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Enjoy the Basque Country with the cruise ships departing from, calling and arriving at the cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao.
The Bilbao Cruise Port, officially known as the cruise terminal of the Port of Bilbao in Getxo, is located in the coastal town of Getxo, just 10 kilometers from the capital of Bizkaia. Around it, we find places of incredible historical and cultural value as the Bizkaia Bridge (World Heritage Site by Unesco), the old port of Algorta, the mill of Aixerrota, the interpretation center of the fishing technique Agurtza, the promenade of the great villas, the galleries of Punta Begoña and much more. An ideal area to understand the Basque culture and history while enjoying the leisure offered by the marina of Getxo and the beach of Ereaga.
The Port Authority of Bilbao, the entity responsible for managing the port of Bilbao and therefore one of the main responsible for the success of the cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao in Getxo, has been improving the facilities and docks of our environment since 1992. A task of great importance, in which the cruise terminal and the commercial and industrial docks of Santurtzi and Zierbena play a very important role. Bizkaia’s international communications by sea are becoming more complete, safer and faster thanks to its good work, essential characteristics for the development of cruise tourism. We take this opportunity to publicly thank this organization for guiding us during our visit and informing us of everything that surrounds the world of cruises in Bilbao.
The cruise terminal of Bilbao is seen by experts as the most important seaport for cruises in the Cantabrian Sea in the near future, a goal that is getting closer every day thanks to the improvements in the facilities and the attractive tourist proposals of our land.
During 2017, the year in which the Getxo 3 maritime station was inaugurated, we have had the opportunity to check the efficiency of the cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao with the arrival of 3 large cruise ships simultaneously (Independence of the Seas, Britannia and Seven Seas Explorer), vessels, which transported to our coast more than 8,700 people in a single day. These figures make us optimistic about the future of the cruise terminal in Bilbao, it seems that everything is going well.
Information on the cruise terminal at the port of Bilbao.
- Online reservations: Here.
- Name: Bilbao Port Cruise Terminal.
- Getxo Taxis: 94 491 53 53
- Cabs Bilbao: 94 410 21 21.
- Cruise terminal phone number: (+34) 944871200 / (+34) 944871410
- Cab stand: The cruise terminal has a cab stand during the cruise ship stay.
- Terminal services: Tourist office, restrooms, parking.
- Number of maritime stations: 3.
- Draft: 12 meters.
- Shipping companies departing from Bilbao: HL-Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Pullmantur.
- Location: Cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao, Arriluze dock, Getxo, Bizkaia.
The embarkation and disembarkation of cruise passengers has become one of the many daily routines in the small Biscayan town of Getxo, and this town has become the host of all those who visit us by sea, a perfect town to show the traveler the variety and quality of the landscapes of the Basque Country. The airport and the urban center of Bilbao are about 20 minutes by car from Getxo, 2 points of our geography from where many of the people who embark on our cruises depart. Do you dare to visit us by sea?
Bilbao Port Cruise Terminal, how to get there, where to park, what to see and much more.
There are many people who choose Bilbao as the port of departure for their cruise trips, and therefore, there are also many people who wonder how to get there, where to park and what to see in the vicinity of the cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao. We must not confuse the commercial port of Bilbao (Santurtzi), with the cruise port of Bilbao (Getxo), and is that, although only the bay of the Abra separates these two Biscayan ports, they have nothing to do with each other.
Excursions from Getxo: If you are looking for customized excursions from the cruise terminal in Getxo (Bilbao). We recommend you to contact us through our contact form. contact form. We are sure that together we will make you enjoy authentic and unique places. If in addition to visiting the most striking places of Euskadi you also want to enjoy experiences we offer you the possibility to live in first person dozens of activities. An example of this is paragliding, Shepherd for a day or balloon flight. You can consult all these activities in our reservation center. 
How to get there: Here we will show you how to get to the cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao depending on the means of transport you use to get to Bilbao.
1.-Airplane: We start with the most common option. And the fact is that 80% of the passengers who embark in Bilbao come to the city by this means of transport. To get from the airport to the cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao we can use different public and private transport.
Cab: The most comfortable but also the most expensive, the price ranges between 30 € and 40 €, approximate price, we recommend to consult.
Bus and subway: The bus (line A3247 of Bizkaibus) takes us to the center of Bilbao, we have 2 options, get off at the central bus station of Bilbao (Termibus) or in the Plaza Moyua, both with Metro stops a few meters away.
Once in Bilbao, we take the metro towards Plentzia, Bidezabal or Larrabasterra (Bilbao metro line 1), all of them will take us to our destination, Getxo. The stops of Gobela or Neguri are the most suitable to walk to the cruise terminal, from where we have 1 km and 1.5 km respectively. The price of both transports (bus and subway) is around one and a half euro per person. If instead of walking we want to take a cab, we recommend stopping at the Areeta stop and leaving by the main metro exit. In front of us, in front of the Plaza del Ajedrez (the metro square) we will find one of the largest cab ranks in Getxo. The cab has an approximate cost of 10€.
2.-Train: Whatever the mode of train in which we travel, all trains terminate in Bilbao, at Abando station. To get from this stop to the cruise terminal in Bilbao, we have 2 options, metro and cab.
Metro: There is a subway stop at the same train station. In this case we will act as in the previous case, we will take any subway direction Plentzia, Larrabasterra or Bidezabal, and we will stop at the Gobela or Neguri stop to walk to our destination.
Cab: Just outside the Abando train station there is a cab rank. As in the airplane option, we emphasize its convenience and high price: the price ranges between 25 € and 35 €.
3.-Autobus: The bus terminal of Bilbao, Termibus, is located next to the Athletic de Bilbao stadium, San Mames. A few meters from Termibus we find one of the exits of the metro of Bilbao, undoubtedly, the best option quality/price to travel to Getxo. Once we are in this locality, we must act in the same way as in points 2 and 3.
4.-Car: If you opt for the car, the cruise terminal in Bilbao is about 15 km from Bilbao, just 20 minutes away.
Although we inform you about the metro stops and lines that you should use to get from Bilbao to the Cruise Terminal, you should know that there is also the possibility of arriving by bus through the lines 3411 and 3413 of Bizkaibus (public company of Bizkaia). In short, the cab is always the most comfortable but also the most expensive option, while the others are much cheaper but more cumbersome.
Where to park: Although in the vicinity of the cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao there are areas without OTA (Ordinance regulating parking by which payment for parking is governed), we recommend that you inform yourself about the rate for cruise passengers applied by the Parking of Las Arenas, and that in summer, these areas are collapsed and we run the risk of losing the cruise while looking for a parking space.
All those people departing on a cruise ship from the cruise terminal of the Port of Bilbao, have a special rate at the Areeta parking lot. Remember that as it is a special rate, the payment should not be made at the machine but at the counter. Please find attached rates and orientative data about the Getxo parking for cruisers:
- Seats reserved for cruise passengers: 50
- Phone: (+34) 944871200, (+34) 944871410.
- Rates: 7-day pass: 53,25€ / 8-day pass: 60,20€ / 9-day pass: 66,85€. Possibility to increase the number of days.
- Important: Reservations must be made by telephone.
- Location: Calle Las Mercedes S/N, Getxo, Bizkaia.
We should point out that outside the Getxo 3 terminal, a parking lot has been created with about 200 parking spaces, although we do not know if in the near future it will be possible to use it to leave our vehicles.
What to see: All those who wish to visit Getxo and the surrounding towns before, after or during a cruise, should know that they are in a strategic enclave of the Biscayan coast. And the fact is that the Bilbao cruise terminal offers all kinds of possibilities to get to know the Basque territory.
Walking: For those who want to stretch their legs and get to know only the municipality of Getxo, we propose a very complete and attractive plan. Get to know the most important coastal areas of the town without losing sight of the cruise:
As you can see, the cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao is located in an ideal place to enjoy the coast, and that, these are only a small representation of the charms that hides this municipality of Bizkaia. So, forget about transportation, the coast of Getxo is designed to perfection to enjoy it on foot, an experience 100% recommendable.
Public or private transport: Once we have any type of transport it is much easier to travel around part of the Basque Country. Of course, the plans are infinite, literally. So if you have any questions you can leave a comment in this article and we will try to guide you through our land as best as possible.
Cruises: The first shipping companies that opted for the cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao as the origin of their ships were Iberocruceros, MSC Cruises, Pullmantur and Oceania Cruises. While companies such as Royal Caribbean chose to call at the port of Biscay. The Grand Mistral (Iberocruceros), the MSC Opera (MSC Cruises) and Empress (Pullmantur) are the most attractive cruise ships departing from the port of Bilbao.
Maritime stations: The cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao is composed of 2 maritime stations, Getxo 1 and 2, the oldest station, has two docks unified in a single building, while Getxo 3, occupies the modern building that we find next to the breakwater of the municipality.
Although both buildings have areas for baggage claim, baggage claim, waiting room, tourist office and check-in area, we must remember that Getxo 3 has the latest technology in all its space, technology that allows people with reduced mobility to access the interior of the cruise ships without any problem. This terminal is the last push that the cruise terminal of the Port of Bilbao needed to fight for the leadership of the northern area.
The operation of the Getxo 3 maritime station is practically identical to that of any airport you may find. The only difference is that the finger, also called Gang-Way (exterior gangway of 169 meters long attached to the building) directs us to a boat and not to an aircraft.
The terminal has 3,200 square meters fully glazed, a feature that allows us to enjoy the coast from any of its two floors.
The cruise terminal of the port of Bilbao, located in Getxo, is the gateway by sea most used by our travelers, a great place that we are sure you will be attracted by its cultural and scenic offer. Enjoy the cruise and remember to visit some of the most charming towns in Bizkaia.
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