Getxo Taxi Tour, guided tour in Getxo.

Getxo Taxi Tour, a close, comfortable and practical guided tour through the most emblematic corners of Getxo.

Getxo Taxi Tour was born as a response to the need to show Getxo from a local and close point of view in a comfortable and practical means of transport. A different tourist offer, which has been consolidated in recent years as one of the best ways to get to know the town. Although many people believe that they can get to know Getxo on foot in just a couple of hours, we must remember that the more than 11 km2 of surface that it has and the amount of attractions that it has, make it difficult to go through it in such a short time. Serafin, one of the 7 people who offer this service, was in charge of taking us through windmills, palaces and beaches, a beautiful tour, in which we witnessed a master class in history. He was the one who told us that he had the strange feeling that many people linked Getxo Taxi Tour with an expensive and impersonal service. A fact, which in his opinion, could be due to the fact that people associate it with the cab services themselves.

We must remember that Getxo Taxi Tour includes the services of a local guide (the cab driver himself) and a means of transport (the cab), but it has nothing to do with the rates and services that this sector usually offers. Local guide and transportation included in a one-hour tour that covers most of the attractions of the town for 35€ (4 people) Expensive? Personal? We don’t think so, so here’s what we think!

Are you looking for a tour guide in Getxo? Are you looking for a tourist transport in Getxo? If this is your case, you should add to your list of options Getxo Taxi Tour, the tourist service offered by several members of the cab drivers association of Getxo (Radio Taxi Getxo).

Located 14 kilometers from the urban center of Bilbao, in the historical territory of Bizkaia, Getxo is one of those municipalities that offers us everything we need to know the history and culture of Euskal Herria, the essence of the Basque people. Bordered by the municipalities of Sopela, Berango, Leioa and Portugalete, guarded by the majestic Abra Bay, Getxo offers all kinds of experiences: fishing, sea crossings, gastronomic routes, paragliding … all kinds of sensations at our fingertips.

Local guide: The cab drivers, people who know every street and corner of Getxo as if it were their own home, are the people in charge of showing us the uniqueness of this coastal town. And the way in which they merge the history and anecdotes of the town, make our minds create a very real idea of what the town of Getxo represented over the years. We recommend taking advantage of this service to ask any questions you have about this town and all that surround it, the people who offer this tour know every corner of Bizkaia, do not miss this opportunity. The explanations of the tourist tour are made by audio recording and are available in Spanish, Basque, English and French. As always, there are exceptions, such as Serafin and Javi, two cab drivers who have taken the initiative and have provided this service with a plus of quality by telling the story in their own voice. A nice fusion of history and anecdotes that make the trip gain many points in its favor. As you can see, it all depends on the person who attends you. We have only tried the Spanish version of Getxo Taxi Tour with Serafin, an experience in which we really liked the way in which Serafin spun each of the spaces we visited.

Price: 35€ per car. Regardless of the number of people enjoying the service, maximum 4. This is the rate of Getxo Taxi Tour. If we put ourselves in the situation that we go as a family, 2 adults and 2 children (the most common case according to what they tell us), we would be talking about less than 9 € per person, a more than reasonable price, don’t you think? We have been investigating, and we have not found any personalized touristic tour (for groups of 4 people or less) in Getxo, of 1 hour duration and including transportation for less than 35€. Mission impossible.

How to get there: Getxo has 5 neighborhoods, Las Arenas, Neguri, Algorta, Romo and Andra Mari, all of them with their corresponding Metro Bilbao stop, the most used transport in Bizkaia. In this case, your only concern would be to know how to get to the meeting point, to the starting point of Getxo Taxi Tour, the Bizkaia Bridge. To do this, the best way is to get off at the Areeta stop and take the exit at Plaza Geltokia, a large open space also known as the “Plaza del Ajedrez”. From here, we will only have to head towards the Bizkaia Bridge along the Main Street until we reach our destination, you can’t miss it. We attach the route in Google Maps in case you have any doubts.

Route: The starting point of this experience is the Bizkaia Bridge or Hanging Bridge, more specifically the cab rank that we found on its right bank, in Getxo. It is here, where after greeting Serafin, the guide who accompanied us, our particular Getxo Taxi Tour began. A short introduction about the town, its location, the number of inhabitants, its structure and its charms help us to locate ourselves before starting with the first of the attractions of Getxo, perhaps the most visited, the Bizkaia Bridge. A colossus, which besides being one of the most emblematic buildings of Euskal Herria, represents the most comfortable and practical way to cross the estuary to reach the neighboring towns of Santurtzi or Portugalete. Although this tour does not include a visit to this Unesco World Heritage Site, we strongly recommend climbing to its highest point and enjoying its views and walkway, it is well worth it.

We left behind the Suspension Bridge, we got in the cab and began to walk the streets that formerly occupied the villas of Areeta, the tourist buildings of Getxo. And is that this neighborhood getxotarra, was originally a tourist center that enamored the aristocracy and the gentry of the north of the peninsula. A fact, that turned this municipality into one of the most demanded luxury spaces by the high social classes to spend the summer vacations. We must remember that at that time, between 1868 and 1870, the summer vacations lasted between 2 and 3 months, being the biggest attraction the water spas that were in Getxo. The fashions of those times had nothing to do with the present, the sun and being tanned, one of the great objectives of many people today, was at that time a clear symptom of working from sunrise to sunset, a clear indication of social status, the working class. On this subject, on tourism, we talk about it again later as we walk through Zugazarte, with the Real Club Marítimo del Abra (former spa) and the promenade of the Grande Villas of Getxo as the main protagonists.

We continue our way until we reach the hermitage of Santa Ana, the catholic temple used by the upper social classes who came to Getxo attracted by its beaches and its privileged location. We continue with the route enjoying this residential neighborhood thanks to the architecture and the explanations about owners, years of construction and architectural styles that our guide offers us, another of the moments of great interest of the visit.

We return to Zugazarte to head for the Old Port of Algorta. But not before passing by buildings such as Arriluze, the galleries of Punta Begoña, the Cruise Port of Bilbao, the Marina or the Hotel Igeretxe, another of the luxury resorts of that time.

Once in the Old Port, we made the first stop, the place deserves it. The Old Port, the old fishing village of Algorta, is one of the most charming urban centers of Getxo. A very picturesque place, where the people of Bizkaia gather to enjoy friends and gastronomy during the summer. To have a drink on the stairs of the Old Port is something you should do at least once in your life. A must.

We walk along the steep and narrow streets with Serafín, while we enjoy the views and his explanations. Don’t forget your camera!

We got back in the cab to reach the upper area of Algorta, the old agricultural center of Getxo. And the fact is that, where today we find the subway and a good number of houses, before there were only apple trees and orchards. By the way, speaking of apples, you cannot leave Euskal Herria without tasting our beloved sagardoa (cider in Basque) and the typical menu that goes with it.

We continue the route until we reach the Church of Andra Mari, the place where Getxo originated in the twelfth century. The original village, composed of farmers, shepherds, millers and fishermen, was transformed by the arrival of the aristocracy, a fusion of ways of life, which can still be seen today, walking through Getxo. As you can see, the route goes through Getxo in reverse order to the way it was created, first the tourist center, Areeta and Neguri, and later Agorta and Andra Mari, the original nuclei of Getxo.

We finish the visit between cliffs, in the Aixerrota Mill, one of the most representative structures of the municipality. The sunny days, the views and the walk along the coast of the municipality are a spectacle. Enjoy!

Once the guided tour is over, we must decide our next destination. At this point, Getxo Taxi Tour offers to take us to any place in Getxo. If at the end of the tour you still want to visit more places in Getxo, we recommend you to visit the following places:

The only but we found to Getxo Taxi Tour, the only downside, is that during the tour there are only 3 stops, Bizkaia Bridge, Old Port of Algorta and Aixerrota Mill. A small problem for all those people who wish to photograph and to know more in detail the rest of the spaces of the route. A common inconvenience in most of the tourist tours that include transportation.

We must mention that, although we have made the most demanded route, the one that covers more spaces, the one called “Getxo in depth”, there is another one that makes a smaller route and that has a lower cost, the one called “Getxo Costa Monumental”. We enclose the data of this other route in case it attracts you more than the one we recommend:

Remember that in order to enjoy Getxo Taxi Tour it is advisable to make a reservation, as this is an on-demand service. We look forward to hearing from you!