Bilbao Travel Guide
Bilbao was never on my list, and that was a mistake. I went for the museum and stayed for everything else: a river that bends through the city, old town lanes stacked with pintxos bars, and a food culture that I would put against anything in Europe. Within a day I understood why the Basques are quietly smug about their corner of Spain.
This guide comes from three full days spent walking the streets, arguing with myself about how to order in a crowded bar, and eating far too well. It is the practical version I would hand to a friend.
Getting Around Bilbao
Bilbao is a walking city and a compact one. Most of what you want, from the Guggenheim to the old town, sits within a comfortable walk along the river. For the hills and the suburbs, the metro, the clean white trains with the Foster designed entrances, covers everything you will need. A travel card called Barik beats buying single tickets every time.
The Casco Viejo, the old town, is on foot and only on foot. The lanes are narrow and stacked with bars, and a car there is a liability. Plan your day around walking and you will see more than any map will tell you.
The Guggenheim Museum
Let me be clear: the Guggenheim is the reason most people come, and it is unmissable, but come for the building as much as the art. Frank Gehry’s titanium curves look different in every light, and the sculpture garden outside, with Jeff Koons’ flowered puppy and the giant spider by Louise Bourgeois, is worth an hour on its own before you even step inside.
The collection inside is strong and changes often, so check what is on before you visit. Book tickets online ahead of time to skip the queue. Give the building and the art a full half day and do not rush it.
Pintxos in the Old Town
This is the heart of Bilbao for me. Pintxos, the Basque version of tapas, are stacked on the counter of every bar in the Casco Viejo, and the ritual is to order a small beer or a glass of txakoli, the local white wine, and work your way down the street, one bar at a time. Two or three bars and a handful of pintxos make a perfect lunch.
My rule is to follow the queues. A bar packed with locals eating off little plates is never wrong. Try the classics: the tortilla, the croqueta, some form of jamon on bread, and whatever the cook has made that day. The Cod is a Basque pillar and it appears in a hundred forms, none of them bad. Prices are fair and the vibe is infectious.
Where to Stay
The old town, around the Plaza Nueva, puts you in the middle of the pintxos scene and the nightlife, with the downside of noise. The area across the river near the Guggenheim is quieter, more modern, and closer to the museum. For a compromise, the zone around the Abando station gives you easy metro access and a relaxed middle ground.
I chose the old town and loved the location, but pack earplugs. The bars do not care that it is midnight on a Tuesday.
Best Things to Do Beyond the Museum
Take the short funicular up Artxanda for a panorama of the whole city folded into its valley. Ride the metro across the lovely Calatrava bridge and watch the river life. Cross the hanging transporter bridge across the estuary into Portugalete, a piece of industrial heritage that still works, for the thrill of riding a gondola over the water.
Walk the Ribera Market, one of Europe’s great covered markets, and grab fresh fruit and a bite. Basin through the Art Nouveau stretches near the old station and admire the rebuilt riverside, where Bilbao has turned a former industrial river into one of the most pleasant urban promenades I know.
Day Trips from Bilbao
If you have extra days, the Basque coast is superb. San Sebastian is an hour and a half east and worth a trip for its own pintxos and its famous bay. The seaside town of Gernika, an hour away, carries a deep history and makes a thoughtful half day. The beach town of Getxo, at the mouth of the estuary, is a gentle twenty minutes out and lovely for an afternoon by the water. Whichever you choose, the green hills and the cliffs that drop into the Bay of Biscay will make you wonder why you do not live in the Basque Country.
How Long Do You Need
Two days covers the city comfortably. Three gives you room for the old town’s slow pace, a day trip to the coast, and time to eat every pintxo in sight. Bilbao is one of those cities that rewards a longer, slower stay, and I left plotting my return before the metro had even reached the airport.
