Gijón, Spain: INCREDIBLE Beaches That Impressed A HAWAIIAN... But We Have ONE Problem…

The beaches in Gijón literally impressed someone from Hawaii. That almost never happens. But the city itself? That's where it gets complicated… We're Mike and Aubrey from Simplify Abroad — a family of six with four dogs who moved from the U.S. to Valencia, Spain. We've been exploring all of northern Spain, and Gijón was one of our most surprising stops. The beaches were some of the best we've seen in Europe, the boardwalk was gorgeous, and the food was fantastic — but the city center left us with mixed feelings. ⏱ 0:00 - Intro ⏱ 0:56 - First impressions of Gijón ⏱ 1:24 - Why it feels younger than Oviedo ⏱ 2:47 - The boardwalk — Aubrey's favorite part ⏱ 4:16 - The food: meat, fish & huge portions ⏱ 6:14 - THE BEACHES (our favorite part!) ⏱ 7:04 - Dinosaur beach with fossils & streams ⏱ 7:41 - Hidden valley beach with cafés ⏱ 9:29 - Shallow shelf = perfect for kids ⏱ 10:44 - Our honest take on the city itself ⏱ 12:37 - Final verdict on Gijón 🏖 WHAT WE LOVED: ✅ Beaches were stunning — even impressed a Hawaiian ✅ Warm shallow streams where kids played for hours ✅ Dinosaur fossil beach with sea glass and tide pools ✅ Valley beach with staircase cafés and incredible atmosphere ✅ Beautiful boardwalk — peaceful, well-maintained, family-friendly ✅ Great food at hole-in-the-wall prices (meat & fish stood out) ✅ Younger, more family-oriented crowd than Oviedo ✅ Only 30 minutes by bus from Oviedo ($1-2 ride) ✅ Atlantic shelf = shallow water extending far out (safe for kids) ⚠️ WHAT WE DIDN'T LOVE: 🏙 The city center was hit or miss — nice modern sections next to rundown blocks 🧹 Not as clean or quaint as Oviedo 🌊 Ocean water is COLD (it's the Atlantic!) 📍 Gijón sits on the Asturian coast in northern Spain, forming a triangle with Oviedo (30 min) and Avilés. It's becoming a major summer destination for Spaniards escaping the southern heat. 🏖 BEACH TIP: Don't just stay on the city beach — drive 15 minutes out for the incredible dinosaur coast and hidden valley beaches. That's where the magic is. We're Simplify Abroad — an American family of 6 living in Valencia, Spain. We share the REAL ups and downs of expat life, travel across Spain & Europe, and everything we've learned about moving abroad. 🔔 SUBSCRIBE for new videos every week! 📌 WATCH OUR NORTHERN SPAIN SERIES: Oviedo, Spain — We Almost Bought a Farm! Bilbao, Spain — Why We'd Move There San Sebastián (coming soon!) 💬 Have you been to the beaches in Gijón? Were they as good as we say? Let us know below! #Gijon #Spain #NorthernSpain #Asturias #GijonBeaches #MovingToSpain #ExpatsInSpain #SpainTravel #Valencia #AmericansInSpain #SimplifyAbroad #GijonSpain #SpainBeaches #SpainVlog #ExpatLife #FamilyTravel #LivingAbroad #LivingInSpain #DinosaurBeach #Boardwalk #SpainFood #ExpatFamily #CostaVerde