
The best things to do in Gijón include taking in fascinating bits of Roman history besides spending sunny days on the beach. This northern Spanish harbourside town is one of the Asturian region’s largest coastal towns – surprisingly, you can easily explore its core on foot. The more popular town of Oviedo to the south may please you with more features, but Gijón has its own specific charms, including the panoramic golden beachfront bordering the blue waves of the Cantabrian Sea.
Charming medieval sightseeing awaits in the fisherman’s harbourside quarter of Cimadevilla. Plazas in the old town are porticoed, and wide and scenic boardwalks line the coast. Families with kids will find loads to do – on land or in the waves. Also, it’s only around a 30-minute transfer east from Asturias Airport, a generally shorter ride than to Oviedo.
Gijón’s old harbourside town
适合: 历史, 照片
Take in the historical charms of Gijón in Plaza Mayor, the town’s main square. The ayuntamiento (townhall) overlooks the neatly tiled and cobblestoned plaza with a single tall lamppost at its centre. Other tall buildings surround the plaza with colonnades at their bases, which are home to some shops and boutiques.
You can sit down for a coffee and even take in the charming square over dinner at one of the sidrería (cider bars) in the north-western corner. Walking through the gateway west takes you to Plazuela del Marqués by the marina. Take the eastern passageway, and you’ll hit the beach.
地址: Plaza Mayor, 33201 Gijón, Asturias, Spain

Plaza Mayor
A scenic sculpture over the sea
适合: 历史, 照片
Around 5 minutes’ walk north from the Old City along via Calle Camín de la Fontica, you’ll reach the hilly Catalina headland. It’s well maintained, with a pleasant walking and cycling path winding through it. This leads you to the 10-metre-tall sculpture of Elogio del Horizonte (Eulogy of the Horizon), with its 2 pillars supporting an open ellipse.
This structure frames the horizon and the blue waters of the Bay of Biscay perfectly. You can also find a skatepark on the western end of the promontory against the magnificent ocean backdrop.