coastal drive
Ruta de la Costa Cantabrica
Spain's spectacular northern coastal route winding along green cliffs, hidden beaches, and fishing villages from Bilbao to A Coruna.
16 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeSpainAsturias
Gijón
Asturias, Spain · Europe
About Gijón
Gijón is worth a stop: 20 minutes from Candás, 40km from Alto de l'Angliru.
Gijón is in Asturias, Spain, with about 270,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Candás, about 10 km away.
Gijón (Spanish: [xiˈxon] ) or Xixón (Asturian: [ʃiˈʃoŋ]) is a city and municipality in northwestern Spain. It is the largest city and municipality by population in the autonomous community of Asturias.
It is located on the coast of the Cantabrian Sea in the Bay of Biscay, in the central-northern part of Asturias; itRead more
is approximately 24 km (15 mi) northeast of Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, and 26 km (16 mi) from Avilés. With a population of 270,219 as of 2024, Gijón is the 16th-largest city in Spain.
Gijón forms part of a large metropolitan area that includes twenty councils in the center of the region, structured with a dense network of roads, highways and railways and with a population of 835,053 inhabitants in 2011, making it the 7th-largest in Spain.
During the 20th century, Gijón developed as an industrial city in the steel and naval industries. However, due to the decline in manufacturing in these industries, in recent years Gijón is undergoing a transformation into an important tourist, university, commercial and R&D center. Gijón is the location of the Radiotelevisión del Principado de Asturias, the neighbourhood of Cimavilla, the Universidad Laboral de Gijón, the Revillagigedo Palace, and the adjoining Collegiate Church of San Juan Bautista.
Gijón is part of the statistical (not yet developed from an administrative standpoint) comarca of Gijón.
Where to Stay in Gijón
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Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Gijón.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Gijón?
Within an hour or so of Gijón: Ruta de la Costa Cantabrica (16 km), Oviedo Cathedral (24 km), Santa Maria del Naranco (24 km), Mirador del Fitu (39 km).
Are there any good drives near Gijón?
The nearest famous roads are Ruta de la Costa Cantabrica, Alto de l'Angliru and Desfiladero de los Beyos (N-625).
Where is Gijón?
Gijón is in Asturias, Spain, about 10 km from Candás.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 271,780
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Spain
- Region
- Asturias
- Timezone
- Europe/Madrid
- Coordinates
- 43.5357, -5.6615
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Spain
Guardia Civil (traffic police): 062. Two warning triangles required in vehicles.
Full driving guide for SpainTags
Worth the detour from Gijón
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cathedral
Oviedo Cathedral
A soaring Gothic cathedral guarding the pre-Romanesque Holy Chamber of Asturian relics, the start of the original Camino Primitivo.
24 km · about 30 min drive
ancient ruins
Santa Maria del Naranco
A graceful 9th-century pre-Romanesque royal hall on Mount Naranco, a UNESCO marvel of barrel-vaulted Asturian architecture overlooking Oviedo.
24 km · about 30 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Mirador del Fitu
A 1927 concrete viewing platform perched on the AS-260 mountain road, offering a single sweeping panorama of both the Picos de Europa and the Asturian coast.
39 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Cudillero
A tiny Asturian fishing village with brightly colored houses cascading down a steep hillside to a sheltered harbor.
40 km · about 45 min drive
famous road
Alto de l'Angliru
The most feared climb in the Vuelta a España: a dead-end Asturian mountain road with gradients up to 23.5% and a summit balcony over green valleys: a bucket-list drive for cycling fans.
40 km · about 45 min drive
beach
Playa del Silencio
A crescent of pale pebbles cradled by a green amphitheatre of cliffs and offshore rock pinnacles, Asturias' most photographed wild beach.
51 km · about 60 min drive
cathedral
Santuario de Covadonga
A pink-stone basilica and the Holy Cave shrine wedged into a cliff mark the birthplace of the Reconquista in a misty mountain gorge.
55 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Gijón
8 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 16 kmRuta de la Costa CantabricaSpain's spectacular northern coastal route winding along green cliffs, hidden beaches, and fishing villages from Bilbao to A Coruna.
- 39 kmMirador del FituA 1927 concrete viewing platform perched on the AS-260 mountain road, offering a single sweeping panorama of both the Picos de Europa and the Asturian coast.
- 40 kmAlto de l'AngliruThe most feared climb in the Vuelta a España: a dead-end Asturian mountain road with gradients up to 23.5% and a summit balcony over green valleys: a bucket-list drive for cycling fans.
- 61 kmDesfiladero de los Beyos (N-625)The N-625 threads one of Europe's narrowest road gorges, squeezed between towering limestone walls along the Sella river on the western edge of the Picos de Europa.
- 61 kmPuerto de PajaresThe historic 1,378 m pass on the old N-630 linking León with Asturias, a snaking pre-motorway route past the Valgrande-Pajares ski area with big Cantabrian mountain views.
- 62 kmLagos de Covadonga RoadA steep, narrow climb from Covadonga to two glacial lakes at 1,100 m, restricted to shuttle buses at peak times.
Driving in Spain
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.55/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€4.00/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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