Located just outside of the city, the Jardín Botánico Atlántico was larger than we expected. From multiple points around the grounds you could see the massive Cultural Center building across the street.
We started in the well-labeled flower and fruit tree section, then wound our way through the La Isla stream and woodland paths. It was a lovely afternoon following the morning rain, and there were lots of bird sounds and flowers in bloom, making our visit worth the small 2,90€ entry fee. A nice way to spend two hours.
As for the town itself, we had one full Sunday to explore Gijón and, boy, was it a foggy walk!
Our first stop was Parroquia San Pedro, where a mass was in progress, so we didn’t go inside. Then up the hill to the battery area on Santa Catalina Hill for views of the incoming fog bank and a massive modern art sculpture, Elogio del horizonte.
a photo of the church from a different day as the top spire was completely clouded in!
We continued down the hill to the marina side of town, checking out art on the concrete walls and views of the marina. Highlights included a giant tree sculpture made out of cider bottles and a stylized Gijón sign that large groups were posing in front of. (We got a people-free shot later in the trip!)
We decided to stop into the free Museo del Ferrocarril de Asturias – a museum dedicated to restored train cars with loads of information (including in English!) about the history of different train types for transport and mining. The museum was an educational experience and much more extensive than we were expecting.
Our location right by the beach was fantastic and we took advantage of the situation by enjoying a walk along the boardwalk or on the beach every day.
We also enjoyed some great people watching and sunset views.
We typically stayed along the Av. Rufo García Rendueles side but on our last day in town, we ventured further to the far side of the boardwalk and explored some of the tidepools below the 19th stair access. It was cooler and cloudier as the week wore on, seemingly back to normal Gijón weather.
We did most of our grocery shopping at the Supercor as their selection was good. I did pop in to the main fruit and veg market, Mercado del Sur, to scope out prices for Asturian beans and other goodies but none of the seafood stalls were open and only about half the other shops were open. It’s mainly bakeries, a spice shop and lots of cheese places. I considered getting one of the packs to make fabada back at the apartment but it’s a two day process at BEST, so decided to skip. Wish I could have brought one home!
On one afternoon, we also explored the main shopping street, C. de los Moros.
The marina side of town was also great for sunsets. Loads of people filled the La Cuesta del Cholo (Whale Transit) conjunction of three restaurants, enjoying cider and conversation. We finally got a photo of the Gijón sign without crowds!
Overall, we really enjoyed our week in this seaside town!