Visiting the city of Gijón is a great way to begin an adventure into the rural countryside of northern Spain. Gijón is a mid-sized city of about 280,000 people with all the comforts of being modern while displaying a historical taste of the region of Asturias surrounding it.

Gijón began as a fishing village nearly 3,000 years ago, according to the records of the Campa Torres Archaeological and Nature Reserve in Gijón. Today the city is an important port on the Atlantic coast of Spain.

The historic fishing village known as Cimadevilla is located on a peninsula that divides the port in half. The village is the main tourist attraction of the city.

 Most of the streets are cobblestone and barely two cars wide. Many of the buildings have been renovated to display the colorful life of the village. Those that have not are evidence of centuries of construction designed to withstand the powerful forces of the Atlantic. 

A brief look out to sea and the numerous cargo ships bring back the present. The busy commercial port is to the left. The port authority building not only houses plenty of information about the port, but also one of the cleanest public restrooms in Europe, at least at this time of the year.

To the right is Playa de San Lorenzo, the main beach of the city, which in summer becomes very busy too. During spring the Atlantic brings cold nights, rainy mornings for the city, and snow for the mountains nearby. By afternoon, though, the clouds break off from the sea and the sun shines, urging everything on toward summer.

Turn around, and a view of the city lies out beneath some of the greenest hills in Spain. The region of Asturias is known in Spain for its greenness. At first mention of traveling to the area, Spaniards all gasp and exclaim at its beauty.

A hike up the hill and through Cimadevilla leads to Cerro de Santa Catalina. It is a park on the tip of the penisula that provides a view of the outstretched coastline forming the port. On the very edge of the penisula is a sculpture the size of a house, Eligio del Horizonte, or Praise of the Horizon. It is one of 16 large sculptures placed in public spaces throughout the city over the last decade. 

The municipality of Gijon covers a surface of 182 square kilometres and is located in the central area of the long stretch of Asturian coastline. Its craggy and irregular coast contrasts with the gentle landscape of the interior landscape. Maximum height above sea level is 672 metres.

Gijon occupies a privileged geographic position on the Asturian map, a few minutes from Oviedo and Aviles. The cities are linked by the "Y" motorway, the large artery that works its way through the Asturian region. It takes half an hour to get to the airport and to the coal mining municipalities. 

The centre of Gijon has the shape of an amphitheatre, marked by the immense beach of San Lorenzo, the main beach in the town area. Next to it, we find the beaches of Poniente and El Arbeyal, El Rinconin, Peñarrubia, Serín, La Cagonera and La Ñora, on the border with Villaviciosa.

Beaches
Gijon is a city by the sea, which is omnipresent in its geography and activities. Nature has given the city the gift of numerous stunning beaches all along its coastline. 

In the summer the beaches are the destination for families, friends and lovers who come to sunbath, partake in water sports or simply enjoy the natural coastline. The beaches aren’t abandoned during the autumn and winter months, when they are perfect spots for a stroll, fishing and just taking in some lovely fresh air. 

Parks & gardens
Gijon takes great care in conserving its recreational and green spaces, and has invested time and money in creating ample spaces that add to the quality of life of the city: in fact over one and a half million square metres of the city are dedicated to parks and gardens. 

The city’s central plazas, such as those of San Miguel, San Agustín, Europa, Begoña, and the peaceful gardens, such as the Isabel La Católica Park, the "English" Park, the Pericones, the Rinconín or the new Cape San Lorenzo Park, open up a wide range of possibilities of enjoyment for young and old, residents and visitors. 

One of the cities green treasures is the Botanical Garden of Gijon, located in the countryside setting of Cabueñes. 

Active tourism
If you are into active tourism, adventure or outdoor activities, Gijon offers a host of possibilities. 

For sea lovers, the Estación Náutica Gijón Costa Verde offers the possibility of practising sailing, scuba diving, boat trips, sightings of sea birds, dolphins and other aquatic life. 
If you are more of a land lover, then the many hiking and rambling routes will keep you occupied; or quad biking, horse riding, paragliding, hot-air ballooning, are all excellent options available in the region.

Making Gijon your base, you can enjoy all the activities that Asturias has to offer, venturing further into the region, you can enjoy such diverse activities as potholing, bungee jumping, rafting, hydro speed, skiing, mountain biking and much more. 

Cultural attractions
The neighbourhood of Cimadevilla offers a wealth of cultural attractions and monuments such as the Revillagigedo Palace, the Collegiate Church of San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist) and the chapels of La Soledad (Solitude) and Los Remedios (The Remedies). 

Next to this last building you encounter the birthplace of Jovellanos, statesmen, author and philosopher. The building is a typically Asturian mansion dating from the 15th century, and is currently the Museum of Gijon. 

At the top of Cimadevilla, facing the Cantabrian Sea, we can see the monumental sculpture "Eulogy of the Horizon", created by the artist Eduardo Chillida in 1990. 

In the urban locality of Gijon, we find such notable buildings as that of the Instituto Jovellanos, nowadays home to multiple cultural activities, as well as numerous examples of Modernist architecture dating from the beginning of the 20th century and of Rationalist architecture that left outstanding works in Gijon. 

Outside the town visitors should take time out to visit the small Romanesque churches like those of San Andrés de Ceares and San Juan de Fano, and mansions such as San Andrés de Cornellana (converted into a Youth Hostel) or the astonishing Modernist-style Bauer Palacio, in Somió. 

Cuisine
Asturian gastronomy is created around wholesome and hearty home cooking. When in Asturias you have to try the rich bean stew dish of Fabada Asturiana, which consists of fabes (white beans) with chorizo sausage, morcilla (black pudding), lacón (shoulder of pork), tocino or pancetta (pork fat) and saffron. It’s a rather heavy meal, so best served at lunchtime, so you can enjoy a siesta afterwards, or to try a smaller portion as a starter. Fabada should be washed down with typical Asturian strong cider or a good red wine. 

Antother gastronomical favourite from Asturias is Queso de Cabrales (Cabrales cheese); coming from the town of Cabrales in Asturias and made in the traditional way, it’s a blue cheese, deliciously piquant in both smell and taste. All of the milk that goes into the production of Cabrales comes exclusively from herds reared in a small zone in the Picos de Europa Mountains.

Eating out
Cider houses and seafood restaurants are the order of the day when visiting Gijon, although there are a number of excellent restaurants serving international cuisine; however, when in Spain as the old adage goes… 

Climate
The weather in Asturias is as contrasting as is the scenery; it can be extremely wet and temperate for much of the year and in the winter, especially in the mountainous areas, it can get quite cold. However, this only makes for more dramatic scenery, with the snowy mountains and storm-wrecked beaches. Many areas within the region have their own microclimate, due to the close proximity of the sea to the Cantabrian Mountains.