Gijón began as a fishing
village nearly 3,000 years ago, according to the records of the Campa Torres
Archaeological and Nature Reserve in Gijón. Today the city is an important port
on the Atlantic coast of Spain.
The
historic fishing village, known as Cimadevilla, is located on a penninsula that
divides the port in half. The village is the main tourist attraction of the
city.
Most of the streets are
cobble stone and barely two cars wide. Many of the buildings have been renovated
to display the colorful life of the village. Those that have not are evidence of
centuries of construction designed to withstand the powerful forces of the
Atlantic.
A
hike up the hill and through Cimadevilla leads to Cerro de Santa Catalina. It is
a park on the tip of the pennisula that provides a view of the outstretched
coastline forming the port. On the very edge of the penisula is a sculpture the
size of a house, Eligio del Horizonte, or Praise of the Horizon. It is one of 16
large sculptures placed in public spaces throughout the city over the last
decade.
A brief look out to sea and the numerous
cargo ships bring back the present. The busy commercial port is to the left. The
port authority building not only houses plenty of information about the port,
but also one of the cleanest public restrooms in Europe, at least at this time
of the year.
To the right is Playa del San Lorenzo, the
main beach of the city, which in summer becomes very busy, too. During spring,
the Atlantic brings cold nights, rainy mornings for the city and snow for the
mountains nearby. By afternoon though, the clouds break off from the sea and the
sun shines, urging everything on toward summer.
Turn
around and a view of the city lays out beneath some of the greenest hills in
Spain. The region of Asturias is known in Spain for its greenness. At first
mention of traveling to the area, Spaniards all gasp
and exclaim for its beauty.
To
get the most out of a visit to the area, my recommendation is to stop in at the
local
tourist office, also in the port.
