12 charming fishing villages in Biscay

Bizkaia has many fishing villages scattered along the coast, do you know them? We present you the 12 most charming fishing villages in Bizkaia.

Bizkaia is one of the Basque provinces most demanded by our visitors, and it is not surprising to see the amount of places of interest that offers to visit, among them, we must highlight the fishing villages of BizkaiaAmong them, we must emphasize the fishing villages of Bizkaia, urban centers that occupy great part of our coast.

Starting from Muskiz and ending in Ondarroa, we find a large number of villages where fishing used to predominate as a traditional and conventional way of life, a way of life that is reflected in the villages mentioned below.

Bermeo: This municipality located only about 30 kilometers from Bilbao is one of the most important fishing villages in the Cantabrian Sea. The canneries and the fishing fleet of Bermeo still represent today a large part of the jobs in the town. We recommend reading our article on this Basque coastal town: 11 jewels of Bermeo . Strolling through the streets near the port, eating in one of its restaurants and enjoying its people is a must during our route along the coast of Biscay.

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Santurtzi: Santurtzi, fishing village located at the mouth of the estuary of Bilbao, in the open, allows us to contemplate the small remnants that today remain of its fishing fleet, a fleet that comes to less finds its museum in the museum Agurtza of this town, a museum or interpretation center of the fishing technique and way of life of the Basque fishermen in which we will find great surprises to see how the Basque fishermen lived.

Its proximity to Bilbao and the presence of the Metro make a visit to this coastal town very comfortable. If you visit Santurtzi do not forget to visit the Hanging Bridge or Bizkaia Bridge, one of the giants of our coast.

Agurtza from the outside

Lekeitio: Lekeitio is part of the geopark of the coast of Bizkaia, in its cliffs, the history of the world is evident, a history that complements perfectly with the history of the municipality. In Lekeitio we highlight its beaches, the Lea estuary, the port, the lighthouse and of course the island of San Nicolas, a great attraction and emblem of this fishing village.

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Portugalete: Although it is not currently a fishing village, it had a fishing past. Today the steep streets that lead to the Hanging Bridge and the promenade along the estuary are two of the great attractions of Portugalete.

Suspension bridge seen from the sea

Mundaka: Bizkaia town known worldwide for its waves and fishing tradition. This municipality located in the heart of Urdaibai has the best enclaves to practice all kinds of active tourism activities.

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Getxo: One of the fishing villages of Bizkaia with more tourist affluence. Getxo, has developed during the last years a great project, by means of which it has created very important spaces for Bizkaia.

Paseo de las grandes villas, Getxo

In Getxo we recommend a route around the estuary of Bilbao and the Abra. We will start next to the Hanging Bridge and finish in the Old Port of Algorta, enjoying the “walk of the great villas” of the town.

OndarroaA town that we have mentioned before in many of our articles, a town with a strong fishing fleet, which, together with Bermeo, forms the most important fleet of Bizkaia. In recent years many visitors come to this coastal town to see its charms in person, making Ondarroa an obligatory stop on their travel route.

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PlentziaWhen we talk about Plentzia, it is difficult to leave aside its old town, its beach and its small port, spaces that make this small municipality, one of the most charming coastal municipalities of Bizkaia. Formerly, Plentzia was a village dedicated entirely to whale fishing, a dedication that led it to be one of the most important urban centers of Bizkaia.

Plentzia estuary

If you like hiking we recommend the coastal route linking the towns of Getxo and Armintza. During the route we will have the opportunity to see several of the municipalities mentioned in this article and enjoy the cliffs that accompany us for much of the route.

GorlizGorliz: A village next to Plentzia, it does not have an old town or a port like Plentzia, but its great cliffs, the lighthouse, the farm of the council, the canyons and the walk along the coast that connects the town with the neighboring village of Armintza make Gorliz a coastal town with a lot of movement in the summer months.

gorliz natural paradise

EaA town linked to the sea physically and mentally. A town full of small and narrow streets full of charm that we definitely recommend to visit.

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ArmintzaThis small district of the municipality of Lemoiz, limits with Gorliz and Bakio, two localities very demanded in summer by the bizkainos. Its small port, its beach and the power station that was never finished give this coastal enclave a great charm. Perhaps you remember Armintza from our article about the Begotxu restaurant.

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ElantxobeA coastal town in Bizkaia that leaves no one who visits it indifferent. Fishing village by tradition, Elantxobe is one of the most photographed enclaves of the entire Basque coast. Its streets on the hillside, narrow and crowded one on top of the other, create a landscape difficult to forget for anyone who visits the town.

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In Bizkaia there are numerous fishing villages where visitors can appreciate the fishing tradition of the Basque people and enjoy the fishermen’s houses while enjoying one of the great attractions of these small urban centers, its gastronomy, culture, history and traditions of fishermen await us in the fishing villages of Bizkaia, are you going to miss it? Start your route.