Bilbao: What to See in the Basque Capital of Pintxos

I’ve never seen (and actually tasted) as many pintxos as in Bilbao. Every bar here is literally besieged with trays that keep being cleared and yet are always full. I think they must have some sort of perpetual motion machine for pintxos here. To avoid horrible decision paralysis and not have to choose which ones to taste while not getting horribly overstuffed, I stayed here for over a week just to be safe.

Where to stay in Bilbao

If you don’t mind the clinking of glasses under the windows late into the night, Casco Viejo is definitely a good choice. The nightlife that comes out of the tapas bars on the street is a nice atmosphere. I stayed right on the square in front of St. James Cathedral on my first visit and I have to say it was a cool experience, I often found myself just watching the bustle of people in the square in the morning. But sometimes I would have appreciated more quiet too.

If you prefer to walk to the centre and want a more modern environment, the Abando district is the one by the train station.

Tickets, day trips and experiences in Bilbao

The Guggenheim tends to sell out even several days ahead in high season. The pintxos tour and the San Sebastián day trip have limited capacity, so it’s better to book in advance.

• Guggenheim Museum – ticket with exterior tour – In high season you often can’t buy tickets on the spot at all. Booking online is essentially a must.
• Dragonstone tour – San Juan de Gaztelugatxe – The famous Game of Thrones island. Access to the trail is limited to time slots, and an organised trip takes care of that for you.
• Guided walking tour of the old town – Casco Viejo is small and easy to walk on your own, but with a guide you’ll pick up things you’d otherwise pass right by.
• Pintxos and wine – tasting tour – Groups tend to be small and spots fill up fast, especially for weekend dates.
• Full-day trip to San Sebastián – San Sebastián is about an hour and a half from Bilbao. An organised trip saves you dealing with transport and a guide shows you around the city.

Things to see in Bilbao

Honestly, in Bilbao, you want to see mostly pintxos, the best thing to do is just wander around the tapas bars and admire the pintxos on offer. But yes, there are a few other places.

Mercado de la Ribera Market

So I’ll start with what I appreciate the most about Bilbao. The Mercado de la Ribera is one of the largest and liveliest indoor markets in Europe, and you’ll find it right on the banks of the Nervión River. It’s a paradise here and you’ll find Basque specialties. There are 3 floors full of stalls.

Casco Viejo (Old Town)

Historic Bilbao. The main part is the Plaza Nueva, a large rectangular square with arcades all around and underneath one pintxos bar sits next to another.

St. James Cathedral

The Cathedral of St. James, or Catedral de Santiago, is the cathedral I used to look out the window at every morning. Groups gather in front of it for guided tours of the city, people have dates or just sit around between walking around the city.

As the name suggests, the cathedral is dedicated to the patron saint of pilgrims, St James, and is therefore also an important stop on the Camino de Santiago, specifically on the Camino del Norte.

Cable car to Artxanda

Views are my thing. And if there’s a cable car going there, it’s a no-brainer. Bilbao has a great view from Artxanda Hill and there’s been a cable car up there since 1915.

There’s a nice park, a viewing platform and several restaurants up there.

The cable car ride is an experience in itself.

Zubizuri Bridge and the Nervión River

Zubizuri means “white bridge” in Basque. It was designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava. The Nervión River used to be an important trade route, today there is a nice promenade around it.

Guggenheim Museum

So I’m not a big fan of museums, but this is interesting as a building itself, the museum was designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry. The building has a futuristic structure made up of curved titanium plates, which creates a nice play of changing light and shadow. The museum is right next to the river, so the best view of it is across the river or from a boat.

Bilbao Museum of Fine Arts

Then there is another important museum at Doña Casilda Park. This one is more interesting for the exhibits inside. There are works by artists such as El Greco, Goya, Van Dyck and Francis Bacon and a collection of regional Basque art.

Where to go on a trip from Bilbao

Bilbao is a short drive from the coast, so it makes sense to take a trip to the sea. And about an hour and a half away from Bilbao is another (and even bigger) gastronomic paradise, San Sebastián, although that probably deserves more than a day trip. Here are a few more options:

• Rioja Alavesa – a wine-growing area in the south of the Basque Country, part of the famous Rioja region, which produces excellent red wine.
• Getxo – a seaside town on the northern outskirts of Bilbao with beautiful beaches and the UNESCO-listed Vizcaya suspension bridge.
• San Juan de Gaztelugatxe – a rock island connected to the mainland by a narrow stone bridge, about 35 km north of Bilbao. At the top of the island, up 241 steps, is the Chapel of St. John the Baptist and from there, of course, a beautiful view. Legend has it that if you ring the chapel bell three times and make a wish, the wish will come true. It’s also the backdrop for the Dragonstone from Game of Thrones.
• Sopelana – about 20 km north of Bilbao, with Barinatxe and Arrietara beaches popular mainly with surfers. If you don’t want to surf, there are nice hiking trails along the cliffs with ocean views.
• Gernika-Lumo – about 35 km inland from Bilbao, this town was the inspiration for Picasso’s famous painting Guernica. Near the town is the UNESCO-listed Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve with its rich biodiversity.

What to taste in Bilbao

Bilbao is a gastronomic paradise, I’ve said it before. Here you can taste the best of Basque and Spanish cuisine. The most famous, and what you’ll see everywhere, are pintxos, the Basque equivalent of tapas. Little treats on a piece of baguette.

Another local speciality is bacalao al pil-pil, cod in garlic-olive oil. For seafood, there’s txangurro, a stuffed crab prepared in various ways, with herbs and spices. Mostly as an appetizer. Marmitako is a fish and potato stew, eaten mainly on cooler days.

And I can’t leave out the sweet spot, tarta de queso, a creamy “cheesecake” typical of the Basque Country (but don’t expect a classic cheesecake).

Where to eat in Bilbao

You certainly won’t go wrong if you start in the Mercado de la Ribera, perfect for getting your bearings and tasting your first few pintxos. The other such pronounced pintxos location (also with a nice evening atmosphere) is Plaza Nueva, where there are great tapas bars all around, I’ll single out Víctor Montes and Antxoa Taberna for myself.

For fine dining, head to the nice historic interior of Café Iruña. For coffee, I went to the Baristas Club and Emeki Cafés.

Where is Bilbao

Bilbao is in the north of Spain, in the heart of the Basque region, with the Nervión River running through the centre. It is just a few kilometres from the coast of the Bay of Biscay and about 400 kilometres north of Madrid.

How to get to Bilbao

Bilbao Airport (BIO) is about 13 km from the city, so just a short drive.

Coming from Madrid, the ALSA bus takes just over 5 hours.

Getting from the airport into the centre is easy too. The A3247 bus runs here. It has 4 stops, and depending on where you’re headed, it takes 35 minutes to the last one. The most central stop is Gran Vía 46 (the second one), then there’s Gran Vía 74 (the third one).