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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Gijón
Xixón
Give Gijón 2 nights: one for Cimadevilla and San Lorenzo beach, one for the cider houses and the Universidad Laboral. Skip it as a day trip from Oviedo.
Gijón is Asturias's largest city, a former coal-and-steel port turned beach-and-cider town on the Bay of Biscay. The old quarter, Cimadevilla, sits on a peninsula between two beaches; the rest is a working city with good food and a cool, wet climate. Two nights covers it; three if you add the Roman sites and the botanical garden.
- Country
- Spain
- Local name
- Xixón
- Best months
- Jun–Sep (warmest, driest); Sep for fewer crowds
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, grey, cool)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.30–2.50 |
| Menu del día (lunch, 2 courses + drink) | €12–18 |
| Cider (bottle) in a sidrería | €3–5 |
| Pint of beer | €3–5 |
| Taxi, 5 kmTaxi, 3.1 mi | €10–13 |
| Museum entry (most city museums) | Free |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- OVD · Asturias Airport
- 30 km west near Avilés; ALSA bus to Gijón hourly, about 50 min; taxi about 20 min19 mi west near Avilés; ALSA bus to Gijón hourly, about 50 min; taxi about 20 min
Typical fares
- Asturias Airport (OVD) → Gijón, ALSA bus
- about €9, 50 min, hourly (check)
- Oviedo → Gijón, Cercanías
- about €3, 35 min, every 30 min (check)
- Taxi in town
- flagfall about €5, then about €1.4/km (2025)
Get around
Walk Cimadevilla and the centre; the old streets are traffic-restricted and camera-enforced, so park underground. EMTUSA buses cover the city (single about €1.50, 2026 estimate); a Bono card halves the fare and allows free transfers within 45 min. Gijón Bici is the municipal e-bike share, via its app. Taxis: flagfall about €5, then about €1.4/km (2025).
See and do
Known for
- Cimadevilla old quarter
- San Lorenzo beach
- Sidra (cider) houses
- Elogio del Horizonte sculpture
- Universidad Laboral
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Oviedo | Cercanías C1 or C5a from Gijón Sanz Crespo, every 30 min | About 35 min |
| Avilés | Cercanías C4 from Gijón Sanz Crespo, hourly | About 30 min |
| Luanco | Bus from Gijón bus station, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Villaviciosa | Bus or drive east along the A-8 | About 45 min |
| Cangas del Narcea | Drive or bus via Oviedo, mountain roads | 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- Cimadevilla
- Old quarter on the peninsula; bars, Plaza Mayor, walk to both beaches. Noisy at night.
- Centro / around Plaza del Humedal
- Midrange hotels, bus and night-bus hub, 10 min walk to the old town.
- San Lorenzo seafront
- Beach-facing hotels along Paseo del Muro; pricier, quieter, best for summer.
- Parque Isabel La Católica
- Parador and larger hotels east of centre; green, 15–20 min walk to Cimadevilla.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-thyahs |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| A bottle of cider, please | Una botella de sidra, por favorOO-nah boh-TEH-yah deh SEE-drah |
| Where is the beach? | ¿Dónde está la playa?DON-deh es-TAH lah PLAH-yah |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- Rain is common year-round; pack a waterproof, not an umbrella you'll lose to wind.
- Bay of Biscay water is cold and the tide moves fast — San Lorenzo is almost covered at high tide.
- Cider is poured from height; let the waiter do it, and don't leave a half-full glass standing.
- Old-quarter streets are camera-enforced for traffic; don't drive in, park in an underground lot.
Gijón is a safe city; the real risks are pickpockets in Cimadevilla bars on summer nights, fast tides on San Lorenzo, and rain that arrives without warning. Keep an eye on your bag in crowds and don't swim alone.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gijón yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cimadevilla old quarter
- San Lorenzo beach
- Sidra (cider) houses
- Elogio del Horizonte sculpture
- Universidad Laboral
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Gijón official tourism (Infogijón): www.gijon.es/es/directorio/infogijon-casa-paquet
- Gijón city council: www.gijon.es
- Renfe (Spanish railways): www.renfe.com/es/es/
- ALSA (buses): www.alsa.es/
- EMTUSA (Gijón city buses): www.gijon.es/es/bus_lineas
- Wikivoyage: Gijón, revision 5327573 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5327573
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
GijónXixón
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Gijón; the US, UK and most others have embassies in Madrid and consulates in Madrid or Barcelona. Check your country's list before you travel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/gijon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.