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Visit the Ortube tuna boat in Bermeo, discover the way of life of the Basque fishermen.
The guided visit to the Ortube tuna boat offers us the possibility to know the inside of the last wooden fishing boat of Bermeo. A different and original visit, which together with the visits to the fish canneries and the guided tours of Bermeo helps us to understand the way of life of this fishing village. Are you up for it?
Information about the visit to the Ortube ship in Bermeo.
- Reservations: Here.
- Price: 15€ (adults and teenagers) and 0€ (under 5 years old).
- Duration: 1 hour (approximate)
- Location: Bermeo, Urdaibai, Bizkaia.
Guided tour.
The visit to the Ortube tuna boat takes place only once a week during the high season. A very interesting and popular guided tour, which starts in front of the Bermeo train station. After introducing the history of the fishing boat, we enter the engine room, the bridge, the refrigerators, the cabins, the kitchen and the rest of the rooms, to discover each and every one of the particularities of this fishing boat.
The visit ends with a small snack based on local products from Urdaibai on the deck of the boat. Remember that you can book quickly and conveniently from here, we are waiting for you!
History of the Ortube tuna vessel.
The Ortube is one of the last wooden fishing boats in Bermeo. A 36 meters long vessel, which was built in 1979 for anchovy and tuna fishing in the Cantabrian Sea, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. A task, which was carried out thanks to the 12 men who were part of its crew.
From its launching in 1979 until its decommissioning in 1999, this fishing boat was owned by the Ortube brothers and Juan Ramón Egaña. Years later, this vessel was replaced by the Ortube Berria, a vessel that is still active today.
In 2003 the City Council of Bermeo bought the Ortube tuna boat to keep it as part of the town’s heritage. After years in which it was only used for the traditional excursion to Izaro and Elantxobe during the Magdalena festivities, in 2016, due to the risk of sinking, it was decided to take the boat out of the water and beach it in the port.
Luckily, this fishing boat was rescued by a group of volunteers. People, who created the non-profit association “Ortube Ontziaren Lagun Elkartea”. Today they are still working on its restoration to achieve their goal: that the Ortube returns to sail.
Video.
As usual, we have created a video so that you can get a more realistic idea of what awaits you during the guided tour of the Ortube tuna boat. If you like this kind of videos, we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to discover all the places and experiences that we recommend in the Basque Country, we are waiting for you!
Guided tours for groups.
As you know, we organize trips, events and guided tours for groups throughout the Basque Country. In this sense, in Bermeo we offer a tour that takes us to visit the fish canneries, the tuna Ortube and the old town. We also offer the possibility of experiences such as boat trips or swimming with sharks. A very complete proposal that we can adapt to the needs and tastes of each group.Shall we talk?
What to see in Bermeo and surroundings.
There are many places that we recommend you to visit in Bermeo and its surroundings. The Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve offers incredibly recommendable places. We leave you a small list so that you can expand this information:
Frequently Asked Questions.
We have grouped the questions we received about the guided tours to the Ortube fishing boat to try to answer all your doubts. In any case, remember that you can send us any question through the comment system of this article.
- Is the Ortube fishing vessel under construction? Yes, volunteers work on the boat throughout the year to try to get it sailing again.
- Is the guided tour of the Ortube tuna vessel dangerous? No, but it is very important to hold on to every step we take and wear comfortable clothes and shoes to be able to access all the rooms of the ship.
- Is the visit to the Ortube accessible? No. And it is that during the visit to its interior we must use several stairs.
- What does the guided tour of the Ortube tuna vessel include? The guided tour includes a complete tour inside the boat and a small snack based on Urdaibai products.
- Do I need to make a reservation? The different spaces inside the Ortube are very small, so the guided tour has limited places. We recommend you to book as soon as possible.
- How can I book the guided tour? You can book online the guided tour of the Ortube here.
- What does the guided tour offer? Learn about the daily life of Basque fishermen on the high seas, who have made tuna fishing an art that has been perfected over the centuries.
Experiences in Bermeo and Urdaibai.
If you would like to know Urdaibai while doing active tourism activities, we encourage you to take a look at our reservation center. Here are some examples.
As you have been able to see, the guided visit to the Ortube Tuna Boat in Bermeo is much more than a tourist tour, it is a journey through time, which shows us the tradition and fishing culture of Bermeo and Euskadi. Do not hesitate to use the comment system that you will find below these lines to send us your questions. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!
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