Things to Do in Gijón

Gijón, also known as the capital of the Costa Verde, is the maritime capital of Asturias and one of the most interesting coastal cities in Spain. Discover its Celtic origins, its most iconic buildings, and its pleasant seafront promenade with this guided tour of Gijón.

We'll meet at the chosen time in one of Gijón's most iconic locations: the Marina. With the harbor's sailboats as a backdrop, we'll retrace the history of this city of Celtic origin, which passed through Roman and Christian hands without relinquishing its freedom.

Strolling along the dock, we'll arrive at Revillagigedo Palace, the first stop on this free tour of Gijón. This majestic 18th-century palace has a unique feature: although its two towers look like twins, one of them is 300 years older. In front of it, we'll find a statue of a knight carrying a cross. Can you guess who it is? It's Don Pelayo, the first Asturian king and a beloved figure among Asturians.

The tour of Gijón will continue in the fishing district of Cimadevilla, a place that embodies the purest essence of Gijón. We'll experience how the neighborhood's maritime atmosphere blends with the Roman remains of its streets, the oldest in the city.

From Cimadevilla, we'll continue our walk toward the coast. We'll admire how San Lorenzo Beach merges with the sea as we stroll along the famous Muro de Gijón, a wide avenue that runs parallel to the Cantabrian Sea and connects the two ends of the city center. We'll also take the opportunity to share some interesting facts about this legendary street.

The final stop on the free tour will be the elegant Plaza Mayor, the perfect setting to say goodbye after two hours of exploring Gijón's main attractions.

Do you want to discover the "Gijón of the soul" that Vicente Díaz sings about?

This seaside town with 5,000 years of history invites you to relax on its promenade, get lost in its narrow streets, and indulge in its cider. 

Will you join us?

We will start the tour at a legendary meeting point for the people of Gijón, La Escalerona. The smell of salt and the sea breeze will welcome us to a tour of this port city full of anecdotes, stories, culture, and art. 

In our first steps, we will have the opportunity to greet Caesar, who will tell us what the inhabitants of Gijón were like during its Roman past. The baths from that era will be a mandatory stop during our walk along the beach. 

Next, crowning the Promenade, we will find the Church of San Pedro, a beautiful building that is a symbol of our city. Did you know that both the baths and the church are located in the so-called Campo Valdés?

Our steps will lead us to the Main Square until we enter the Cimadevilla neighborhood, the old town of Gijón. There we will find characteristic buildings such as the Palace of the Valdés, the Revillagigedo, and the Clock Tower.

In the Plaza del Marqués, we will see the Monument to Don Pelayo, founder of the Kingdom of Asturias and considered the initiator of the Reconquista. 

But there are other characters to meet! A few meters away, we will come across the house of Jovellanos himself, who will whisper his enlightened ideas to us before we continue our journey.

A bit of gastronomy and popular culture could not be missing from the tour. We will walk through the renowned Plaza del Lavaderu and the Campo de las Monjas -Les Monxes- to finish wandering through the seaside town.

Let yourself be overwhelmed by the immensity of the Cantabrian Sea with Chillida! And of course, we will tell you about the more modern, cultural, and indie Gijón, revealing aspects of Gijón's music, cinema, and literature.

Will you come with us?

Gijón awaits you!

Gijón is history, leisure, tradition, gastronomy ... During the approximately two hours we will be together, we will know that and much more. Taking the Plaza Mayor as a starting point and after visiting the marina, we will stroll through the Cimavilla neighborhood; Origin of the city, birthplace of Jovellanos and whose streets keep stories of sailors, cigars, fishmongers ... In short, people who have been printing its current character. From its watchtower, the Cerro de Santa Catalina, we can recreate with one of the best pictures of the town and, later, descend again to the church of San Pedro and the surroundings of the Roman baths. In addition, we will give you options so you can continue enjoying Gijón and Asturias on your own. Don't think about it anymore, WE WAIT FOR YOU!

 Xixón is one of the most beautiful maritime cities in Spain, but as night falls, the whispers of crimes that have occurred on its streets, secrets, and magical beings can be heard. Join us to discover the most surprising stories of the city in this free tour of the myths and legends of Gijón. 

Intrepid traveler, we summon you at the door of the Church of San Pedro along with other story seekers like you, to begin our night route. Soon we will leave the protection of this Christian temple to undertake the task entrusted to us: to unveil some of the most gruesome myths that have occurred in the town of Jovellanos, to find beings that inhabit the Gijón night and other monsters not so mythological, but that will also make our hair stand on end. 

“They say the cuélebre has the scales of a fish, that it lives in the river where no one sees it. The last time it was seen, it wandered in the village, disguised as a bagpiper...”

This is how Víctor Manuel sang in his song, will it be as he tells us? We will get closer to know this Asturian mythological being and the story that links it to San Lorenzo beach. 

We will walk through the streets of Gijón like haunting souls while we bring to light the dark chronicle of Asturias. We will talk about some of the most macabre crimes of the place, such as the infanticide of Cruces, the case of the mourning girl, and others. 

We will not take off our mourning, as there are still many crimes left tonight. Our steps will lead us to the epicenter of the macabre… Traveler, you might be wondering: what place is this? You will be surprised to learn how the Town Hall square was a place of executions in a not-so-distant past or how the Clock Tower was the old city jail… 

We will travel to the end of the 15th century, a time of superstitions, of legends that seeped into everyday life and where the striges took center stage. Who are these characters? Myth or reality? Approach carefully, traveler, and we will tell you more… 

In a maritime town like this, there cannot be a lack of unsettling stories related to the sea and the beings that inhabit its depths. Next to the breakwater, we will attend one of the most well-known trials among sailors. 

After reading this, are you ready to delve with us into the unknown side of Xixón?



 ⚠️👦🏻This tour is not recommended for children due to the explicit content of violence, sex, and criminal events. 

👻 DISCOVER THE DARKEST SIDE OF GIJÓN!!🕵️‍♂️


Gijón is history, leisure, tradition, gastronomy, but behind its streets and buildings it hides legends of haunted houses, ghosts , carefully silenced secrets or crimes that made many people pale.

Come for a walk through the best-known streets of Gijón, but of which we sometimes ignore that, where today we drink a culín, enjoy the beach or savor a fabada, others lived much more tragic experiences .

Don't think twice and dare to discover the mysteries and legends of Gijón!!

⚠️ This visit touches on difficult topics that may make it not recommended for children.

Don't miss one of Gijón's most impressive monumental complexes: the Universidad Laboral, a city in itself that will leave you speechless.

It was built between 1946 and 1956, conceived as an orphanage for children of miners who died in accidents. Once construction had begun, it changed its focus to that of a vocational training school for about 1,000 students, thus becoming a Labor University.

It is the largest civil building in Spain. Its dimensions are imposing. The architect behind this magnificent project was Luis Moya, who based it on the classical architecture of Greece and Rome.

The tour will begin outside the main gate, our meeting point.

We'll enter the Corinthian courtyard, notable for its Corinthian-style colonnade. We'll then move on to the plaza, the heart of the complex, inspired by St. Mark's Square in Venice. The main buildings: the theater, church, and tower are located around it.

Facade of the theater in classical-Hellenistic style, simulating the temples of ancient Greece, we will see the sculptures of great Spanish writers such as Miguel de Cervantes, Quevedo, Calderón de la Barca, Tirso de Molina or Lope de Vega.

We continued to the church with the largest elliptical floor plan in Europe. The exterior is richly decorated with the most important saints and educators of the Catholic Church.

We'll see the 130-meter-high tower, inspired by the Giralda in Seville, the Tower of Hercules, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. It is the tallest stone tower in Spain.

We will visit the gardens from which we will see the structure of the auditorium that resembles the shape of the bow of a ship

We would return to the entrance to put the finishing touch to the visit.


YOU CAN'T MISS IT.............

In this dramatized tour, we will follow in Jovellanos ' footsteps and reveal the great work the Asturian did to transform Gijón .

Itinerary

Are you ready to meet one of the greatest exponents of the Enlightenment in Spain ? At the scheduled time, we'll meet at the entrance to Jovellanos's Birthplace and begin a tour of Gijón that will leave you spellbound.

Gijón owes much to this illustrious figure, as he managed to transform the city in various areas, including culture, architecture, and the economy. Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos , born in 1744 in the Cimavilla area , was one of the great men of his time, and this is reflected in many of Gijón's corners.

Throughout this dramatized tour, we will delve into the biography of this Asturian writer, philosopher, jurist, and politician, visiting some of the landmarks that marked a before and after in his life, such as San Lorenzo beach and the famous wall he designed to contain the advance of the Cantabrian Sea.

Afterwards, we'll walk to Parchís Square , where the Jovellanos Institute is located. This is a perfect spot to explore Jovellanos' role in education. What were his contributions? You'll be amazed!

In addition, we will walk along Paseo de Begoña until we reach Plaza del Seis de Agosto , where we will remember the welcome Gijón gave him after being exiled from Asturias.

With me you will be able to discover the most beautiful corners of the city and the most amazing tourist sites of the Gijón coast. I will recommend the best cider houses in Gijón where you can try the typical food of the region, drink Asturian cider, and see how this famous drink is poured. One of the strong points of Asturias is its gastronomy. Here, in the Natural Paradise, people eat a lot, until they burst. The most delicious typical dishes of Asturian gastronomy are: cachopo, Asturian fabada, Asturian pote, chorizo a la sidra, escalopines al cabrales, pitu de caleya, tortos de maíz, pastel de cabracho, or pixin, and all accompanied with cider. Asturias is the only province in the world where cider is poured!

What can you visit on this free tour?

With me you will explore this beautiful city where I will show you its most important tourist attractions, such as:

Marina, Old Town, Praise of the Horizon, San Lorenzo Beach, Museum of the People of Asturias, Promenade, Mirador de la Providencia, Botanical Garden, Monte Deva, Gijón Aquarium, Evaristo Valle Museum, Revillagigedo Palace, Cimadevila Clock Tower, Laboral City of Culture, Faro Torres, Railway Museum, Campo Valdés Roman Baths, Campa Torres, Piles River Park, or Isabel Católica Park.