Bilbao and the Basque Coast

Bilbao is an industrial port city located roughly 15 kilometers/10 miles inland from the coast and served as our base for a few days to explore the Basque coastline between Getxo and San Sebastián. Bilbao’s outskirts were home to a skyline riddled with nondescript brick apartment buildings, not quite an eyesore but nothing you’d find on a postcard. The Estuary of Bilbao that snaked its way into the city from the coast was lined with chemical factories and scrap metal yards, quite a heavily industrialized part of the country. That said, central Bilbao was altogether elegant, with a tasteful mix of contemporary and centuries-old buildings situated along a handful of tree-lined promenades spanning out from the city center. We ventured along the Estuary of Bilbao’s waterfront one morning to gaze upon the incredible Guggenheim Museum Bilbao’s exterior, it boggled the mind to think about how the structure was put together with all its curves and convex features (also tricky to photograph without any vertical or horizontal sections to get the frame straight!).

The old city of Bilbao – Casco Viejo – was quite stunning: founded in 1300 and rebuilt multiple times over the centuries due to fires that leveled the bulk of its buildings, the quaint alleyways and pedestrian-only streets were reminiscent of the old town of San Sebastián a couple of hours to the east… Just without the incredible tourism pressure. We stopped off at Ribera Market on the way into Casco Viejo, in the process stumbling upon the pintxo hall adjacent to the market’s main galleria. The pintxos were by far the most diverse and extravagant we’d seen since crossing the border from France, some spellbinding tastes with everything from seafood to cured meats, pickled vegetables and even an entire stand devoted to desserts (where the kids both blew some pocket money!). I lost count of the number of times we went back for more.

Casco Viejo was home to a number of charming plazas, popular gathering places for the locals during their lunch breaks when all the storefronts in the city would shutter for an hour or two. The largest of the squares – Nueva Plaza – was a relaxing spot to enjoy a few afternoon libations, the central part of the plaza an ideal spot for Wild Man to expend some energy with the soccer ball he bought with his pocket money earlier that morning. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the location of our apartment in Bilbao – it was a sleepy, residential portion of the city a train ride from all the action – central Bilbao and particularly Casco Viejo were quite the undiscovered gems.

We also spent a couple of days exploring the Basque coastline and a handful of towns dotted along the Bay of Biscay. The little manual Seat Ibiza we rented was a joy to drive along the windy roads of the Basque country (although I did get reprimanded once or twice by my passengers for driving on the windy sections like I was in the Skillmaster). Some very pretty countryside stretching from Bilbao to the French border, rolling hills covered with a mix of forest and tree plantations intermingled with some charming villages. Getaria was a particularly pleasant village nestled at the base of a small peninsula with a beautiful beach on either side and charming old town. We stopped off for a stroll and some delicious lunchtime pintxos at Restaurante Politena in the single-alleyway old town. It was a cooler day when we visited, but a few degrees warmer and the beach at Markobe Hondartza on the southeastern flank of town would have been a great spot for a dip.

Zumaia was notably more utilitarian than neighboring Getaria, I honestly cannot fathom how developers ever received approval to erect some of the ghastly apartment buildings that stood in some of the quaint coastal villages of the Basque country. That said, the older portion of Zumaia was quite approachable and the pintxos at hole-in-the-wall Bar Zalla tucked into an alleyway next to the River Urola were exceptionally delicious. The kids voted the chorizo on offer at Bar Zalla the best in the Basque region! An afternoon swim and game of soccer on the beach at Playa de Sopelana was a relaxing way to spend a few hours, although I’m pretty sure everyone will remember Sopelana for the wang show we experienced during our visit. Of particular note were three septuagenarian fellows who were doing laps of the mile-long beach with their gear out for all to see the entire time we were there (pictured below with Max dribbling the soccer ball). Given how bronze they were from head to toe, I have a feeling the three of them were a staple on the sands of Sopelana. Lots of questions from the kids. That’s what this adventure is all about: new experiences everywhere we go!

We ticked off another Game of Thrones shooting location with a visit to Gaztelugatxeko on a drive between Bilbao and Playa de Laga. The picturesque island with its monastery perched on top served as the exterior of Dragonstone in the HBO series, although a significant portion of the island in the show was CGI-based. One portion of Dragonstone in the series that was not superimposed wasGaztelugatxeko’s winding staircase, used a number of times in shots leading up to the dragons’ lair (here). Sadly no dragons flying around the island when we visited, but it was still quite the sight to behold. The island itself was closed due to a landslide earlier in the year, but we still managed some great views from the hiking trails to the east and west.

Playa de Laga on a remote section of the coastline between Bermeo and Lekeitio was probably one of the most stunning beaches on our travels. It was a beautiful stretch of pristine sand flanked by cliffs with some excellent snorkeling spots amongst the rocks at the eastern end of the beach. Reminded both Lisa and me of Elephant Rocks in southern Western Australia with its rocky pools and crystal clear water. It was cloudy and misting with a little rain when we visited, but I agreed with Max to go swimming if he went in himself. It was very refreshing, to put it mildly.

It was fun to get off the beaten path a little for a few days exploring the western portion of the Basque region. If we had our time again I think we’d probably choose to stay in central Bilbao near Casco Viejo or on the coast at the mouth of the Estuary of Bilbao in Getxo. Our apartment’s location in Barakaldo sufficed, but we had to drive or train everywhere and the neighborhood itself was decidedly bland. That said, part of the motivation for this journey of ours is to expose Lilia and Max to different cultures and ways of life, so we can’t always be staying in the glamorous parts of town. Regardless, it was a memorable few days exploring Bilbao with some stunning beaches along the coastline and more delectable Basque food.