Plentzia Gorliz route, a charming coastal walk.

Discover the route between Plentzia and Gorliz, one of the most beautiful and grateful coastal walks of the entire Cantabrian coast.

The route between Plentzia and Gorliz invites us to enjoy the sea while we know each of the corners that accompany us along the way. A very pleasant and grateful walk, through which we recommend you to know the towns of Plentzia and Gorliz, two of the jewels of the coast of Bizkaia. During the tour, both the Plentzia estuary and the bay into which it flows, provide us with beautiful views to enjoy, undoubtedly one of the main attractions of this coastal route. Although the route that we propose today only runs along the coast between Plentzia and Gorliz, from the metro station to the Astondo breakwater, you should know that you can extend it as much as you want. And is that, although in principle it is a family route, a walk without any difficulty, can be converted perfectly into a route of long duration that takes us to know the Biscayan coast to the complete. The fact of having the urban centers of Plentzia and Gorliz at hand, is another of the attractions of the route, allowing us to visit all the spaces that call our attention of these two villages with little effort. It is not the first time we talk about this coastal area, there are many articles in which we have mentioned the region of Uribe, among them: the underwater winery Crusoe Treasure or the active tourism company Troka Abentura. The latter has established its headquarters in Gorliz, a small natural paradise that allows them to show visitors each and every one of the charms of that wild Bizkaia that many people do not know. These experiences are carried out taking culture, history, gastronomy and sports as the axis of the route. What do you think? Do you dare to walk this promenade with us?

This urban route leads us through the promenade that connects Plentzia and Gorliz to discover some of the most striking areas of this environment. From the beach where one of the scenes of Game of Thrones was filmed to an underwater cellar. In any case, leaving aside the attractions that we find along the way, it is a family route, without any difficulty and with very good communications. A family plan that we have been wanting to show to all the people who read us for a long time.

Plentzia and Gorliz have been for years the perfect vacation destination for locals, consolidating themselves as two of the most touristic towns in Bizkaia. Although on special dates these urban centers are crowded, in winter they are half empty, making a stroll along the coast relaxing and rewarding at the same time.

Location: The route between these two Biscayan towns runs between the estuary and the bay into which it flows. A natural environment that merges with the urban centers of Plentzia and Gorliz to provide a very complete space. An area that pleases both urbanites and naturalists. Of all this we emphasize the two sandy beaches that we find, the beaches of Plentzia and Gorliz, two spaces that give us an extensive leisure area in which to enjoy a pleasant walk with the family. An impressive and incredible space.

Route: The route between Plentzia and Gorliz that we present to you begins next to the Plentzia metro station, next to the road. It is here, where we start our adventure towards Astondo, Gorliz. After passing the road we cross the estuary by the so-called “new bridge”, a pedestrian footbridge 150 meters long, which, leaving behind us the marshes of Txipio brings us closer to the town of Plentzia. This spectacular structure was built after its predecessor was destroyed in 1983 by the floods of that fateful year. After passing the bridge, we turn left, from this point, the water will accompany us throughout the tour. We are on the right bank of the Butron estuary, better known as the estuary of Plentzia, a space in which the colorful houses that we find in front of us reveal the fishing character that this town had in the past. In addition, the hundreds of boats and txalupas that we find anchored in the middle of the estuary, make us see that Plentzia has always been a town that has lived facing the sea. We arrived at the town hall of Plentzia, which, surrounded by a beautiful square and kiosk, we are tempted to have a drink in one of the many terraces that we find. You must be strong, there is a long way ahead. In front of the town hall, we can see the old Casino, now converted into the Hotel Bahía de Plentzia. On the other side of the road, we find the old Hotel Palas, a noble structure, waiting to be converted into a residential building. We follow the route, we continue glued to the estuary. We enter what represents the last stretch of the estuary, to our right noble houses, to our left the coastal vegetation of Barrika, we reach the port of Plentzia. The port, forming a kind of “u” that, after bordering contemplating its pontoons and boats, leads us to follow our way next to the breakwater of Plentzia, where the estuary pours its waters into the beautiful bay of the same name. We recommend walking along the breakwater to its farthest end, in winter it is impressive to see how the waves break just in front, at the San Valentín breakwater.We are next to the Kai Eder club, one of the most emblematic social clubs in this area. Next to it, under the arcades, we find other associations and clubs of different water sports. It is here, where we also find one of the most important parking lots of the beach of Plentzia. We continue bordering the bay. At low tide, it is possible to do it on the sand, all along the shore. In our case, we combine sand and asphalt, Plentzia beach along the sand and Gorliz beach along the new promenade. Just on the border of these two beaches, we find two buildings of interest, the first, houses the center of marine studies of the UPV and the second the headquarters of the underwater winery Crusoe Treasure. Past the building of maritime studies of the UPV we enter the territory of the municipality of Gorliz. Nowadays, we can enjoy one of the few areas in which part of the coast has been recovered to give it back to nature. And it is that, today, Gorliz has recovered its historical dunes adding a beautiful promenade along which it is a pleasure to walk. A 100% pedestrian environment in which the hostel of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, managed by Troka Abentura, the pine forest and the hospital are very important. Past the hospital, on the right hand side, we find the road along which runs the regular line of Bizkaibus that, if we are tired, can take us back to our point of origin, the metro stop of Plentzia.

We continue on our way to the Astondo breakwater, leaving behind such emblematic places as the Hondartzape bar and restaurant. In this same section we find some stairs that lead us on the way to the lighthouse, be careful, if you want to extend this route to the lighthouse we recommend doing it from the inside, taking the access to the farm of the council, a paved road that we find in front of the entrance of vehicles of the hospital of Gorliz. This is a much more urban option but it offers more possibilities as we walk through part of the grounds of the deputation farm where we can see the famous deer, pottokas and Pyrenean cows.In our case we continue straight on towards the small breakwater that we find at the end of the Bay of Plentzia. From here, we contemplate a beautiful panoramic view of the coast surrounded by fishermen and tourists. Saltpeter, tranquility and a landscape to take the hiccups. In case you want to walk back, we recommend retracing our steps making stops in the old town of Plentzia. Otherwise, if we want to extend the route or return by public transport, we recommend you to go to the vehicle entrance of the Hospital of Gorliz, access that we find on the left side of the hotel if we look at it from the sea. Remember that this small route is a section of the route that we find between Getxo and Armintza, a coastal route that includes dizzying cliffs, panoramic views or wild beaches among many other attractions.

Beaches of Plentzia and Gorliz: The beaches of these two municipalities are one of the main protagonists of the route that we show you today. And the fact is that, besides being considered two of the beaches of Bizkaia most beautiful, they are also considered as 2 of the most beautiful beaches near Bilbao that have more success. The beaches of Plentzia and Gorliz create the great sandy area of the Bay where the estuary flows into. A space that, saving the differences, reminds us of the beaches of Donostia San Sebastian and the Bay of La Concha. Next to these sandy areas we find leisure spaces where the smallest of the house give free rein to their imagination. These waters are known for their tranquility, ideal for families or for people who want to get started in water sports such as surfing or canoeing.

What to see near Plentzia and Gorliz: The strip that separates the municipalities of Plentzia and Gorliz gives us many attractions to enjoy, but its surroundings, the villages that surround them, are not far behind. The Biscayan region of Uribe welcomes us with open arms to show us much of its cultural, historical and natural legacy. A region full of treasures that we encourage you to visit. Here is a small list of the spaces that we can find in the region of Uribe and surroundings.

When to do the route: Every time of the year has its attraction. In our case, we walked the walk between Plentzia and Gorliz in early winter. A time, in which the absence of heat makes the sandy beaches represent a perfect space, with hardly any people, where you can walk and relax with the sound of the sea as background music. On the other hand, during the hot summer months, this route rewards us with the possibility of enjoying its beaches, bathing and sunbathing in them. You must take into account that Plentzia and Gorliz have always been the favorite destinations for the people of Bilbao to spend the summer season, so they always have a large influx of people during the summer. Now it’s up to you to choose when would you do it?

How to get there: The route that we propose starts from the Plentzia metro station, an ideal place for all those who decide to access either by public or private transport. And it is that, next to the station that represents the last stop of the line 1 of the metro of Bilbao, we find spaces as important for the communication as a bus stop and a small parking in which to be able to park our vehicles. In addition, if when arriving at the end of Gorliz we do not wish to return on our own steps, it is possible to use the line A3499 of Bizkaibus so that it transfers us until the Plentzia subway station.

Where to eat: Given the location of this route, near the towns of Plentzia and Gorliz, there are several options when it comes to eating. On the one hand, we find the pine forest of Gorliz, a natural space that has been enabled with tables and barbecues to enjoy a good day with the family. On the other hand, if you prefer to eat in a restaurant, there are many possibilities. We love the option of the Hondartzape restaurant, an establishment specialized in grilled fish that can be classified as one of the best in the area. Of course, you have to pay for the good stuff, so get your wallets ready. If this option does not suit your tastes and needs, along the urban centers of Plentzia and Gorliz there are many restaurants that offer different proposals.

Other routes in Euskadi: Euskadi offers thousands of routes to do throughout its territory, and, although today’s route takes us to know part of the coast of Bizkaia, there are many routes that are scattered throughout the rest of the territory. We leave you other alternatives of similar profile in case you want to get into this beautiful hobby of touring our land on foot. Although they are only a small representation of what we can find, we are happy to say that among all of them there are very attractive and special routes.

We are sure that more than one of these routes in Euskadi will catch your attention. If you decide to do any of them, do not forget to tell us your opinion. For our part we recommend you to do the water route of Berganzo, we were pleasantly surprised. One of the most beautiful family routes of all Euskal Herria.

Videos: Once again we wanted to upload a video to our YouTube channel so you can see with your own eyes the beauty of the route we made between the towns of Plentzia and Gorliz. By the way, if you want to follow our steps, if you want to know each of our adventures in Euskal Herria, we recommend you to subscribe to our YouTube channel, we are sure that more than one video will catch your attention and will guide you to your next destination.

As you have been able to verify, the route between Plentzia and Gorliz offers us a nice plan in the surroundings of the great Bilbao. A familiar and pleasant route, which we recommend you to do with your eyes closed. If you have any questions or suggestions, we remind you that you can leave a comment in this article, we will respond as soon as possible. As we say around here, ondo pasa!