Barrika, the town of cliffs and wild beaches.

Barrika is home to some of the wildest cliffs and beaches of the Cantabrian coast, a real spectacle for the senses, a real luxury.

Barrika is a small coastal town located in the province of Bizkaia, between the towns of Sopela and Plentzia, a village, which currently houses more than 1500 inhabitants under the title of anteiglesia. The way of life of their ancestors, historical whale fishermen, was reflected in the Town Charter that Lope Diaz de Haro, Lord of Bizkaia, granted to Barrika in the twelfth century. Much has happened since then, whaling has come to an end, as has the small urban center that formed Barrika, but its natural attractions remain intact. The vertiginous cliffs, the rocky and sandy beaches and the green fields are well worth cataloging this small area of our coast as a place of great natural value.

Its coastal location and proximity to the capital of Bizkaia, Bilbao (just 30 minutes), have turned Barrika into one of the most popular residential towns in Bizkaia. Along the road that crosses it, we find bars and restaurants that propose us a movie plan for the long summer evenings, enjoy the beaches and cliffs of Barrika, enjoy the Basque gastronomy and finish before a beautiful sunset, an attractive plan that attracts half of Bizkaia in summer time, are you in?

Barrika is known for being home to one of the most popular bars in the summer, the Golfo Norte, but what many do not know is that it is one of the oldest towns in Bizkaia, and its origin dates back to the year 496.

In many aspects Barrika is presented as an underrated town, and many people pass by on their way to Plentzia or Gorliz, or those who only know this point of our geography through the Golfo Norte bar. Barrika is much more than a road and a bar, do you want to discover it? keep reading!

What to see in Barrika: We place great emphasis on its scenic value, on nature. Its coast and inland contain landscapes worthy of framing, postcard. The coast, irregular and of great contrasts, shows the passage of time through the different geological formations, a feature that reminds us of the Geoparkea, the coastal area between the Gipuzkoan municipalities of Mutriku, Deba and Zumaia. The interior, green, low relief and dotted with baserris (Basque farmhouses) reminds us of its origin.

For urbanites and history lovers we recommend you to visit the center of Elexalde, the center of Barrika, where you will find the town hall, the church and the fronton, the most traditional and important places of any Basque village. Although, the Elorduy Foundation, today an old people’s home, a building constructed in 1914, will surely catch your attention.

Beaches: The beaches of Barrika, surrounded by spectacular cliffs, wild, small and difficult to access, are ideal for nature lovers. We leave you a video of Muriola beach as an example, a sandy area that was chosen by the producers of Game of Thrones to shoot their scenes in Euskadi.

All of them cut by the same pattern but with different characteristics, thus, we find: the beach of Barrika, the beach of Meñakoz and the beach of Muriola. The latter, famous for hosting the filming of the seventh season of the series Game of Thrones, for a reason, right? By the way, practically all of them are nudist beaches.

Cliffs: We recommend to know the 6 kilometers of coastline of the town, making the route of the cliffs Getxo-Armintza. Narrow dirt paths run along the coast of Bizkaia creating a chain of routes that allows us to know all the municipalities that cross: Getxo, Sopela, Barrika, Plentzia, Gorliz and Armintza.

Barrika Marshes: In the last stretch of the Butrón estuary, next to the Plentzia subway stop, we find a small marsh that accompanies the Barrika-Plentzia road for 2 kilometers, hosting migratory birds and native vegetation, thus creating a very complete ecosystem.

What to do: Its beaches, tidal flats and cliffs provide the perfect natural space to enjoy outdoor activities such as surfing, hiking or coasteering, a perfect place to practice active tourism. If you want to do any of these experiences we recommend contacting the active tourism company Troka Abentura.

How to get there: Barrika is connected to the surrounding municipalities and Bilbao itself by the BI-2122 road, a regional road that connects with the Uribe Kosta corridor to take us to the outskirts of the capital of Bizkaia. The A3451 Bizkaibus line is the only one we find to reach this municipality, its route, Areeta-Armintza, allows us to connect with many other transports. The nearest metro stop is in Plentzia, 20 minutes walking and 3 minutes by car.

Barrika awaits you with open arms to offer you a unique experience, one of the best panoramic views of the Cantabrian coast merged with movie cliffs and geological formations millions of years old. What are you waiting for?