Ría de Bilbao, what to see and do.

Ría de Bilbao, what to see and do in Bilbao’s main artery.

The Bilbao estuary, also known as the Ibaizabal estuary or the Nervion estuary, represents the main artery of the capital of Bizkaia. A sheet of water, which surprises us with spaces and activities worthy of knowing and enjoying. Throughout this article we want to show you the wide range of possibilities offered by the estuary. Corners and activities for all tastes and colors. Thanks to the transformation that the estuary has undergone and the works carried out on its two banks, we can assure you that the Bilbao estuary is currently one of the best spaces, if not the best, from which to discover the city of Bilbao. The Bilbao estuary represents the merging of the waters of the Ibaizabal and Nervión rivers before they flow into the Bay of Abra, in the Bay of Biscay. A riverbed, which has been key to the history of Bilbao. The estuary has been the main means of transport in Bilbao since ancient times, the way by which the mineral obtained in the mines of Bilbao was transported, the space through which the great ships built in the shipyards of Bizkaia paraded, the exit by sea of the goods coming from Castile or the place chosen by Athletic Club, the soccer club of the city, to celebrate their great successes aboard the now famous barge. As you can see, the Bilbao estuary is an emblematic, iconic and magical place. Do you dare to discover the Bilbao estuary with us?

The term “Bilbao estuary” is popularly associated with the stretch that runs from the Bilbao neighborhood of La Peña to the Bay of Abra. That is, from the moment when the waters of the rivers Nervión and Ibaizabal reach sea level. However, many people insist on indicating that the term Bilbao estuary should be used from the place where the waters of the rivers merge to become an estuary, in this case, the Biscayan town of Basauri. In any case, we want to emphasize that the great walks that we find on both banks of the estuary of Bilbao encourage and help all the people who visit us to walk along its course discovering really impressive places. Do you want to join us to know the estuary of Bilbao?

The Bilbao estuary has undergone an impressive transformation in recent years. A change that has contributed greatly to the construction of the green Bilbao we know today. Thus, the Bilbao estuary has become an ideal area for leisure and recreational activities. A space of great atmosphere in summer time. We encourage you to read with determination each one of the sections that we expose today, we are sure that they will help you to know Bilbao and the spaces that surround the estuary.

Boat tours in the Bilbao estuary.

The boat tours of the Bilbao estuary are a great option to get to know the city. The fact that the estuary runs next to some of the most important and emblematic areas of Bilbao, gives us the opportunity to know the city from the deck of the boat. In this sense, we must highlight the routes of Bilboats and Polaris, 2 companies from Bizkaia specialized in showing the history and attractions of Bilbao from the estuary.

Water bicycles in the Bilbao estuary.

One of the great novelties of the Bilbao estuary are the water bikes, also known as nautical bicycles. A light and modern transport, which takes us to travel the estuary on our own. A joy. In our case, we rented these water bikes for 2 hours, a period of time that was enough to cover the distance between the terrace El Cargadero (next to the San Mames stadium) and the Ribera market. The user experience was really good. These water bikes have a great stability that allows us to know the estuary of Bilbao without the danger of getting wet or falling into the water. A great option for people who want to do some sport and have fun while getting to know the city. We recommend you to book your water bike in Bilbao from here.

Bicycle rental in Bilbao.

In case you want to know the estuary of Bilbao from land, renting a bike can be a great option. And you should know that you can book a bike at a very affordable price from our reservation center, from here. In case you choose this option, we recommend you to read our article“bike rental in Bilbao“. And this article has a section in which we indicate the most recommended route to travel both banks of the estuary of Bilbao.

Source of the Bilbao estuary.

As we have already mentioned, the Bilbao estuary is fed by the waters of 2 large rivers, Ibaizabal and Nervión. The latter, born in the Basque province of Araba, next to the Natural Monument of Monte Santiago, a space that amazes us with the largest waterfall in the entire peninsula, 270 meters. This waterfall known as the Salto del Nervión, gathers large crowds around it during the months of rain or thaw. A really fantastic place that is located next to the only city of Bizkaia, Orduña. If you are interested in visiting this impressive natural jewel, we recommend you to read our article: El Salto del Nervión, how to get there, what routes to do, when to visit it and where to park. We are sure you will like it and it will help you.

Bridges of the Bilbao estuary.

The Bilbao estuary divides the city into 2 areas. That is why in Bilbao there are more than 10 bridges to communicate both banks. It is not the first time that we talk about the different bridges that we find in the estuary of Bilbao, in fact, we published an article entitled “The 13 bridges of Bilbao, the footbridges of the Nervión” about a year ago. In this publication we talked about the 13 structures that allow us to cross the two banks of the estuary to know some of the most striking places, buildings or museums of our beloved “botxo”. Among all these bridges we must highlight structures such as the Zubizuri Bridge, the Deusto Bridge or the Pedro Arrupe footbridge in the center of Bilbao or the Bizkaia Bridge just before the mouth of the river. Striking and emblematic bridges that invite us to discover every corner of Bilbao.

History of the Bilbao estuary.

As we have already indicated, the Bilbao estuary has been an essential element in the development of the city. So much so that we can say that the development of the estuary and the history of Bilbao are strongly linked. The estuary was the common thread that contributed to the creation of the first settlements in the capital of Bizkaia. First, in the year 1075 next to its mouth, in Santurtzi, and later upstream. Thanks to the existing commercial activities throughout the Middle Ages in the Bilbao estuary, these settlements were expanding until they formed, among others, the 7 streets, what we know today as the Old Town of Bilbao. The commercial importance of the port of Bilbao and its urban center led to the foundation of the town of Bilbao in the year 1300. In the 19th century, the mining industry located in Miribilla and La Arboleda caused the metallurgical industry next to the estuary to grow, thus attracting a large number of people from other autonomous communities. All this contributed to the enrichment of the province of Bizkaia, but unfortunately it also caused the pollution of the estuary. For years, industrial waste was dumped into the water without any control. This fact can be seen perfectly on the beach of Azkorri, the place where the guided tour of the flysch of Getxo takes place. During this route, we are shown how the “slag”, the waste derived from metallurgical processes, reached some corners of the coast of Bizkaia. Really surprising. At the end of the 80’s, the Bilbao City Council developed different projects to filter the waters of the Bilbao estuary and renovate its banks. Thus, the estuary has gone from being one of the most important industrial areas of the city to one of the busiest and most demanded leisure areas. However it was, it has always been the axis of the city’s development. Today, abandoned industrial areas are being redeveloped for reconversion. This is the case of the Guggenheim Museum or the Euskalduna Palace, former industrial sites that have become true emblems of the city.

Industry in Bilbao.

The waters of the Bilbao estuary have witnessed some of the most important industrial milestones of the Basque Country. Some historical facts, which have contributed in the development of the province of Bizkaia. During the route that we have recommended (Deusto – Casco Viejo), we have the opportunity to contemplate what were some of the most important industrial spaces of Bilbao, among others: the Carola crane, the Euskalduna Palace (former Euskalduna shipyards), the Guggenheim Museum (former Abandoibarra shipyards) or the neighborhood of Miribilla (space where the famous mines of Bilbao were located). Even today there are many people who remember that gray and dark Bilbao that seduced families from all over the state thanks to its economy and employment. Near Bilbao, in Barakaldo, were the Altos Hornos de Vizcaya, one of the most important companies in the Basque Country and one of the most important symbols of the golden age of industry in Biscay. Emblem of industrialization.

Floods in Bilbao.

The Bilbao floods represent one of the darkest chapters of the Biscayan capital. This historic event took place on August 26, 1983. Due to the nature of the city, its location at the bottom of a valley and the large amount of stormy rainfall during those days, the Bilbao estuary swept away a large part of the city. As a consequence, more than 34 people lost their lives and 5 people were declared missing. These human losses were added to the considerable economic losses. We must remember that the water reached a height of 5 meters in some parts of the capital of Bizkaia. Really surprising.

Bilbao Island.

The old Zorrotzaurre peninsula, one of the most important industrial areas of the old Bilbao, is destined to become one of the most important areas of the capital of Bizkaia. What we knew until now as the Zorrotzaurre peninsula has become the island of Bilbao, the island of Zorrotzaurre. A historical space, in which it has been planned to raise from universities and houses to the headquarters of important Basque companies. The different bridges that are being created, as well as jetties, make this island have good connections both by land and by sea. Undoubtedly, a space of Bilbao to follow very closely.

How to get to the Bilbao estuary.

Getting to the estuary of Bilbao is very easy. Given the size of the city of Bilbao and the route that the estuary takes through practically the entire city, we recommend that you reach it on foot. Regardless of the hotel where you are staying. If this option is not viable for you, know that the riverbed of the Bilbao estuary, meandering and capricious, connects with metro, bus and streetcar lines. This makes public transport another great option when it comes to getting to this Bilbao riverbed. What we do not recommend is to use private transport, and is that parking in the center of Bilbao for free is difficult, if not impossible. Once in the estuary of Bilbao, we recommend you to walk along one of its banks to get to know the city. The most popular route is usually Deusto – Casco Viejo or vice versa.

Navigable section of the Bilbao estuary.

We must point out that there are stretches of the Bilbao estuary that are not navigable, even less so at low tide. In fact, large sailboats cannot even enter the center of Bilbao, since the first of the bridges they encounter when going up the estuary, the Euskalduna bridge, prevents them from sailing beyond the Euskalduna Palace. On the other hand, if we have shallow draft boats, it is possible to go up the estuary to almost the San Antón Bridge, an impressive route.

The terrace of the Bilbao estuary.

El cargadero de Bilbao, the only terrace located on the estuary itself, encourages us to discover Bilbao while enjoying a great atmosphere. It is here, in this local Bilbao, where we have the possibility of renting the aforementioned water bikes. An emblematic place that we are sure will catch your attention.

Where to eat in Bilbao.

Although there are fabulous restaurants distributed throughout the city, the proximity of the estuary to the Casco Viejo, the historic center of Bilbao, makes our recommendation is to enjoy the most emblematic locals of the 7 streets. Establishments such as Pentxo, Saibigain, Iñakiren Taberna or Peña Athletic can be a great option to recharge your batteries after an intense day in our beloved “botxo”. All the restaurants in Bilbao that we have mentioned respond to the same characteristics: emblematic restaurants that work the gastronomic culture of Euskadi adding some touches of modernity, restaurants with good value for money, restaurants where the human treatment is remarkable and where we can taste quality raw materials. On egin!

Questions and tips.

After presenting each and every one of the possibilities offered by the estuary of Bilbao, after showing you some of the most beautiful and striking places of its route, we believe it is appropriate to answer some of the questions you ask us. Here is a small summary of frequently asked questions about the Bilbao estuary.

How to visit the estuary of Bilbao on foot.

If you want to know the estuary of Bilbao on foot, we recommend the following route: start next to the Grúa Carola and end at the San Antón Bridge. This route is designed to spend the whole morning getting to know an important part of Bilbao and finish in the Casco Viejo eating in one of its restaurants or pintxo bars. A plan that never fails. However, we sincerely believe that this option is not viable for all those people who want to see all of Bilbao in one day. That is why, in our opinion, the best way to get to know the Bilbao estuary is by water, using the Bilboats. A means of transport, which allows us to know this channel in a comfortable, fast and educational way. In addition, these boats allow us to leave Bilbao and to sail along practically the 23 kilometers that the Bilbao estuary has until its mouth in the Gulf of Biscay. A tour that allows us to know the Bizkaia Bridge, a bridge that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2006.

What to see in the estuary of Bilbao.

During the course of the route along the estuary of Bilbao is possible to enjoy some of the most striking areas of the city. As we already mentioned in our article on what to see in Bilbao, the capital of Bizkaia has a large number of places to visit and enjoy, many of them along the estuary. We strongly recommend you to read our article “199 things to see in Bilbao“, we are sure you will love it. Anyway we have decided to publish in this article a small list of what to see in the estuary of Bilbao, we hope you like it.

Jet skis in the estuary of Bilbao.

If you like adventure, if you are looking for activities to release some adrenaline, we recommend that you value the option of a jet ski route along the estuary of Bilbao. Thanks to this aquatic transport it is possible to enjoy the estuary of Bilbao from a different perspective. We must emphasize that although these motorcycles can navigate at high speed, navigation in the estuary of Bilbao is limited to 3 knots. We must be very careful and respect all the people who are in the estuary.

Video of the Bilbao estuary.

As usual we wanted to accompany the photographs and words of this article with a small video in which we travel the estuary of Bilbao by water bike. A small audiovisual that helps us to get a more real idea of everything that awaits you. If you like the video we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel, sure that our videos will help you find your next destination.

As you have been able to see, the estuary of Bilbao is one of the most special places in the capital of Bizkaia. A waterway that leads us to discover the most authentic side of our beloved “botxo”. As usual, we encourage you to use the comment system that you will find below these lines to send us your questions and suggestions. You know that your opinion is very important to us, we look forward to your comments. Ondo pasa!