The in Sea its Soul The Bizkaia coast The mountains meet the sea • Fishing, ports and maritime tradition • 150 kilometres of coastline and 28 beaches to suit all tastes • The left handed wave and lovers of surfing • Urdaibai, UNESCO World Heritage Site • Lighthouses and bird watching You will be delighted You will be enchanted by TO VISIT WALKING Fishing villages picture postcard scenes 150 km of coastline, 28 beaches to choose from Rich heritage washed by the sea Water, sun and sand, all glistening The River, Bilbao’s backbone Touring the coast The A bridge for every epoch The sea here is "exhilarating" 231 steps to the sky 6 Urdaibai, Biosphere Reserve 22 Heart of our story. Gernika Immerse yourself in the sea from dry land in its Soul You will be charmed You will be thrilled You will love TO ATTEND TO TAKE PART SHOPPING The fiestas most worth their salt Surf. A hobby that inspires passions Preserving the fruits of the sea With the help of the wind Riding the waves, a way of life Txakoli. A coastal white wine Oar strokes A bird's eye view. Birding The whole of the sea from the deck 30 34 of a boat 44 BTT. The landscape seen from two wheels Hiking, the sea as a guide This card is your passport to savings and convenience when planning your stay in Bilbao; You will adore use it for public transport, museum and theatre to tickets, restaurants, shops and other leisure TOP COAST Bilbao/BIKAIA from activities. Request one in any Tourism Office Everything you can't miss in 10 or at: THE FOOD proposals What we call some things www.bilbaoturismo.net Real delicatessen on the shore around here Pintxos, maritime morsels 52 54 Typical maritime dishes Version: January 2016. Second edition Published by: Bilbao Bizkaia be Basque BIZKAIACoasTMAP USEFULINFO Content: Bell Communication 48 To keep track without Addresses, telephones, links... be Photography: Archives of Bilbao Turismo, Bizkaia Turismo, Basquetour, Hazi, missing a thing in the know Bell, Gonzalo Azumendi, Pedro Muñoz, Quintas Fotógrafos, Gemma Arrugaeta, Mitxi, Martín Fotógrafo, CC by-3.0-ES 2012/EJ-GV/Irekia-Gobierno Vasco/ Mikel Arrazola 56 58 Printers: Grafilur/D.L. BI-32-2016/2.000 The From coast to coast in its Soul he 150 kilometres of Bizkaia coast between Ondarroa and Muskiz offers an endless array of things to do: visit Tthe picturesque fishing villages,travel through a coast shaped by the spectacular Cantabrian sea, join in the traditions that are still followed with such devotion, do all kinds of sports, buy and sample the delicious delicacies, traditional to this charming coast... A plethora of thrilling experiences that will mean you never forget your trip here. 4 5 Santa Catalina Lighthouse The You will be delighted in its Soul TO VISIT FISHING VILLAGES Charming villages with an authentic Picture postcard scenes seafaring atmosphere 6 tart with Ondarroa, a port which lands some of the biggest catches 7 of the Cantabrian region. Lekeitio stands out as an important tourist attraction as does Elantxobe for its dizzying drop down to the ocean. SMundaka, in the Biosphere Reserve of Urdaibai awaits, with its famous left handed wave. Nearby is Bermeo, the fishing village par excellence, with Cape Matxitxako and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe surprising all those who visit them. Armintza, Plentzia, Getxo, Santurtzi, Zierbena... will seduce you with their charms. Santurtzi Lekeitio The You will be delighted Algorta old port A small area of Getxo Santa María altarpiece in Lekeitio in its Soul TO VISIT which retains the feel Dating from the beginning of the of an authentic fishing XVI century, this is the third biggest village, with red, blue sculpted Gothic altarpiece in the and green buildings peninsula, representing scenes from and an unbeatable the life of the Virgin Mary, and based atmosphere thanks to on an Andra Mari (Virgin Mary) from Algorta taverns and al fresco Bermeo the XIV century. dining. Bermeo. If you want to get to know a real maritime population, Bermeo is the place for you. You'll Rich heritage be surrounded by people speaking "Euskara", the great linguistic washed by the heritage of the Basque people. Go SEA BAKIO on, why don't you try a word or two? The seafaring atmosphere isn't the only attraction of the places you'll visit here, as well as strolling through beautiful, historic towns, you'll also find great historic ARMINTZA treasures and monuments. Butrón Castle. Near the GORLIZ town of Plentzia, looms BERMEO this fortified structure, ELANTXOBE PLENTZIA surrounded by forests, Lekeitio perfect for exploring. IBARRANGELU BARRIKA MUNDAKA 8 EA 9 SOPELA LEKEITIO ZIERBENA GETXO SANTURTZI Portugalete old town. Steep hills leading ONDARROA MUSKIZ up from the quay and GERNIKA-LUMO Gernika Assembly House With its PORTUGALETE its famous hanging legendary tree in front of the building, bridge. Brightly painted it represents the central plank of houses and an excellent Basque identity. This neoclassical SESTAO market, here it's all building is today the site for the about "taste". Bizkaia General Assembly. Don't miss Gernika-Lumo the guided tour. Portugalete Bilbao. Based around the River, the city has become emblematic for its BILBAO avant-garde architecture, Ondarroa. The old bridge, the which coexists in perfect old Fisherman's Guild, and the harmony with the Santa María Church, give a traditional. Don't miss. sense of history and elegance Santurtzi. The importance of the fish- to the old river port. Today, its Bilbao ing industry can be seen in the town's large catches make it one of the famous port and in a population which most important coastal fishing lives its life in tune with the sea. villages in the region. Santurtzi Ondarroa Ondarroa The You will be delighted in its Soul TO VISIT o talk about Bilbao is to talk about the River... from its very beginnings, the town has been entwined with the River, it is even on the town's shield, Twith the San Antón Bridge crossing its waters. On the banks of the River we find theold town founded over 700 years ago, with its Seven Streets, the Santiago A Plentzia Cathedral, as well as Plaza Nueva, and the Arenal... GOOD Thanks to its strategic position and navigability, the IDEA! River can rightly claim to be one of Euskadi's economic Follow any of the delightful driving forces. The River maintains this importance in walks which run along its banks the city's transformation, flowing freely through Bilbao's in both directions, visiting the totally regenerated zones and avant-garde architecture, emblematic buildings that fostering increased participation in sports, the enjoyment you come across on your way. Sopela of open spaces... an artery bursting with life for everyone. On the water, you can enjoy exciting sports like canoeing, rowing... or a boat trip down to the mouth of the river. Getxo 10 Erandio 11 Sestao Portugalete Barakaldo Bilbao Santurtzi THE River Bilbao'S backbone The River as it winds past the Guggenheim Bilbao The You will be delighted in its Soul TO VISIT Euskalduna Bridge ... a Every historical period represented Church and Bridge of through the city by a different bridge San Antón The first is the bridge ofSan Antón, said to date from before Bilbao was founded. Still in the old town, we find the La Ribera Bridge, referred to in the song “No hay mundo leré, puente colgante leré...” (there is no more elegant bridge than the Hanging bridge) and the La Merced Bridge, also known as the 12 BRIDGE 13 for every epoch bridge of good luck as it is believed that touching the sculptures of winged creatures on the lamp posts will bring good luck. Not forgetting the Arenal Bridge, which connected the two sides of the River, previously only linked by boat. We continue on to the two double leaf drawbridges: the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) Bridge and the Deusto Bridge, which were opened to cope with A symbol of the industrial age in increased industrial activity requiring the passage of large ships. Between which it was built at the end of the these two bridges modern Bilbao is connected by the La Salve Bridge, where XIX century, the Bizkaia Bridge is the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum has been built, along with two footbridges: at the mouth of the River, uniting Zubizuri and Pedro Arrupe. Finally we have the Euskalduna Bridge, whose Portugalete and Las Arenas (Getxo). name comes from the shipyards that previously occupied the site, now the Inspired by the architecture of the home of the Concert Hall and Conference Centre. Eiffel Tower, it was built to cope with the demands of the emerging Redera Zubizuri footbridge middle class and burgeoning tourist industry at the time, driven by A visitors to the spas on both sides of GOOD the river. It was declared a UNESCO IDEA! World Heritage Site in 2006. Both of the riverbanks have their charms: the Campo www.puente-colgante.com Volantín with its mansions and residential areas and the bank with Paseo de la Memoria (the Memorial Walkway), from la Naja to Olabeaga, joined by the Zubizuri footbridge. Bizkaia Bridge Boat trips on the River La Ribera Bridge The You will be delighted in its Soul TO VISIT s well as the natural richness and unquestionable value of the "flysch", the Bizkaia coast offers other curious phenomena which demonstrate the area's Aenvironmental diversity. One of those are the Astondo Dunes, in Gorliz, a huge sand dune created by the action of The sea here is the sea and the winds blowing in from the north.