Boat tours in Bilbao.

Boat tours in Bilbao, maritime excursions along the Bilbao estuary.

The boat tours in Bilbao are a great option for those who want to know the capital of Biscay from a different perspective. And the fact is that the Bilbao estuary, navigable practically in its entirety, runs through the city showing us different points of view. A sheet of water that allows us to visit Bilbao while we enjoy a pleasant boat ride. It does not sound bad right? Getting to know Bilbao while sailing is an experience that we recommend to all our readers. That is why we wanted to include in a single article all the existing maritime proposals in Bilbao and surroundings. That said, we must mention that there are different companies and boats that offer this type of services. A nice range of opportunities to discover some of the most striking corners of the city.

Sailing the waters of the estuary while enjoying buildings designed by internationally renowned architects has recently become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. A beautiful maritime route, which allows us to sail from the San Antón Bridge to its mouth in the always incredible Abra Bay. The numerous bridges that we find along the way, contribute to make our adventure in Bilbao waters more interesting if possible. Among them all, we must highlight the Bizkaia Bridge, a structure listed as a World Heritage Site and one of the most iconic bridges in the Basque Country. By the way, if you are impressed by the views that this bridge gives us when passing under its structure, we recommend you to go up to its highest point, to its pedestrian walkway. We are sure you will love it.

Book a boat tour in Bilbao online.

The convenience of booking online, automatically, without waiting, without queues, means that we can get our ticket to navigate the estuary of Bilbao in a matter of seconds. Fast, comfortable and safe. That is why we must congratulate the company that carries out the regular routes along the estuary for being the only maritime services company in Bilbao that has an automated booking system. A fact that, together with its varied regular routes along the Bilbao estuary, makes this Basque company one of the most demanded options for people visiting Bilbao. In case you want to book some of its services, we recommend you to do it from here. No commissions, no waiting. In case you have any questions, do not hesitate to use the comments of this article, we will try to answer as soon as possible.

Boat tours in the Bilbao estuary.

Currently there are 2 boat tours in Bilbao. We must make clear that when we say boat tours in Bilbao we refer to regular routes, to boat trips that always take place, regardless of the number of passengers on the boat. That is to say, boat trips 100% guaranteed. The 2 routes go through the center of Bilbao showing us the charms of the capital of Biscay. The only difference between both maritime excursions is the duration, the price and the route they take. Here is a brief summary:

3 spaces for sailing in Bilbao.

The estuary of Bilbao, the Abra Bay and the gulf of Bizkaia are 3 maritime spaces worthy of admiring and sailing. One reason why we encourage you to try some of the routes that we recommend in this article. Although we always refer to the estuary as the most emblematic space for sailing in Bilbao, we must point out that the Abra Bay and the Bay of Biscay perfectly complement the routes that can be enjoyed in this riverbed. Depending on the time you wish to invest in this experience, the places you want to visit and the budget you have available, you can navigate all the above mentioned areas or only some of them. In any case, the choice is yours.

The 3 navigable stretches that we have presented to you gain a lot when we make the complete crossing that separates the center of Bilbao and the Bay of Abra. Being able to enjoy the modern buildings that have conquered Bilbao, the little industry that remains along the estuary, the noble villas of Getxo located by the sea and the strength of the cliffs of the Basque coast in a single activity, is an honor. A very complete experience.

Regular boat tours in Bilbao.

The regular routes offered by the boats of Bilbao are one of the best options to get to know Bilbao. Unfortunately, there are not many companies that have daily scheduled routes in the vicinity of Bilbao. In fact, apart from the regular routes in the estuary and the guaranteed sailboat trips offered by the tourist office of Getxo, we can say that the rest of the companies work on demand, under reservation. Although everything depends on the tastes of each person, we believe that regular boat trips provide the peace of mind of not having to plan a personalized maritime experience. And, in addition to the great economic cost that this would entail, we would also have to invest a lot of time in deciding the places we want to see. As well as the routes in the estuary of Bilbao, there are regular boat trips in Urdaibai, one of the most beautiful natural areas of Bizkaia and home to such emblematic and beautiful villages as Bermeo or Elantxobe. If you want to know these areas from the sea, we recommend you to visit our booking section, where you will find 2 fantastic routes that will take you to know fascinating places such as San Juan de Gaztelugatxe or Cabo de Ogoño. Do you want to rent a boat in Bilbao? Do you want to know the price of each of these boats? We reveal the answers to all these questions and much more in this article. We hope you will find everything you need to know about the maritime possibilities in Bilbao and Bizkaia.

Sailing the Ría de Bilbao.

The Bilbao estuary, the river artery of the capital of Bizkaia, allows us to contemplate the center of Bilbao, modern and striking, along with the outskirts of the city, where the existing industry reminds us of the great heritage of the Basque Country. The estuary is a faithful witness of the transformation that Bilbao has undergone. From the Salto del Nervión, origin of the Bilbao estuary, to the mouth of the same, industrial activities of different kinds have been developed, among which shipbuilding and mining stand out. The Bilbao estuary was, is and will be the backbone of Bilbao. A space that in the past was essential to transport the mineral obtained in the mines of Bilbao and that nowadays, with the mining activity disappeared, has become a perfect space to enjoy the leisure in the city. Boats, canoes and trawlers coexist in total harmony. On the way along this riverbed on the way to the sea, we find spaces where the historic Euskalduna or Altos Hornos de Vizcaya shipyards were located, among many others. Converted places that narrate the history of our town.

Bridges of Bilbao.

The different bridges that we find along the estuary of Bilbao, make the sailboats and deep draft boats can not access to the city of Bilbao. If you want to know in detail each of these bridges linking the two sides of the estuary of Bilbao, we recommend reading our article “The 13 bridges of Bilbao, the walkways of the Nervión“. If what you are looking for is a boat trip to get to know each of these bridges, the best option is to take the Rivercheer boats and the boats that make regular routes along the estuary. Any of them is as valid as interesting.

Boat from Bilbao to the Suspension Bridge.

Many people seek to contemplate the Suspension Bridge or Bizkaia Bridge from the sea, from a boat. That said, there are several possibilities. If you only want to sail next to it, if you do not want to pass under the bridge, the cheapest option is to take the famous “gasolino”, the boat that connects Getxo and Portugalete. A service similar to that provided by the Bizkaia Bridge, which you will find just 500 meters from the ticket office of the Suspension Bridge. On the other hand, if what you are looking for is a boat that passes under the bridge, we recommend that you consider the option of booking the maritime route “sailing to the sea”, a 2-hour maritime trip that takes us from Bilbao to Getxo passing under this emblematic Basque structure. We also know that, during the guaranteed departures from the tourist office of Getxo, the sailboats pass under the Bizkaia bridge in the final stretch of the route. A beautiful sight that is usually immortalized by the hundreds of people on both shores. If you opt for this last option, we recommend that you make sure that the sailboat passes under the Bizkaia Bridge, as it depends on the sea conditions and other elements. As you can see, there are several options to make the Bilbao Suspension Bridge tour by boat.

Boat rentals in Bilbao.

Although, in other occasions we have already talked about the existing options to enjoy Bilbao aboard a boat, we would like to include here all of them, creating a small summary of the boat rental companies in Bilbao. We hope that some of them offer the services you are looking for. If not, we recommend you to use the comment system of this article to send us your comments.

Which company best suits your tastes and needs? Which company do you choose? As always, we encourage you to tell us your experiences through the comment system that you will find at the end of this article. We accept constructive criticism, suggestions, general opinions and any other perception that crosses your mind. Your opinion is important to us.

Recommendations for traveling by boat in Bilbao.

As we usually do, we will try to make your stay aboard these boats as comfortable and rewarding as possible with a dozen recommendations. A few small tips that we believe will help you during this adventure in the estuary of Bilbao and surroundings.

Discount codes boat route in Bilbao.

Occasionally, some of the companies mentioned in this article provide us with discount codes for some of their activities. We usually publish these offers on our social networks (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram). If you are interested in this type of experiences, we recommend you to be attentive to our social media profiles, you never know when we can surprise you with a discount code for boat tours in Bilbao. In case we are provided with a discount code on a continuous basis, we will insert it in this article so that all of you can benefit from it. At this moment, there is no active discount code, but we recommend you to check the existing prices in our booking section of our website. We are sure that the prices we offer will catch your attention. A simple, fast and secure booking system. No commissions.

Sailing excursions in Bilbao.

Sailboats, boats driven by the force of the wind, represent a nice way to know the Basque coast, but if you are thinking of renting a sailboat in Bilbao, you must take into account that due to the length of their masts and keels it is impossible to cross under the Euskalduna bridge, the first of the bridges that we find upriver. Therefore, we only recommend you to book a sailboat in Bilbao and surroundings if you want to go out to sea. If you are considering the possibility of sailing on a sailboat and do not want to rent the whole boat, we recommend that you consult the guaranteed departures offered by the tourist office of Getxo, one of the best options if you want to know the Abra Bay and the cliffs of the coast of Biscay. Undoubtedly, one of the noblest boats you can find.

Comparison of boats in Bilbao.

After analyzing the different boat companies in Bilbao, after comparing prices and characteristics of the main and most important maritime services in the capital of Biscay, we wanted to make a small summary for you to draw your own conclusions. Of course, you must keep in mind that each experience is totally different, which is why we have added the type of boat and its capacity so that you can objectively evaluate each proposal. Here is a list of prices, capacities and types of boats to visit Bilbao.

Although the user experience is totally different in each of the boats that we present, it is clear that the boats in Bilbao that offer the best time / price ratio are those that perform regular routes in the estuary of Bilbao. In conclusion, if you are looking for good, nice and cheap regular routes on the Bilbao estuary, we recommend you to book this experience directly from our website. We leave you a link to our booking page, easy, fast and comfortable. No waiting, no queues.

Rent a boat in the estuary of Bilbao.

In case you want to rent a boat in Bilbao, in the hypothetical situation that you come in a group to Bilbao and you want to make a personalized maritime route, we recommend you to design your own boat trip. All the companies that offer their services in Biscayan waters offer the possibility of personalizing your own adventure. The only aspect that you must take into account is the capacity of the boat. If you want to make a group route with more than 10 people, you should know that both Rivercheer boats and Getxo sailboats will not be a valid option. On the other hand, the boats that make the regular routes in the estuary of Bilbao have a capacity of 80 passengers, so, in this case, they would be the best option. On the other hand, if your group is small, if you are less than 10 people, the Rivercheer sailboats and motorboats are the best option.

The most demanded boat in Bilbao.

Thanks to its 2 regular routes around Bilbao, its central location, its low prices and the audio guides that are offered completely free of charge, the boat tours of 60 minutes and 120 minutes have managed to lead the tourist sector of Bilbao. A different experience, through which we are invited to know the past, present and future of Bilbao from the estuary. In this sense, we must say that it has become one of our best-selling experiences. An activity that attracts and captivates. 100% recommended. We invite you to browse our booking section, we are sure that some of the routes we offer end up calling your attention.

Bilbao jetties.

Bilbao is a city that lives facing the sea. That is why it is common to find piers where you can make a stop during your maritime route in Bilbao. In case of renting a boat completely, you have the opportunity to plan a strategic stop in one of the following points of the estuary of Bilbao. We recommend the pontoons of the Getxo Marina, the Euskalduna Bridge and Pio Baroja. Strategic places to get strength and get to know part of the environment on foot.

In case you decide to rent the boat completely without skipper, we recommend that you consult with the rental company before attempting to moor the boat at each of these points. Due to the size and draft of some of the boats that we present, it is not possible to moor in some of the mentioned points. Very important.

Spaces of interest in the Bilbao estuary.

Along the estuary of Bilbao, to the left and right, we will observe emblematic spaces of the capital of Bizkaia. The estuary has been and will be the main artery of Bilbao. A sheet of water around which some of the most famous buildings of Euskadi are established, a maritime visit, in which we will have the opportunity to discover a great part of Bilbao. Here are some examples.

These places and buildings are just a representation of what you will find on your route along the Bilbao estuary. In our opinion, this type of experience represents a unique experience.

Opinion about boat tours in Bilbao.

Keep in mind that you must filter among all the opinions you read or hear about the boat tours in Bilbao. And the fact is that, depending on the type of boat and the route you want to take, the service you will enjoy changes completely. Each maritime experience in Bilbao is a world. They have nothing to do with each other. In our case, we have had the opportunity to enjoy all the existing routes in the estuary of Bilbao. All of them are worthwhile. Experiences of quality, that propose us to know the estuary from boats and very different routes. We recommend that you take note of the boat routes in Bilbao that we have mentioned and the boats that carry them out. A very important aspect to take into account before deciding on any of them.

A boat for each person profile.

In order to check which boat is the one that best suits the needs of each one of us, it is mandatory to answer a series of questions. Questions with which we will have the opportunity to decide on the best option to get to know Bilbao.

As you can see, there are several options depending on the budget and type of boat you are looking for. We recommend that you take your time to decide which of these possibilities fits your needs.

Videos boats in Bilbao.

Once again, we wanted to accompany the photos and words of this article with a small audiovisual. A video, which, in our humble opinion, shows in a close and visual way everything that this experience in Bilbao entails. In addition, for all those people who do not want to miss a second of the trip, we have created a timelapse in which you can perfectly appreciate every meter that we traveled aboard your boat. If you like Bilbao, if you would like to follow our adventures in Euskal Herria, we recommend you to subscribe to our YouTube channel, where you will find dozens of videos related to this topic. We are sure that more than one of them will catch your attention.

As you have been able to see throughout this article, you have several options when it comes to navigate the waters of the estuary of Bilbao. A different, dynamic and very attractive way to know the spaces that surround this artery of Bilbao. If you have any questions about the boats of Bilbao or any related aspect, we recommend you to use the comment system of this article to let us know. We will try to respond as soon as possible.