If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Bilbao, the province of Biscay/Bizkaia will not disappoint you.
Here’s some basic information about a selection of incredible, easily accessible trips if you want to get away from Bilbao for the day.
The best way to get around Bizkaia during your stay is via public transport, check out our guide here.
Bizkaia Bridge
Easily accessible by metro (Areta), the Bizkaia Bridge, or Hanging Bridge, was constructed in the late 19th century as the world’s first ferry bridge and remains a true marvel of engineering and one of the few remaining representative structures of the era.
Plentzia
A few metro stops away from Getxo, the town of Plentzia marks the point where Bilbao’s river finally meets the sea. Enjoy its picturesque old town of medieval origin, which brilliantly combines traditional architecture with palatial buildings, or take a pleasant stroll along the banks of the river, dotted with small boats, to the quiet beach, a large sandy bay with calm waters that’s popular with the locals in summer.
Gernika
A key town in Bizkaia’s history and that of the Basque Country as a whole, Gernika is the spiritual and historic centre of the province. Its destruction by bombing during the Spanish Civil War inspired Pablo Picasso’s iconic painting of the same name.
Don’t miss the ‘Casa de Juntas’ (Assembly House), where Bizkaia’s General Assembly Hall is located, and where you will find the legendary Tree of Gernika, a symbol of freedom, democracy and the historic rights and privileges of Basque society.
Lekeitio
A fishing village that has become a popular tourist destination thanks to its colourful port, wide sandy beaches and magnificent gothic church. Leketio is a favourite among locals, with many Bizkaitarras spending their summers in the idyllic seaside town.
*Town shown in the header image.
Mundaka
Nestled on the western bank of the Urdaibai estuary, Mundaka is another picturesque town. It is especially famous in the world of surfing thanks to its left wave, a barrel wave, which can get up to four-metres high and 400-metres long, considered the best of its kind in Europe
Bermeo
Lying on the mouth of the Urdaibai estuary, and along the same train and bus route as Mundaka and Gernika, Bermeo is one of the province’s main fishing ports. Its residents are famed for their distinct Basque dialect, while the town has a unique personality, charm and an abundance of cultural heritage.
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
Of recent Game of Thrones fame, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe combines the privileged location and the beauty of a centuries-old hermitage perched on top of an islet with the brute force of its surrounding and the Bay of Biscay breaking at its feet, creating a place of fantasy. After climbing the 241 steps from the coast to the hermitage, ring the bell three times to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.
Oma Forest
The magical Oma Forest, also known as the Painted Oma Forest, resembles an open-air art gallery. It’s an example of the Art and Nature movement, which emerged at the end of the 1960s and seeks to place works of art in nature, using the landscape as a backdrop.
This is one of Agustín Ibarrola’s best-known works, consisting of several groups of figures and geometric patterns painted on the trunks of pine trees, playing with two and three-dimensional images.
Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve
For more unparalleled natural beauty visit the Urdaibai biosphere, a natural wetland area covering 22,000 hectares along the Basque coast. Declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1984 in order to protect its natural and cultural resources, the area is particularly renowned for its birdlife, with over 250 species of birds passing through all year round.
In fact, it is home to fantastic bird centre where you can take a closer look at the reserve’s aviary life and learn more about their migratory patterns.
Mount Gorbeia
Just over an hour to the south of Bilbao is the Gorbeia Natural Park, named after Mount Gorbea, the highest peak in Bizkaia at 1,482 metres, crowned by a 17-metre-high metal cross. The park is the largest of its kind in the Basque Country and is particularly admired for its ecological value, its beauty and its rich cultural heritage, deeply linked to the Basque people’s thousands of years of roots in the land.
