Where, How, and Why to Go on a Bilbao Adventure?

Once a leading city in the textile and chemical industries, and further on, towards the end of the 19th century, in the iron and iron ore industries, it became an important centre of aircraft, railway and automobile production. Travel to Bilbao, a city built on ancient remains in the 14th century during the Middle Ages, and discover today's new and old Casco Viejo, where you'll find cultural attractions and museums with paintings by old masters from the Basque and Catalan regions of Spain, as well as from other European countries. Join us with travel tips and Globetrotter magazine as we explore the Basque region's El Botxo, Bilbao.

The new part of the city attracts many tourists and travellers with its world-famous museums, such as the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao and the architect Frank Gehry's notorious Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, as well as the Azkuna Zentroa - Alhóndiga Bilbao, a centre for contemporary culture. Shopping centres, restaurants, and bars with lots of different foods are scattered along the walking trails and viewpoints. The famous La Concordia and Bilbao-Abando railway station buildings connect the capital with places to go. Bilbao-Abando has a huge stained-glass window of genre paintings of Bilbao's people.

The old part of the city with the Casco Viejo neighbourhood is the heart of the city, where you can recognise the seven ancient 14th-century streets of Las Siete Calles, which were part of the centre when the city was founded. Here, in the medieval centre, you'll find the Catedral de Santiago, a place of worship for those making the pilgrimage along El Camino de Santiago to Galicia. In the old town centre, you’ll find two interesting museums: the Museo Arqueológico, Etnográfico e Histórico Vasco and the Bizkaiko Arkeologia Museoa. There’s also the Teatro Arriaga, an opera house built in the Neo-Baroque architectural style, designed by the architect Joaquín Rucoba.

High waves of the Basque surfing scene

Surrounded by surfing spots, Bilbao is one of the most exciting destinations in the world. With waves reaching up to ten metres high, the surfing season runs from October to April. During this time, the sea is steady and the waves stay high without breaking.

On more than 175 kilometres of coastline in the Basque Country, there’s plenty of surfing spots to choose from, where the wave experience is simply amazing. For both experienced surfers and beginners, there are many beaches with high waves and many surf schools where you can learn the basics of surfing on the water. For surfing fans, the BIlbao Surfing Film Festival is a yearly event with films about surfing. If you’re planning a recreational trip, be sure to check out these top surfing spots in the Bay of Biscay:

• Meñakoz beach is suitable for experienced surfers, as the climate is quite windy with high waves up to 6 metres high. The location is a well-known surfing spot with the highest waves in Europe. It is found on the northern coast of the Basque region, where cliffs rise from a wild beach.
• Punta Galea is located 17 kilometres from the centre of Bilbao and is intended exclusively for experienced surfers. The cape there is well-known as the venue for some sporting events, like the World Surf League and the Big Wave World Tour. You can see the high waves from the Paseo de la Galea promenade.

• Mundaka is a small village known for its surfing scene, especially for experienced surfers. It’s famous for its left-hand waves, making it one of the top 10 spots for left-hand waves in the world. The area around Mundaka and the old port are also worth visiting for their Basque culture and sandy beaches.
• Sopela is a town with a sandy beach for surfing with waves suitable for beginners and experienced surfers. The city has different surf schools where everyone can learn how to tackle the waves. The picturesque coastline is surrounded by cliffs and green hills with a subtropical climate and temperatures.

Which activities should I do in Bilbao?

This time, we've selected ten tourist activities to experience and get to know Bilbao in different ways. We will begin with a visit to the San Mamés Museum and the Bilbao Stadium, known as the Cathedral of football. You can see a large collection of 500 original objects, 4 audiovisual works, 13 interactive systems and 600 videos.

Right after that, we recommend you skip the line with a ticket for the Guggenheim Museum and learn about the artistic production via an audio guide in French, English or Spanish. Also book tickets for Santiago Cathedral and the Church of St. Anthony the Great, where you will learn all the secrets that have been preserved to this day with an audio guide.

Discover Gothic sacred architecture with cultural significance, such as the Church of St. Anton the Great. In 1983, it was recognized as a national historical and artistic monument. Explore its rich history that spans centuries.

The next tour takes you to the location where Game of Thrones was filmed at San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Before the famous cliff-top site known as Dragonstone, you can explore the old town of San Sebastián, with the Church of San Vicente and the Basilica of Santa Maria del Coro. A boat trip around Bilbao's delta and the Gulf of Abra offers scenic views of the Guggenheim Museum, the Biscay Bridge and the city's riverside architecture.

Just outside Bilbao, you'll see the Deusto Canal, the Portugaleta suspension bridge and the town of Getxo on a 2 hour and 45 minute tour. Experience Spanish cuisine and drinking culture at a wine tasting where you can experience five different first-class indigenous wines from the most popular wine regions. And complement the flavours you appreciate with a selection of cheeses, cured meats, nuts and chocolates that are best paired with wines.

An English-speaking instructor will teach you how to make traditional Basque snacks like pintxos and tapas in a gastronomy class. You'll prepare 4 different pintxos, while you can enjoy an open wine bar with charcuterie and cheese. If cooking isn’t your thing, you can join a guided tasting tour instead. On this three-hour tour, you’ll taste pintxos while learning about the city’s history, its past and origins, and its architectural achievements from the 19th to the 21st century.

Discover the historical monuments of Vitoria-Gasteiz and stop in the salt valley of Añana, the municipality of Orduña-Urduña, the city of Balmaseda and at the very end by the Biscay Bridge with a gondola. After completing the 10-hour tour, take time for an outdoor escape game that takes you through Doña Casilda Park, where you will feel the romantic side of Bilbao and discover works of art and ten words of love.

Travel tips with Hostelling International

Before you buy your plane ticket and other public transport tickets, or rent a car or van for your travel adventure, Hostelling International Slovenia has prepared some additional information in travel articles, which were presented and published in the online magazine Globetrotter after a trip to the tourist destination on the north coast of Spain in Bilbao.

1700 km in northern Spain in three parts is a comprehensive travelogue by the editor of the online magazine Globetrotter, in which you can learn from her personal experiences a wealth of practical travel tips for travelling in northern Spain. Hostelling International offers you the possibility to book a night in three HI hostels in the city, of which we have chosen Residencia Blas de Otero. But to stay connected to the travel guide in the book on your trip, order the Pocket Bilbao & San Sebastian book edition, published last year by Lonely Planet.

Did you know?

• In Bilbao, both Spanish and Basque, known as Euskera, are used interchangeably in offices, public services, and daily life.
• The popular Marianito cocktail, which was launched in Bilbao, consists of sweet vermouth, campari, gin and bitters.
• The nearest castle to Bilbao is the medieval Butrón Castle in Gatica, which was originally built as a tower before being converted into a castle in the 14th century.
• The biggest and most visible festival in Bilbao is the Aste Nagusia, or Holy Week, during which the faithful pay homage to the Virgin Mary and her Assumption, one of the four dogmas of the Virgin Mary.
• Spain gets over 85 million tourists each year, and Bilbao welcomes about 1 million visitors annually.