Bilbao Beaches

The loop from Bilbao around the coast of Vizcaya and east into the neighbouring Guipúzcoa province to Getaria and San Sebastián provides a succession of traditional fishing villages ports, sandy beaches and rolling green hills. If you hire a car and drive out of the city along the coastline you will find some beautiful undiscovered beaches: the most popular of which we have provided details on.

Getxo is just a 20 minute drive 13km north west of Bllbao and has five beaches and an ancient fishing port. There are plenty of restaurants and hotels along the beaches where you can sit and watch the world go by. The Playa de Azkorri is surrounded by cliffs and has a Blue Flag award for cleanliness. It has strong currents so is not ideal for children but is excellent for water sports. It has a small car park with up to 430 places, showers and a lifeguard.

Mundaka is a small beach which is 45km north east of Bilbao and attracts surfers from all over the world, especially in winter, when the waves are some of the longest in the world. The town is filled with summer homes and when you head back to Bilbao follow the signs for Gernika, stopping at the Mirador de Portuondo which is a roadside lookout on the left as you leave town for an excellent view of the estuary.

Lekeitio is 59km east of Bilbao and is a small town with two wide, sandy beaches right by its harbour

Ondárroa is farther east along the coast from Lekeitio and is a fishing town with its fleet painted in various combinations of red, green, and white which are the colours of the Ikurriña (Basque national flag) Continuing along the coastal road through Motrico and Deva, you will find some of the prettiest fishing ports and best seafood restaurants in the Basque Country..

Playa de Bakio is just 27 kilometres from the centre of Bilbao. It is fairly quiet and well-managed beach which is ideal for families with clear and calm waters.

Playa de La Arena Muskiz is a huge beach with a car park that can accommodate up to 2500 cars. It is a very popular and busy beach which has all modern amenities including a play area for children.

Playas de Gorliz y Plentzia are two large family beaches which are popular summer destinations for the Spanish people. Playa Gorliz has a pine forest which is ideal for picnics while the adjacent Playa Plentzia has an esplanade, marina and fishing port.

If you are planning to explore the area outside of the city centre and play some golf or go to some of the more out of the way beaches then you might consider hiring a car. There are a number of car hire firms based at Bilbao Airport who will be pleased to have a vehicle awaiting your arrival. This also cuts down on transfer costs for you and your family.

We have local knowledge and have provided detailed information on sporting and leisure amenities in Bilbao including an Area Guide which includes the best Bilbao Shopping, Bilbao Markets, Bilbao Golf Courses, the different types of Bilbao Beaches, recommended Bilbao Restaurants and Local Attractions in Bilbao