Portray of the Destination
Gijón has 275,000 citizens, a quarter of the total population of Asturias. It is the largest city
of the region and one the most important of the Northern side of Spain. The municipality of Gijón
is located in the centre of the coast of Asturias. It is a modern, welcoming and open city full of
green spaces, sport facilities and protected artistic heritages that have been recently restored.
Gijón is the venue of several trade shows, conventions, major concerts and cultural and sport
events. All of this has been possible due to the improvement of connections between Gijón and the
rest of Asturias and Spain that has occurred in the last few years.
We would like to thank the Gijón Press Department for the texts and images provided.
Visit:
www.infogijon.com
Geography
The municipality of Gijón has an area of 181.7 square kilometres and it is located in the centre of
the wide strip Asturian seaboard. The rugged and uneven coast contrasts with the smooth relief of
the interior of the municipality, with a maxim height of 672 meters (2204 feet) above sea level.
Gijon is located in a privileged location in the Asturian geography, a few minutes away from
Oviedo and Avilés and thirty minutes away from the Asturian Airport and from the municipalities of
the coalfields. The centre of Gijón, which layout seems an amphitheatre, is marked by the large
sandy area of San Lorenzo, the main beach of the town. Next to it, we can discover the renewed
beaches of Poniente and El Arbeyal and the characteristic beaches of El Rinconín, Peñarrubia,
Serín, La Cagonera and La Ñora, in the border with Villaviciosa.
Climate
Gijón has an oceanic climate with abundant rains during the coldest season and the first days of
spring. In summer, the weather is steady and warm. The average rainfall is one of the lowest of the
region: 1000 litres per square metres. The average temperature is of 14ºC (57.2) with a maximum
temperature of 24ºC (75ºF) during the hot season and a minimum temperature of 10ºC (50ºF) and 11ºC
(51.8ºF) during the coldest month. There are sporadic winds depending on the season.
In winter, the coastal winds are mild and warm and flow from the South-East but in summer the
winds are cold and dry and flow from the North-East creating a fresh, bright and dry climate.
When to go
Gijón offers a whole-year variety of possibilities since weather is always pleasant and festivities
are quite diverse. Autumn and spring offer the best climate and in summer there is almost no
rainfall.
History
The city of Gijón is embraced by the magnificent Bay of Biscay which has denoted the history of the
city for over 5,000 years. Gijón is the seaport of the Ruta de la Plata (Way of La Plata) and it
has kept alive its Roman past through the actions made in the Archaelogical Park of Campa de
Torres, one the main fortified cities in the North of Spain (before 490 B.C.), and in the restored
thermal baths of Campo Valdés which is a public building dating from the late 1st Century A.D.
The Romanesque churches dating from the 12th and 13th Centuries are the living proof of the
occupation that took place in the city during the Middle Ages. The founding of Puebla in 1270 means
an urban expansion stopped in the late 14th Century, when Gijón turned into the scenario of the
Trastamara conflicts that ended up crumbling the city.
In the 18th Century, the enlightened Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos designed the city layout.
The industrialization process that began in the mid-19th Century turned the city into the
industrial centre of Asturias with the thriving harbour of El Musel, the shipyards and the numerous
manufacturing facilities. The continuous modernization of Gijón and the splendid natural conditions
of the city turned it into a major tourist area with a great cultural and sport offer. In the
beginning of a new century, Gijón is trying to maintain its remote historical past in order to use
it as en example of its tourist excellence.
Traditions
These are the most important festivities:
Antroxu: one of the most spectacular carnivals in the North of Spain with parades, street
bands competitions, carriages, people with floats and concerts for all kind of audiences.
Holy Week: The centre of Gijón, specially the quarter of Cimadevilla, is venue of different
religious processions.
"Semana del Mar" (Sea Week): St. John and St. Peter. It is a week with different activities
to remember the link of the city with the sea. After this the celebration of St. John takes place
(a magical night of the Asturian culture) followed by diverse activities up to St. Peter’s Day
(patron saint of the city) when a blessing of the waters marks the beginning of the beach season.
St. Peter's Festivity: It takes place on 29th of June. The waters of the San Lorenzo Bay are
blessed according to an ancient tradition during the summer, the bathing season.
Asturias Regional Day: (First Sunday of August) This year, the Cerro de Santa Catalina hill
gathers most of the activities of the Asturias Day in Gijón with dances, bagpipes, lively parades
and local sports.
Semana Grande (Great Week): During these days the city is filled with a celebration soul.
Open public concerts takes place in the different parks of the city.
Great Night of the Fireworks: (August 14th). The eve to the Begonia celebration, fireworks
illuminate the sky of the city with an amazing show that attracts hundreds of people.
Fiesta de la Sidra Natural (Natural Cider Festival): From August 26th to August 28th. These
days of celebrations are focused on the most popular drink of Asturias offering free tasting (world
Guinness record for simultaneous pouring of cider) and cider waiters competitions together with
traditional music and a little market of Cider and Apple.
Gastronomy
Among the typical dishes we can mention: the beans that can be found in the widely known “Fabada
con Campango” (a kind of stew with beans, chorizo, blood sausage and ham) or with clams, spider
crabs, etc. and in the “Pote Asturiano” (a mixture of beans, potatoes, chorizo, blood sausage,
bacon, ham, pork and cabbage). Other exquisite dishes are those prepared with the seafood from the
Bay of Biscay. Among these dishes we have "Chopa a la Sidra" (black bream in cider sauce), “besugo
a la espalda” (sea bream), tuna fish and sea urchins. Also, meat dishes are quite delicious and
among these we have beef and chicken. Among desert we have "arroz con leche" (rice and milk
pudding), "tarta charlota", "Gijón biscuit" or "princesitas".
All these dishes accompanied with cider pouring it in "culines" (special glasses used to pour
cider) are delicious during the long summer afternoons with a Spanish omelette, chorizos with cider
and "empanadas".
Basic Dictionary
YES: si. NO: no. HELLO: hola. GOOD BYE: adios. GOOD MORNING: buenos días. GOOD AFTERNOON: buenas
tardes. GOOD NIGHT: buenas noches. PLEASE: por favor. SORRY: lo siento. THANK YOU: gracias. DOCTOR:
médico. PHARMACY: farmacia. NUMBERS: 1: un. 2: dos. 3: tres. 4: cuatro. 5: cinco. 6: seis. 7:
siete. 8: ocho. 9: nueve. 10: diez. 11: once. 12: doce. 13: trece. 14: catorce. 15: quince. 16:
dieciséis. 17: diecisiete. 18: dieciocho. 19: diecinueve. 20: veinte. 21: veintiuno. 22: veintidós.
30: treinta. 40: cuarenta. 50: cincuenta. 60: sesenta. 70: setenta. 80: ochenta. 90: noventa. 100:
cien. 1000: mil. DAYS OF THE WEEK: MONDAY: lunes. TUESDAY: martes. WEDNESDAY: miércoles. THURSDAY:
jueves. FRIDAY: viernes. SATURDAY: sábado. SUNDAY: domingo. COMMON WORDS: BIG/SMALL:
grande/pequeño. HOT/COLD: caliente/frío. OPEN/CLOSED: abierto/cerrado. GOOD/BAD: bueno/malo.
NEW/OLD: nuevo/viejo. PUSH/PULL: empujar/tirar. ENTRANCE/EXIT: entrada/salida. LADIES/GENTLEMEN:
señoras/señores. FAR/NEAR: lejos/cerca. LEFT/RIGHT: izquierda/derecha. TAXI: taxi. BUS: autobús.
MEALS: BREAKFAST: desayuno. LUNCH: comida. DINNER: cena. MENU: menú. WINES: vinos. DESSERT: postre.
THE BILL: la cuenta. COMMON SENTENCES: DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?: ¿Habla inglés?. I DON'T UNDERSTAND:
no entiendo. WHERE IS IT?: ¿donde está? HOW MUCH IS IT: ¿Cuánto es? WHAT TIME IS IT: ¿Qué hora es?
COULD YOU HELP ME: ¿Puede ayudarme?
Currency
The official currency is the Euro. There are bank notes of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 Euros. Also coins of 1 and 2 Euros and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Currency Exchange
1 EUR (Euro) = 1.20 (United States Dollar) – 1 EUR (Euro) = 0.66 GBP (British Pound Sterling)
Prices
The prices are quite fair and in some cases even cheaper than other destinations in Europe. Tickets
to museums, trips, transports, guided tours, etc. are inexpensive. The city offers a great
diversity of prices fitting every budget.
Useful Info
Official nameGijón
CountrySpain
Time Zone+1 GMT
Official LanguageSpanish
Surface area181.7 square kilometres.
Population275,000
Political RegimeConstitutional Monarchy.
Public holidaysJanuary 1st: New Year; January 6th: Three Wise Men Celebration; March or April: Maundy Thursday and
Good Friday; May 1st: Labour Day; June 5th: Martes de Campo (Country Tuesday); August 15th: Virgin’s
Assumption Day; September 8th: Asturias Regional Day; September 21st: St. Matthew; October 12th:
National Day of Spain; November 1st: All Saints Day; December 6th: Day of the Spanish Constitution;
December 8th: Day of the Immaculate Conception and December 25th: Christmas Day.
ReligionMostly Catholic with some Jewish and Muslim minorities.
ReligionMostly Catholic with some Jewish and Muslim minorities.
Arrival / DepartureThe Asturias Airport, located 30 minutes away from Gijón, is the only option for those tourists
travelling by air. On the other hand, the city can be easily accessed by car or bus, since it is an
important centre of connections. The National Road N-630, Ruta de la Plata, links the city with
Seville, Madrid and the rest of Spain and the National Road N-634 reaches Santiago de Compostela
throughout the Cantabrian Coast. If you wish to reach the city by train, RENFE and FEVE have
diverse services to the different cities of the province and the country.
SafetyJust like in the rest of Spain, safety is a high priority for the security forces. In this city,
institutions have a different variety of services that make the coexistence easier and help on
emergency situations. However, tourists should not ignore the advices they are given. Thus, we
recommend you to take only the money you need when you go on a tour and to be extremely cautious
when walking in the crowd in order to avoid robbery.
VisaVisas are not required to those tourists coming from the European Union, United States, Mexico,
Argentina or any other Latin American country, though a return ticket must be purchased in every
case. Travellers from Australia, Anguilla, Bermuda, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, South Korea, Hong Kong,
Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Israel, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Saint
Helena, Singapore and Turks & Caicos Island do not either need visa provided they do not stay
more than 90 days in Spain.
ClothingGijón has an annual average temperature ranging from 10ºC (50ºF) to 24ºC (75ºF); thus, no special
clothing is required except for coats during cold nights. It is advisable to wear comfortable
clothing on excursions and town trips specially knowing the fact that the Spaniards wear casual
clothing almost all the time.
ElectricityElectricity in Gijón is 220V. Sockets take two round plugs.
Radio and TelevisionThere are several radio stations with a variety of shows and music: SER Gijón, Radio Gijón Cadena
COPE.
Local TV channels are TLG (Televisión Local Gijón), Canal 10, TeleAsturias, Localia.
TelephoneThe Spanish code is 34 and Gijón’s code is 985. In order to make international phone calls you must
dial 00 plus the international code of the country you are calling to plus the local phone number.
To make phone calls within Spain is not necessary to use a special code.
It is common to find phone booths along the streets and they work with current coins or phone
cards that can be bought in places called “locutorios”. In these places you will find several phone
booths to make phone calls without using coins or cards, paying after you finish using them.
Police985 181 100
Ambulance112
Fire Brigade985 181 440
Tourist health care servicesTourist care service:985 341771/902 931993
Newspapers and MagazinesIn addition to the most important national newspapers like El País, El Mundo, La Vanguardia or
Diario El Comercio, there are different local papers like La Nueva España and La Voz de Asturias.
Magazines: “Época”, “Semana”, “Interviú”, “Primera Línea” and “Tiempo de Hoy”.
Postal ServiceThe postal service in Spain is efficient: letters within Europe should take no longer than 3 to 5
days to be delivered. A registered letter should cost a minimum of 2.5 Euros. Gijón is a large city
and there is a great quantity of Post Offices. The opening hours are from 8:30AM to 8:30PM on
weekdays and from 8:30AM to 1PM on Saturdays.
Health Care ServicesThe Health care system of the city is good and with great availability. Some of the most important
health centres are:
“Hospital Ambulatorio Dr. Avelino Glez/Pumarín”. Address: Orán, 8. Post Code: 33211.
Telephone: 985 389 288.
“Centro de Salud de Zarracina”. Address: Parque de Zarracina, s/n. Post Code: 33205.
Telephone: 985 334 711.
“Centro de Salud La Calzada”. Address: Oriental, 11. Post Code: 33213. Telephone: 985 315
511.
AirportThe Asturias Airport is located in the district of Santiago del Monte of the county of Castrillon.
From here you might reach all the main Spanish and European cities. Tel.: Tel: 985 12 75 00. A
30-minute journey separates the Airport from Gijón.
Visitors travelling by air have three options to reach the city:
* In the airport there is a taxi rank with constant services.
* ALSA offers bus transportation from Gijón to the Airport and vice versa.
* Four car rental companies offer their services at the airport. In addition, these companies
have offices in Gijón.
Public TransportThe city has a large and public bus service (EMTUSA), which is simple to use and gives access to
any part of the town. Customer Service Telephone: 985 18 10 80/ 985 30 86 23.
Another useful means of transport is the Taxi. The traveller will find a great quantity of
taxi ranks all along the city. It is also possible to request a taxi calling any one of the two
companies operating in the area: Radio Taxi Gijón, Tel.: 985 141 111 and Radio Taxi Villa de
Jovellanos, Tel.: 985 164 444.
There are also suburban trains for shor-distance trips.
RailwayRENFE station is located on Avenida Juan Carlos I, s/n. Website:
www.renfe.es. Telephone: 985 170 202.
The Suburban Train Station (FEVE-RENFE) is located in the “Plaza del Humedal”. FEVE Passenger
Assistance: 902 100 818 / 985 342 415. Website:
www.feve.esBusIn Gijón, public transport is managed by EMTUSA (Empresa Municipal de Transportes Urbanos S.A.).
There are about 17 bus services that link all the destinations in the city and the outskirts.
Offices: C/Solar, s/n. Customer Care Tel.: 985 18 10 80/ 985 30 86 23.
CarSince Gijón is located in the centre of the coast of Asturias, two major arteries join at the city:
the Ruta de la Plata and the Cantabrian axis.
Car RentalsThere are several options to rent a car:
“ALA RENT A CAR”, Avda. de la Constitución 32. Telephone: 985 170 380,
www.alarentacar.com,
alarentacar@alarentacar.com.
“AVIS", Pl. Nicanor Piñole, 3, RENFE Jovellanos, Telephone: 985 354 208, Fax: 985 340 809,
Website:
www.avis.es
“HERTZ ESPAÑA”, Anselmo Cifuentes, 12, Post Code.: 33205, Telephone: 985 355 050, Website:
www.hertz.esShipGijón has a marina but not a commercial harbour. It is located on Calle Claudio Avar González,
33201, Gijón. Tel.: 985 35 45 43 Fax: 985 35 00 27. The modern marina of Gijón and its four docks
have been awarded with the European Blue Flag since 1996 and they constitute a major point of
reference for some of the most important international regattas. It has an unrivalled location
nearby the historical city of Cimadevilla and counts with 870 berths.
Spanish embassy in the destination Taking picturesThere are no restrictions regarding the taking of pictures.
See climatewww.worldweather.orgCurrency converterwww.xe.com/uccA dinnerFrom € 20 to € 40
A coffeeFrom € 1.5 to € 2.2
The Bus€ 0.85
The taxi1.24 Euros when the meter starts running plus 0.67 Euro per Km.
The trainSuburban trains: from € 1.10 to € 2.40
