"Gijón (Xixon), Asturias" Gijón by TinyTuck

Gijón Travel Guide: 83 reviews and 256 photos

Gijón is with its 250,000 inhabitants the biggest city of the state of Asturias in the North of Spain. (Oviedo, the capital, is a bit smaller.)
Gijón is located at the Atlantic coast and is framed by green mountains. It has got a long beach called Playa de San Lorenzo (with all those big appartment blocks behind it it´s erything but idylle, but hey... it´s a beach!), and a nice and lively beach promenade with cliffs and some interesting sculptures. Moreover, there´s an important industrial port with another smaller beach called Playa de Poniente. You can swim from about May till September, depending on your sensitiveness to cold water, and do all kinds of water sports.
Gijón has got a great bar scene and crazy nightlife which is concentrated around Plaza Mayor and in the beach area, especially in summer time.
The older part of town, Cimadevilla, is located on a spit of land between beach and port (as on the picture). It´s pretty small, and there´s not too much to see since big parts of the city were destroyed in the civil war. At it´s northern tip there´s a park-like area up on a little hill called Cerro Santa Catalina, from where you have a great view over Gijón.
It´s an industrial city, so don´t expect too much beauty.
However, you´ll like it here!

Don´t forget to try the Sidra, which has got a big traditon in Asturias, is only offered in so-called "Sidrerías" and has got to be served in a very unique way...

Pros and Cons

Pros:Beaches, water sports, good nightlife, beautiful surroundings
Cons:The weather, industries, old town largely destroyed

Last visit to Gijón: Jul 2001
Intro Updated Jan 26, 2003
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Reviews (6)

La Sidra Local Customs (1)

The Secret of the Sidra: When you enter an Asturian 'Sidraría' you will notice a weird smell, wood shavings on the... more travel advice

Understand how the city is... Favorites (1)

Understand how the city is built up in order not to get lost! ;-) Klick on the map to enlarge it. It shows you where... more travel advice

Stroll around the historical... Things to Do (1)

Stroll around the historical center and walk up to the Cerro Santa Catalina from where you´ll have a great view over the... more travel advice

Starts Thursday, Friday and... Nightlife (1)

Starts Thursday, Friday and Saturday at about midnight. It´s concentrated around Plaza Mayor, the later it gets the... more travel advice

What to Pack (1)
Packing List

Transportation (1)
By plane: the airport of...

Travelogues (2)

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Comments (10)

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gilabrand May 18, 2008 at 8:03 AM

Spill the cider on the floor? Weird...LOL
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nicoleken Aug 29, 2003 at 8:02 AM

Seems to be a very nice place there. It makes me thinking of Cadiz in Andalucia, is also a "peninsula". Very beautiful page and photos !
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micas_pt Aug 13, 2003 at 3:12 PM

Another great place in Spain. Nice photos!!
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Thomascalvo Jul 14, 2003 at 10:33 AM

LOL... I also recommend to bring an umbrella in my packing tip in my Asturias page
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asturnut Oct 19, 2002 at 12:15 AM

Great intro to the city. Sidrerias... si, si!!!
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Carmela71 Jul 10, 2002 at 4:10 AM

hahaha fredoom i know what you mean! the north coast is incre
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John195123 Jun 13, 2002 at 4:41 PM

Neat cultural tip!
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TracyG Jun 1, 2002 at 8:14 AM

Nice first pic, and intersting info on the sidra...
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lotharlerch May 29, 2002 at 9:53 AM

Would like to have a sidra right now...
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Beach_dog May 29, 2002 at 7:11 AM

Nice introduction and t`log to Gigon, Thanks :0)