Whether you're looking for beaches, bars or a bit of history, the bustling coastal city of Gijón has a bit of it all.
Up until fairly recently, Gijón was an important but gritty industrial center churning out steel and iron. These days, this coastal city has taken on a new role as a beach resort city catering to Spanish and international tourists seeking a place to lay down their towels and soak up the sun while beating the boiling temperatures and avoiding the crowds typical of Spain's southern coast. The influx of tourism motivated Gijón to clean up its historic center and parks, inaugurate new museums and arts centers, kick its cultural program up a notch and turn its industrial-style port into a first-class leisure marina.
The bulk of Gijón's charm is found in the Cimadevilla neighborhood, which spills over onto a small peninsula shared with a beautiful park overlooking the ocean. Cimadevilla, once Gijón's traditional fishermen's neighborhood, is the oldest part of Gijón and boasts a picturesque tangle of narrow lanes, leaning buildings, intimate nooks and crannies and all sorts of atmospheric shopping, eating and drinking establishments. At the top of the hill is the emblematic Elogio del Horizonte, a massive sculpture created by Basque artist Eduardo Chillido.
Other attractions include the harmonious Plaza Mayor, Gijón's pleasant central square bordered by porticoes and the city's 19th-century Casa Consistorial (City Hall); the Roman baths, dating back to the 1st or 2nd century AD; a handful of interesting museums and cultural centers where you can learn all about trains, bagpipes, modern art, etc.; 16th- to 20th-century churches, convents and palaces; fantastic beaches; and the palatial home of Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, an 18th century Enlightenment writer and politician and Gijón's most famous son. Now a museum dedicated to Jovellanos and to Asturian art, the building - which dates back to the 15th century - is an architectural masterpiece that even has a chapel in which Jovellanos is interred.
The outskirts of the city are home to a number of other interesting must-sees, such as the marvelously designed Jardín Botánico Atlántico (Atlantic Botanical Gardens), which serves as a fascinating introduction to the flora found along the Cantabrian coastline. Another popular attraction is the Campa Torres, considered the birthplace of Gijón and located just 6 kilometers away. Here you can explore surviving remains of Celtic and Roman settlements, including dwellings and cisterns. Further afield - 32 kilometers, to be precise - is the Jurassic Park of Asturias, one of the world's most extensive dinosaur museums. On display are 800 fossils representing the giant prehistoric creatures that roamed the area 65 million years ago.
Add in delicious food, friendly folks and a lively social and cultural scene, and Gijón is a wonderful destination to explore. Want more information? Have a look at our Gijón Guide
Spanish Courses in Gijón
At the present time we do not offer any Spanish courses in Gijón. However, we do offer diverse Spanish programs in numerous destinations throughout both Spain and Latin America. Click on the link below and check out all of the wonderful Spanish-speaking destinations offering Enforex Spanish courses: