writer who founded the Royal Asturian Institute. In the 19th and 20th centuries it grew with the port of El Musel, mining and steelworks.
What to see
- Cimadevilla, the old fishermen's quarter on the Santa Catalina headland, with colourful houses, cider houses and the Plaza Mayor.
- The Elogio del Horizonte, Eduardo Chillida's great concrete sculpture on Santa Catalina hill, the city's symbol, where the wind makes a sound like the sea.
- The Roman baths of Campo Valdés and the Palacio de Revillagigedo.
- San Lorenzo beach, about a kilometre and a half long, with the Muro promenade, and Poniente beach.
- The Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura, a huge 1950s complex, one of Spain's largest buildings, with an arts centre and a panoramic tower.
- The Museum of the Asturian People and the Atlantic Botanical Garden.
- The marina and the Aquarium.
Cider
In Gijón cider is a ritual: in the sidrerías waiters pour it from on high, the escanciado. In August the Natural Cider Festival includes a world-record attempt at simultaneous pouring on Poniente beach. Asturian cider culture was recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage in 2024.
Festivals and food
The Semana Negra, in July, is a crime and noir fiction festival with a fair and concerts. The Begoña festivities, in August, feature the big fireworks show of the Noche de los Fuegos. Food: fabada asturiana, cachopo, pixín (monkfish), seafood, Cabrales cheese and arroz con leche.
Getting there
Asturias airport is about 40 km away. Gijón has trains to Oviedo and high-speed services to Madrid. See also Oviedo.