So after spending a couple of hours in Oviedo, we finally arrived at the coastal city of Gijón.
Once an important ancient Roman town (evident from the ruins of the Roman baths that still exist), Gijón today remains as one of the major seaports in the north of Spain, on the Bay of Biscay.
Geographically, the historical city center of Gijón is located on a promontory flanked by the Poniente & San Lorenzo beaches on its left and right. The hill that forms part of this headland is called Cerro de Santa Catalina, and the vibrant fishermen's quarter and old town are built inland on its slopes.
Above: This is Playa de San Lorenzo, the most prominent beach in Gijón.
I took this night shot standing on the beach during low tide.
Above & Below: The bay of San Lorenzo in the day.
Above: The Harbour.
Above: The Ayuntamiento at Plaza Mayor, a great place to start exploring the old town.
Above: An outdoor market held at Plaza Mayor.
Above: An iron sculpture entitled 'Nordeste' (Northeast) by Joaquín Vaquero Turcios.
Above: The 18th Century Revillagigedo Palace is currently a cultural center for exhibitions.
Above & Below: The quaint houses in the fishermen's quarter of the Cimadevilla district, built on the slope of the Santa Catalina Hill.
Once an important ancient Roman town (evident from the ruins of the Roman baths that still exist), Gijón today remains as one of the major seaports in the north of Spain, on the Bay of Biscay.
Geographically, the historical city center of Gijón is located on a promontory flanked by the Poniente & San Lorenzo beaches on its left and right. The hill that forms part of this headland is called Cerro de Santa Catalina, and the vibrant fishermen's quarter and old town are built inland on its slopes.
Above: This is Playa de San Lorenzo, the most prominent beach in Gijón.
I took this night shot standing on the beach during low tide.
Above & Below: The bay of San Lorenzo in the day.
Above: The Harbour.
Above: The Ayuntamiento at Plaza Mayor, a great place to start exploring the old town.
Above: An outdoor market held at Plaza Mayor.
Above: An iron sculpture entitled 'Nordeste' (Northeast) by Joaquín Vaquero Turcios.
Above: The 18th Century Revillagigedo Palace is currently a cultural center for exhibitions.
Above & Below: The quaint houses in the fishermen's quarter of the Cimadevilla district, built on the slope of the Santa Catalina Hill.
From Cimadevilla, a hike up to the top of the hill of Santa Catalina brings us to a location where it was once a military base. Presently, it is a public park for visitors to enjoy the view of the Cantabrian Sea.
Above: Undoubtedly the most iconic sculpture of the city, this huge concrete monument entitled 'Eligio del Horizonte' (Praise of the Horizon) is by Basque sculptor, Eduardo Chillida.
That Harbour shot is stuck in my mind and what I think about for all the towns along the Bay of Biscay. It's on some list to tackle. That and Mérida. *Sigh*...
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, thanks for these dreamy images ;-)
Yes! Do that and then I think you're done with the North, South, East, West + Centro of Spain! :)
ReplyDelete