Our guide to exploring the best of Bilbao when visiting by cruise ship, including how to get to the city centre from Getxo port, top tips and all the must-see sights.
The Bay of Biscay is widely renowned for its tumultuous waters and four-seasons-in-a-day climate, but it is also home to some interesting ports which is what makes it such a popular cruise destination, particularly for those shorter durations sailing from the UK.
Getxo was the first port of call on our recent seven night voyage from Southampton, and we knew we wanted to get out and discover the iconic city of Bilbao for ourselves. A designated UNESCO Creative City of Design, the combination of traditional Basque heritage and modern innovative architecture is somehow woven seamlessly together. The overwhelming investment from the government in recent times is obvious, but the city is now thriving once again, and Bilbao now stands as a testament to what focused resources can really do to reinvigorate an exhausted and desperate community.
When it comes to visiting ports of call such as this, of course the cruise lines are happy to provide you with many excursion options for those looking for a convenience, but with this comes expense. Quite frankly, we prefer to go our own way where possible and spend our pennies on other things! So, if you want to know how we got in to the city from Getxo and made the most of our time in Bilbao, read on!
Getting from Getxo Cruise Port to Bilbao city centre.
Take the cruise line shuttle bus from the cruise ship to the nearest metro station which, in our case, was Areeta Metro Station. In my opinion, its worth getting the shuttle bus as it saves over 2km of walking each way, and that is precious time and energy you could be spending seeing the sights of the city!
Once at Area Metro station, you will need to purchase your tickets. Here we experienced some fantastic customer service. A queue of people had formed at the top of the escalator before entering the station as one man was selling tickets via a hand held ticket machine. My advice: go straight past them, go down the stairs in to the station and buy the tickets for yourself using the self-service machines. Here there was also assistance in the form of an English speaking Metro staff member who helped us buy 4 return paper tickets between zones 1-2. Literally, with a couple of clicks of a button and a tap of our contactless card, we were done! The machine does also have an English language button in the event of a member of staff not being present to assist.
Take Metro Line 1 from Areeta to Moyua (in the direction of Etxebarri). The service runs every 5-10 minutes and takes 23 minutes. The experience is similar to any other Metro in Europe, so expect standing-room-only at peak times of the day. When exiting the station, take the exit marked ‘Guggenheim’ and you’ll be right next to the Plaza de don Federico Moyua – an impressive water fountain with surrounding foliage and seating – also known as the central hub of a busy roundabout! From here, head North-West towards the first of many sights worth visiting: Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park.
Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park
This wonderful green space is quite literally a breath of fresh air after a city metro ride, and is home to some lovely water fountains, gardens and a beautiful pergola. Popular with families and dog-owners, there is a lovely calm atmosphere to this seeming sprawling city centre park. If you have children, you can find a couple of great play areas nearby, notably Kasilda Iturrizar Parkeko Jolastokia (more on that in another post coming soon)! When ready, continue North-East either via Euskadi plaza towards our next destination, simply known as “Puppy”
Puppy
Hayfever sufferers beware! This cute pup is both a beauty and a beast, consisting of 43 feet of bright blooming flowers, creating an icon worthy of many a photo and fridge magnet. It serves as a friendly welcome to visitors and gives you a great first impression of this vibrant city. After snapping your best pooch pics, head left and down the steps towards our next icon of Bilbao – the Guggenheim Museum.
Guggenheim Museum
Whether you are in to architecture and design or not, you can’t help but be impressed by this marvellous building. It’s big. It’s bold. It’s everything I dislike about modern buildings, and yet, it’s something else! Admittedly we didn’t go inside the museum, but honestly we didn’t need to as the city has so much more to see when you’re not here for long. Once you reach the bank of the Nervión river, walk infront of the Guggenheim and prepare yourself for your next encounter.
Maman
Arachnophobes beware! This eight-legged beast is like something out of a horror film, but when in Bilbao, you have to take your picture with it! I’m sure there is some deep and meaningful explanation for it, but as someone who prefers to take things at face value, I can’t say anything more than “its a great big spider”!
Continue along the river bank, passing Puente de la Salve bridge, until you reach the very modern Zubizuri bridge. Cross the river, then walk around 350m North-East towards our next point of interest: Artxandako Funikularraren Geltokia.
Mount Artxanda funicular
At the entrance to the bottom station of the Mount Artxanda funicular there are a couple of ticket machines to purchase tickets. Almost identical to the ones at the metro station, buying your own tickets using contactless payment is easy, and you’ll soon be through the barrier and in your funicular car.
At the top is a small park area with lots of benches and wonderful views sweeping across the city. Its a lovely area to sit and relax for a while, enjoy some light refreshments and take a breath, but you’ll need to come prepared as there is no shop or cafe at the top!
Bilboko Udaletxea (City Hall)
One of the most beautiful traditional buildings in Bilbao, the City Hall is visibly beaming with pride of its heritage and complimented by vibrant considered flower beds, ensuring it is picture-perfect for all those who visit.
Plaza Nueva (Main Square)
If you are a real foodie, or sampling the local wines is the sign of a good day, be sure to head to Plaza Nueva. All of the restaurants are very busy by early afternoon, but that can mean only one thing – it must be good! If you don’t fancy sitting down with something to sip or sampling the local pintxos, you will be sure to find something that tickles your fancy in the Old Town.
Casco Viejo (Old Town)
As you would expect from an area known as the Old Town, Casco Viejo is an area packed full of traditional Basque architecture, with narrow pedestrianised streets and surprises around every corner. Whether you are looking for a traditional Basque-country beret or the latest fashion trend, there is something for everyone here. Shopping, dining, drinking… this is where the city really comes to life. By day the streets are filled with pals sharing pintxos (tapas unique to the Basque region), but by night you can tell the city comes to life in a whole other way! Whenever you visit, and whatever you fancy, you can find something for you here.
Ready to head back?
When you feel like you can’t walk any more, or your time to get back to the ship is getting near, make your way to nearby Zazpikaleak Casco Viejo Metro Station. I would strongly recommend leaving at least 1 hour to complete your metro journey before the last shuttle bus, just incase of any delays (no-one wants to miss the boat, literally)! Take Metro Line 1 from Zazpikaleak Casco Viejo Metro Station to Areeta (Getxo) (in the direction of Plentzia). The metro runs every 6 minutes and takes 24 minutes. Then re-trace your steps back to the bus stop where your shuttle bus will be waiting to take you back to the ship.
In Summary
Bilbao is a vibrant city, with something interesting (and a play area) wherever you look. There is no big expensive must-do attraction, but plenty to explore whatever your interests are. Architecture, nature, cuisine, heritage… Bilbao has it all, so get out there and see it!
Useful Links
Bilbao Metro: metrobilbao.eus
Guggenheim Museum: guggenheim-bilbao.eus
P&O Cruises: pocruises.com
TripAdvisor: tripadvisor.co.uk
If you found this article useful, check out our other European ‘Tourist Guides’ here!
Have you been to Bilbao? Did you sample some local pintxos? Let us know in the comments – we love to hear from you!
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