I’ve just got back from my annual holiday with my friend Becky and this year we embarked on a fantastic 12-day road trip around northern Spain. Our journey took us down through the Basque Country to the wine region of La Rioja, before we headed back northwards through the little-known province of Navarra and the elegant coastal hub of San Sebastián. I’ll share all the places we visited over the coming weeks, but today I’m focusing on the city where we started and ended our trip: Bilbao.
Huddled along a valley where the Nervión river meets crashing Atlantic waves, with green hills rising on either side, Bilbao is spectacularly sited. An extensive urban regeneration programme has reversed the decline it suffered after the disappearance of its steel and shipbuilding industries, and the result is a vibrant, creative centre with thriving art, architecture and food scenes. It feels like a city that’s moving upwards, and it has a distinctive Basque character that marks it out from other Spanish destinations (Basque is an official language and appears alongside Spanish on almost every sign). It somehow manages to be both traditional and cosmopolitan at the same time, and although it still feels a little rough around the edges in places, that only adds to its charm.
So, whether you’re visiting for a standalone city break or as part of a wider trip, here are my top 10 things to see and do in Bilbao…
Visit the Guggenheim
Bilbao’s most iconic attraction, the Guggenheim Museum, is unmissable. Designed by Frank Gehry, it’s a jumble of shimmering titanium-covered shapes that erupt from the riverbank like some kind of giant sea creature. I couldn’t decide if I liked the architecture or not, but there’s no denying that it’s a jaw-dropping sight – and I loved watching how the cladding glowed silver, pink and gold in the ever-changing light.
Inside, there are rotating displays of the museum’s vast collection of modern art, which encompasses Spanish and international names. There are also several permanent exhibits, my favourite of which was ‘A Matter of Time’ – a maze-like series of towering weathered-steel sculptures by Richard Serra, which you can wander through and around. I also enjoyed strolling along the over-water walkway outside, where you’ll find Louise Bourgeois’ 9m-tall ‘Maman’ spider and Fujiko Nakaya’s ‘Fog Sculpture’, which envelops visitors in a cloud of mist every hour or so.
Book tickets to the Guggenheim online if you want to skip the queues.
Dine in the Guggenheim Bistro
While you’re visiting the Guggenheim, take the opportunity to have lunch at its bistro (there’s a separate entrance just behind Jeff Koons’ flower-covered puppy installation). It’s a beautiful space with wood-lined booths, sculptural lighting and a wall of glass looking out over the river, and the set-price three-course menu is fantastic. I had a salad of juicy local tomatoes, grilled hake with a lemon béarnaise sauce and then chilled chocolate ‘soup’ with aniseed ice cream to finish – all delicious, and great value at only €29.50 per person.
Explore the Casco Viejo
Bilbao’s old town, the Casco Viejo, is an atmospheric tangle of narrow lanes, the oldest of which are the 14th-century Siete Calles – the city’s original seven streets. It’s a wonderful place to get pleasantly lost, with quirky little shops, tall townhouses fronted by traditional glassed-in balconies, and window boxes bursting with flowers and greenery. At the very centre is the pretty Plazuela de Santiago, where you’ll find the the Gothic cathedral with its beautiful cloisters and studded wooden doors.
Enjoy Pintxos
Bilbao is famed for its pintxos – the Basque version of tapas, consisting of bite-sized snacks served alongside drinks on cocktail sticks or pieces of bread. The best way to enjoy them is by hopping from bar to bar, and you’ll find a cluster around the colonnaded Plaza Nueva in the Casco Viejo. Our favourites were Gure Toki, Sorginzulo and La Olla, all of which put a modern spin on traditional combinations. I’ve also heard good things about Irrintzi, located elsewhere in the old town, but it was closed during our visit.
Pintxos are generally displayed on the counter, often without descriptions, so if your language skills are lacking the best thing to do is just point at whatever you like the look of and see what turns up! Many bars will also have boards with a menu of warm pintxos that are made on request.
Visit the Ribera market
Another great place for pintxos is La Ribera, Bilbao’s sprawling Art Deco market hall. Located by the river just behind the Siete Calles, it’s said to be one of the largest covered food markets in the world and has more than 150 stalls spread over two bustling floors, beneath beautiful stained-glass ceilings. At the heart of the lower level is a food court, where you can select treats from numerous counters, each of which has its own speciality (one focuses on seafood, another on grilled meat and so on; there’s even a stand dedicated to pintxos-style desserts!).
Stroll along the riverbank
Speaking of the river, a gentle stroll along its meandering banks is an excellent way to spend a couple of hours, giving you a real feel for Bilbao and its history. As well as the Guggenheim and the Casco Viejo, you’ll pass Santiago Calatrava’s sweeping Zubi Zuri footbridge, the ornate ayuntamiento (town hall), and the shaded Arenal park with its burbling fountains and Art Deco bandstand. Dotted along the tree-lined waterside promenades are plenty of benches and even the odd lounger (something I haven’t come across in any other city), where you can rest your feet and take in the views.
Explore Getxo
To see a different side of Bilbao altogether, take Metro Line 1 out to Algorta in the seaside suburb of Getxo. This former fishing village is made up of a warren of steep lanes that tumble down towards the harbour, with cute pitch-roofed houses, tiny chapels and colourful displays of geraniums at every turn. At its heart, along Portuzarra Kalea, is a cobbled square where you’ll find the old fishermen’s meeting house and a couple of outdoor pintxos bars shaded by oak trees – the perfect place to stop for a glass of txakoli, the lightly sparkling local white wine.
See the seaside mansions of Neguri
A few hundred metres further along the coast from Algorta, at the other end of the sweeping Ereaga beach, is Neguri. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries this upmarket neighbourhood became a favourite with the Bilbao elite, and the shore is lined with an eclectic array of ornate stone mansions. Information boards on the promenade explain the history and architecture of each one; there are also a couple of cafés, plus a pretty blue and white lighthouse that now houses the regional HQ of the Red Cross.
Take a boat tour beneath the Vizcaya Bridge
A gentle boat ride along the Nervión estuary will introduce you to Bilbao’s maritime and industrial past. It’s not exactly a pretty journey, but it’s certainly a fascinating one – and along the way you’ll pass beneath the famous Vizcaya Bridge. Opened in 1893, it’s the oldest working transporter bridge in the world and ferries cars and foot passengers across the water in a suspended gondola, without disrupting the shipping lanes beneath. It was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2006 and continues to operate 24 hours a day all year round.
If you’ve visited Algorta and Neguri you can take the regular El Bote boat service from Getxo’s marina (by the lighthouse) back into the city centre; otherwise there are round-trip tours with El Bote and Bilboats.
Eat at Basquery
Finally, don’t miss Basquery – a cosy, vault-like restaurant and brewpub just across the river from the Casco Viejo, with exposed stone walls, an open kitchen and vintage curios dotted here and there. We headed there for breakfast, but it also serves lunches, evening meals, wines and craft beers. And there’s a bakery where you can treat yourself to fresh loaves, pastries and cakes baked on site.
Where to stay in BiLbao
We stayed at Hesperia Bilbao [AD – affiliate link]. It isn’t particularly stylish, but it’s quiet and it has an excellent location on the riverfront, just across from the Guggenheim. If you want somewhere more design-led, I’ve heard great things about Hotel Miró [AD – affiliate link], which has minimalist rooms and Guggenheim views.
Getting to Bilbao & getting around
Bilbao’s small yet architecturally noteworthy airport, designed by Santiago Calatrava, has numerous flights from other Spanish cities plus some from elsewhere in Europe (we flew direct from Bristol with EasyJet). If you’re coming from further afield, you’ll probably have to change in Madrid or another European hub. A taxi from the airport to the city centre takes around 15 minutes and costs €25-30, or you can hop on the public A3247 bus (around €3 one-way).
Bilbao itself is fairly compact and most of the sights are within easy walking distance of each other, but you can also zip around on the Metro and tram systems.
Please note this post contains affiliate links (all clearly marked), which means I will receive a small commission on any resulting bookings. You won’t pay any more by clicking on these links than you would by visiting the websites directly, and it helps to support the free content I create here.
All photography by Abi Dare
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