When discussing green spaces in the city of Gijón, one must mention the Atalaya Park in Cimadevilla . Its location on Santa Catalina Hill makes it a privileged spot, offering some of the best views of the city and the urban beaches of San Lorenzo, Poniente, and Arbeyal. Chillida's "Elogio del Horizonte" (Eulogy to the Horizon) stands majestically against the horizon, and although its placement initially sparked considerable controversy, over time it has become a tourist symbol of the city.
Isabel la Católica Park , with its 152.000 square meters, is the largest green space in Gijón . Located at the end of the San Lorenzo seawall, it features a beautiful pond and a good number of peacocks that delight children. Now ready for our walk, we approach staircase 16.
Route of Cervigón
The San Lorenzo seawall promenade extends into a coastal walkway, very popular since its opening in 1998; it's almost eight kilometers of path that takes us from the center of Gijón to La Ñora beach . It runs parallel to the sea along the entire eastern coast of Gijón, and over cliffs we reach the neighboring municipality of Villaviciosa.
During our walk, we crossed Rinconín Park , an ideal place for relaxation, where you can rest in the shade of a tree and enjoy an artistic panorama, as there are several large sculptures to be found. Hundreds of Gijón residents gather daily on this promenade; the bike path is used by young people for skating and cycling.
The first artwork we encounter is " Shadows of Light ." Fernando Alba, its creator, has managed to spark considerable debate with this composition of four Corten steel sheets, just as happened with "Elogio" in the early 90s. It's truly beautiful to discover Gijón through the holes drilled in the iron, the sunsets on the beach, and to glimpse the ships crossing the bay.
One of the works most beloved by the people of Gijón is the " Monument to the Mother of the Emigrant ," known as " La Lloca del Rinconín ." It stands in a large circular square and looks towards the distant horizon, symbolizing the pain of a mother who, like so many in Asturias, cries for the departure of her children towards the agonizing path of emigration.
A little further on, we were dazzled by a truly impressive sculpture. The sculptor Pepe Noja, from Huelva, has represented solidarity through extraordinary links of stainless steel.
The path continues winding along the coast, and if the weather is good, it will be a very attractive excursion. We will see the Holocaust Memorial, inaugurated in 2000, the sculpture in homage to Galileo Galilei , the Mirador de la Providencia viewpoint—a concrete sculpture in the shape of a ship's prow facing northwest, designed by the architect Ángel Noriega— Serín beach , Estaño beach , and finally Ñora beach , the end point of the trail.
If you go to Gijón, make a space in your agenda and enjoy this coastal route.
Information:
Start: roundabout of the Puente del Piles.
End: Ñora beach.
Coastal path of 8 kms.
Walking 3 hours.
Running 1 hour 30 minutes.
By bike 1 hour 15 minutes.
Elevation 99 meters, accumulated 292 meters.
Firm: tile, paved stone and asphalt. Sections with stairs.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
