The Romans fell in love with Gijón/Xixón. They had splendid views of the sea and placed their bathsright beside the Bay of Biscay, in Campo Valdés. Here they encountered native inhabitants who were able metal-workers with complete mastery of the technology of the time. They found themselves in a land of promise, one with a privileged coastline boasting large, sandy beaches such as that of San Lorenzo and gentle mountains and valleys. Over time the capital, Gijón/Xixón, was to become a large town, easily viewable from Santa Catalina Headland, where the Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida was inspired to raise his Eulogy of the Horizon, nowadays the city's tourist symbol.
Cimavilla - the charismatic old fishing quarter -, the Jardines de la Reina, the marina, Poniente Beach and El Arbeyal Beach, Corrida Street and Moros Street, the Plaza del Instituto and many other spots shape an urban Gijón/Xixón with privileged countryside surroundings boasting places such as La Campa Torres, Veranes, La Guía, Somió, La Providencia, Caldones, Deva and La Camocha, to name but a few. As regards amenities, the Botanical Gardens, Aquarium, Talasoponiente seawater spa, the Laboral, City of Culture and the Laboral Art Centre also constitute must references in terms of leisure and cultural activities. A borough and a city in perfect harmony.
