Gijon, Asturias (Spain)

The port city of Gijon is located on the coast of the Bay of Biscay in the central part of the coast of the autonomous region of Asturias, 20 km north of Oviedo. In the 16th century, a port was established here, which became the largest industrial port in Spain. From that moment began the rapid development of the city. Now Gijón is the largest settlement in Asturias, but it is not its capital.

According to equzhou, the old city is located on the Simadeville peninsula. Here rises the hill of Santa Catalina with a vast park and is an old fishing district. At the top of Santa Catalina Hill there is a monument to Elogio del Horizonte the work of Eduardo Chillida, which has become a symbol of the city. From here you have a beautiful view of the coast. In Jovellanos Square, named after a public figure of the Enlightenment, the Jovellanos Museum is interesting, where works by local artists are presented. The nearby piazza de Marques is dominated by the 18th century Revillagigedo Palace . It now houses the Center for International Arts. Nearby, the Torre de Reloy clock tower houses the Museum of the History of Gijón on six floors. In the surroundings, the 17th-century Barhola Palace with the Museum of Modern Art is worth a visit. On the eastern edge of the Cimadevilla peninsula is the Campo Valdes area.. Of interest here are the Valdes Palace of the 16th century, where a tobacco factory was located in the old days, the Church of San Pedro of the 15th century and the ruins of Roman baths of the 1st-4th centuries. From here, the 1.5-kilometer San Lorenzo beach stretches to the east. The beach is flanked by a promenade. It is equipped with showers and toilets, there are also sun loungers and umbrellas that are available for rent. San Lorenzo Beach is also known as a great place for surfing. The best conditions for riding the waves are observed in the autumn and winter months. However, it is worth remembering that in winter the water temperature often drops to +10..+12 degrees.

On the mainland of Gijón, it is worth visiting the Railway Museum, the Bagpipe Museum with a collection of bagpipes from all over the world, Isabel la Catolica Park and Aquarium, with about 50 tanks, where about 400 species of sea and river inhabitants are represented. On the western outskirts of the city there is the Campa Torres Archaeological Park with the remains of Roman settlements, the port of El Musel (one of the largest ports in northern Spain) and Poniente beachwith a length of 500 m. On the beach there is a thalassotherapy center “Talasoponiente”. On the eastern outskirts of Gijon , the Atlantic Botanical Garden with an area of 16 hectares is of interest, where plants of the Atlantic zone are presented.

On the coast of the Bay of Biscay, on both sides of Gijón, there are cozy bays with sandy beaches.

To the west of Gijon is the fishing town of Luanco, which is the tuna fishing capital of Asturias. In the city itself, palaces of the 18th century, the Maritime Museum, the embankment, the fishing harbor, where numerous restaurants and bars are located, the city beach of Luanco (Luanco beach) and La Ribera beach are interesting. In July, the Tuna Festival is held in Luanco. Further to the west is the protected Cape Peñas. The cliffs of the cape rise 100 m above the water surface. A lighthouse is installed here and beautiful views of the coast and beaches open up. On the other side of Cape Peñas at the mouth of the Aviles River is a port city Aviles, which is the third largest in the autonomous region of Asturias. Be sure to take a walk along the streets of Galiano and Rivero, along the Plaza de España, where the City Hall stands, visit the 13th century Sabugo Church, the modern Church of Thomas of Canterbury and the palaces of Valdecarsana, Camposagrado and Valdes. In the vicinity of Aviles, there are the beaches of Xago beach and Salinas beach, famous among surfers. Nearby are one of the most beautiful fishing villages of Asturias – Cudillero (Cudillero), which stretches the magnificent beach of Silencio (Silencio beach), surrounded by cliffs, and many other quiet small beaches; as well as the village of Luarca (Luarca) and the towns of Navia (Navia) and Tapia de Casariego (Tapia de Casariego) with some of the most popular beaches for surfing.

A few kilometers east of Gijon, it is worth visiting the fishing villages of Tazones and Lastres, Rodiles beach and the town of Villaviciosa, located 10 km south of the coast. Of interest in Villaviciosa are the pre-Romanesque church of San Salvador de Valdedios from the 9th century and the Romanesque churches of Santa Maria and San Juan de Amandi. Further east at the mouth of the Sella River lies the port city of Ribadesella. (Ribadesella). The city is divided by the river into two parts, connected by a bridge. In the western part of Ribadesella stretches the beautiful sandy beach of Santa Marina (Santa Marina beach) and there is a cave of Tito Bustillo, on the walls of which you will see rock paintings from the Paleolithic times depicting people and animals. No more than 360 tourists are allowed to visit the cave daily, so a visit to the cave must be planned in advance. The Old Town is located in the eastern part of the city.and port. Of interest here are the Romanesque churches of Santa Maria de Junco and San Esteban, the Gothic chapel of Santa Ana and the chapel of Nuestra Señora de Guia, the city administration building, residential buildings of the 17th and 18th centuries and the area of villas and mansions of Arenal de Santa Maria. In August, the Canoe Festival is held in Ribadesella, because the Sella river is a great place to travel by canoe. To the east stretch the beaches of San Antolin beach, famous among surfers of any skill level, Torimbia beach and the beaches of the resort town of Barro. In the very east of the coast of Asturias lies the resort town of Llanes (Llanes), which was founded in the 13th century as a whaling center. In the city itself, it is worth walking along the 800-meter San Pedro walking trail , laid along the top of the cliffs framing the coastline, examining the remains of the pre-Romanesque city wall and medieval buildings. Tourists can relax on three city beaches, among which Toro beach stands out, and on dozens of beaches located a little to the east, of which Ballota beach is the most popular.