Costa de Bizkaia

The Bizkaia coast traces an arc of about 150 km from the mouth of the Nervión in the west to the Gipuzkoa border at Mutriku in the east. This section of the Cantabrian shoreline combines several distinct features: an exceptional flysch geology — sequences of sandstone and shale deposited on the ocean floor during the Cretaceous and folded by Alpine tectonics — cliffs reaching 80 metres near Barrika, and waves with a competition history that put the Mundaka estuary on the global surf map from the 1980s onwards.

The islet of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is the most recognisable landmark on the coast. It is connected to the mainland by a medieval stone bridge, with a 10th-century hermitage dedicated to Saint John the Baptist at its summit. Access requires climbing 241 steps cut into the rock, with the Atlantic breaking on both sides. A bell inside the hermitage is rung three times by visitors following an old tradition to make a wish. The cliffs surrounding the islet hold a small Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) colony in spring.

Mundaka is the surf capital of the Cantabrian coast. The sandbar formed by the mouth of the Urdaibai estuary generates a tubular left-hand wave of up to 300 metres when north-westerly swell and low tide coincide. In October and November, when Atlantic storms produce consistent groundswell, the wave quality draws surfers from across Europe. Behind Mundaka, the Urdaibai estuary is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1984, sheltering salt marshes, dune pinewoods and a breeding colony of European shag. Three kilometres to the north, the fishing port of Bermeo keeps its inshore fleet active, with fish markets selling sea bream, tinned anchovies and seasonal cuttlefish.

The stretch between Bakio and Plentzia holds the most popular sandy beaches in the province: Bakio (1.5 km long), Gorliz and Plentzia, the last at the mouth of the Río Butrón. The long-distance GR 123 coastal trail connects all the capes, fishing villages and beaches from west to east in a multi-day itinerary. Bilbao, with the Guggenheim Museum and full metropolitan infrastructure, is less than 30 minutes by car or metro from most of these points, making the Bizkaia coast one of the most accessible stretches of northern Spanish shoreline.

The combination of accessible nature, world-class surf and Basque cuisine makes this coastline one of the most versatile destinations on the Cantabrian shore. It is feasible to surf at Mundaka in the morning, eat squid in ink in a Bermeo harbourfront restaurant and walk to Gaztelugatxe before the last afternoon light fades — all in a single day. The public transport network — metro, bus and railway — makes this itinerary achievable without a car from Bilbao, which is unusual for a coastal destination in northern Spain.