Cimavilla (or Cimadevilla in Castellano) is Gijón’s old town which can trace it’s origin to Roman times. It corresponds to the area north of Calle Melquiades Alvarez; a small peninsula which separates San Lorenzo beach from the marina and port area.
It’s just a short distance from the Hotel Alcomar, so if you like bracing walks by the sea, this is the place to go. Map here.
First stop is the portico lined Plaza Major. There are a few nice bars on the square and on the side streets off it.
You’ll also find the Ayuntamiento de Gijón here.
Heading east you’ll come across the Iglesia de San Pedro.
It was built in 1945 in a pre-Romanesque style.
Behind the church is the yacht club, Real Club Astur de Regatas Gijón, located in a striking pre-war building with fantastic views of the bay. Shame it’s not open to the public.
Continuing along the coast to the headland you arrive at an old gun bastion which is now crowned with this brutalist sculpture by Eduardo Chillada.
‘Elogio del Horizonte’ (Eulogy to the Horizon) celebrates the wonderful panoramic views you get from this high point.
This lovely mid-1930s Rationalist building near the bastion caught my eye.
Fundacion Honesto Batalon was a charitable foundation set up by a rich philanthropist to provide free primary education for poor girls and this building was part of the school.
Continuing along the west side of the peninsula you soon come to the ‘Puerto Deportivo‘ (leisure harbour). There are some good bars and restaurants here too, some of which I mention in my next post, ‘Eating in Cimavilla’.
There’s an impressive sculpture on the quayside; ‘Árbol de la Sidra‘ (The Cider Tree) made of hundreds of empty cider bottles.
You’ll pass by the neo-Renaissance Casa Paquet on Calle de Claudio Alvargonzález.
In Plazuela del Marques (just to the west of Plaza Mayor where we started) you’ll find Palacio Revillagigedo, built in the Baroque style with medieval features.
The palace has a couple of nice old neighbours.
From here you could explore the narrow streets of the interior of Cimavilla.
This former fisherman’s district suffered a lot of damage in the civil war but there are still some nice old buildings to be seen.
Right, time to eat methinks!