Cimadevilla Old Quarter
Perched on a rocky promontory between the beach and the harbour, Cimadevilla is Gijón's oldest neighbourhood — a labyrinth of narrow lanes, colourful house fronts and pintxos bars that rewards aimless wandering.
History Written in Stone
The Romans built their settlement of Gigia on this very headland in the 1st century AD, and fragments of Roman baths — the Termas Romanas — are preserved right at the base of the hill, free to visit.
Medieval walls, Baroque churches and fishermen's cottages from the 18th century layer on top of each other here, giving the quarter a density of history that the rest of the city simply cannot match.
Food, Bars & Local Life
The streets around Plaza Mayor and Calle Capua are lined with traditional sidrerías (cider houses) and pintxos bars where locals pour Asturian cider from shoulder height — a theatrical ritual you must try at least once.
Look for Casa Zabala or El Emigrante for honest, affordable raciones of grilled sardines, fabada asturiana and local cheeses alongside a bottle of natural cider.
The Cerro de Santa Catalina
At the very tip of the promontory, the Cerro de Santa Catalina park opens up into wide lawns and sea-battered cliffs, dominated by Eduardo Chillida's monumental sculpture Elogio del Horizonte — arguably the most photographed spot in all of Gijón.
Sunsets here, with the Atlantic turning orange and the city lights beginning to flicker below, are genuinely breathtaking.
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