TOUR OF BILBAO'S SURROUNDINGS

The tour of Bilbao’s surroundings will start at your hotel in Bilbao, where the guide will pick you up. Together you will drive towards the coast to discover one of the most beautiful corners of the Basque Country, the island of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Apart from becoming spellbound by the astonishing views of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe and its surroundings, you will also learn about its long intriguing past. And, if you are up for it, you can climb all those steps (over 240 to be more exact) to get to the top!

Not far from San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, you will be able to admire the beauty of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve and, if time allows it, stop at the towns of Bermeo and Mundaka, famous for their fishing tradition and surfing scene.

The next stop of the tour will be Guernica, a town well known for its political importance in the Basque region and its unfortunate bombing that occurred in 1937. In Guernica, you will visit the Biscayan Assembly and the famous Guernica Tree. And, if you are lucky to be taking part in this tour on a Monday, you will also have the opportunity to wander through its traditional food market, where each week hundreds of farmers gather to sell their produce.

On the way back to Bilbao there will be another stop at an unknown medieval castle, the Castillo de Butrón. Although unfortunately the castle isn’t currently open to visitors, during the tour you will be able to check out its exterior while walking through its gardens and learning about its history.

Before ending this wonderful day back at your hotel, if there is enough time, there will be one last stop at the Hanging Bridge or Vizcaya Bridge – the first ever transporter bridge, listed since 2006 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.