Routes on the sailing boat Atyla in Bilbao.

Routes on the sailing boat Atyla in Bilbao, join the adventure!

The route on the sailing boat Atyla takes us to sail the estuary of Bilbao and the Bay of Abra in a unique, historic vessel. Undoubtedly one of the most striking vessels of Bilbao and Euskadi. In our case, the sailing boat Atyla is one of the most unique boats in which we have been lucky enough to sail. And is that, its peculiar history and the different projects in which it is involved, make these routes along the estuary of Bilbao become real adventures.This boat was designed by Esteban Vicente Jimenez in 1979 in Soria and later assembled in the shipyards of Lekeitio. At present, the boat still belongs to Esteban’s family. The current captain of the boat, Rodrigo, is his own nephew. These routes on the Atyla sailboat represent a unique opportunity to sail on a vessel of these characteristics. And the fact is that this vessel, designed to make trips around the world, has been forced to stop its activity until next May 10. Until then, it will offer these maritime departures every weekend (Saturdays, Sundays and holidays). Do you dare to sail on a historic ship?

Currently the Barco Atyla Foundation manages everything related to this vessel. A charitable organization that allows the Atyla to sail the seas around the world thanks to its scholarship program. In this case, the Barco Atyla Foundation offers us the opportunity to sail the estuary of Bilbao in a classic sailboat while we contemplate how the crew works. A group of young people with a lot of passion for the sea that help us to enjoy this experience in style.

History of Atyla.

The history of Atyla began in 1979 by the hand of Esteban Vicente Jiménez. A professional canoeist from Soria who dreamed of sailing around the world in a wooden boat. His idea gradually took shape in his head, also on paper. In fact, Francisco Lasa Etxarri, one of the best naval architects in Gipuzkoa, approved Esteban’s project. As you can see, the lack of money and coastline did not stop this dreamer. On the contrary. In 1980 Esteban gathered friends and volunteers in the small town of Vinuesa (Soria) to start building the interior parts of the ship. In 1982, these parts were transported to Lekeitio for assembly.The Atyla was launched on May 15, 1984 in Lekeitio, creating great expectation among neighbors and the media. In 1986 the Atyla set course for the Caribbean to raise money, but unfortunately was plundered before crossing the Atlantic. In the 90’s the Atyla ploughed the coast of Lanzarote making sea trips for tourists. In 2005 the Government of Cantabria decided to acquire the services of this vessel as an ambassador of the region. In fact, for several years the Atyla carried out all kinds of activities in Santander. After many years of sailing, Esteban decided to leave the Atyla in the hands of his nephew, Rodrigo de la Serna Vicente. Since then, the crew has been immersed in different adventures in international waters. Do you want to write the history of the Atyla? Book your next trip here.

Characteristics of the Atyla sailboat.

The sailing ship Atyla was built following the designs of the 18th century caravels. A work of art, which attracts the attention of all those who see it plying the waters of the Basque coast. And we must remember that all the wooden pieces that make up this vessel were carved by hand. In this section we wanted to collect what for us are some of the most striking features of this boat:

During the last few years several improvements have been made to the boat. Among them the installation of a new engine, the renovation of the sails, the renovation of the cabins, the renovation of the galley and much more. All of the aforementioned modifications were made between 2017 and 2020.

Routes on the pirate sailboat Atyla.

The sailing ship Atyla currently has 3 regular departures. Sea routes that take place every Saturday, Sunday and holidays until May 10th. A very tight schedule, which, together with the reduced capacity of the boat (12 people + crew) become unique occasions to sail aboard the Atyla. Here is a brief summary of the trips they make:

Atyla sailing routes schedule.

The sailing yacht Atyla does not usually stay in port for long. In fact, she is usually sailing in seas halfway around the world for most of the year. In this case, Atyla will be in Bilbao until May 10th, when she will set sail on a trip around the Bay of Biscay to discover some of the most incredible areas of our coastline. It is therefore a unique occasion, do you dare to sail with us on a historic sailing ship? You have all Saturdays, Sundays and holidays until May 10 to take advantage of this occasion. Here are the schedules:

Price of Atyla sailing routes.

The Atyla boat has the capacity to accommodate more than 60 people on deck, however, on these trips, only 12 lucky men or women will be able to travel. Here are the prices per person for these routes:

These trips on the Atyla boat in the Bilbao estuary and the Abra Bay include the necessary safety equipment, introduction to sailing at sea, participation in the basic activities of the Atyla, use of the facilities of the boat and the opportunity to sail on the sea (only on long trips). We advise you to ask everything that comes to your mind, they will answer you with love. They are very nice people.

Book online Atyla sailboat route.

If you want to book your route on board of the pirate sailing ship Atyla at the best price, we recommend you to do it from our reservation center. A fast and safe way to get your tickets without waiting in queues, phone calls or exchanging emails. In case you have any questions we encourage you to contact us through our social networks(Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) or our contact form. We will try to get back to you as soon as possible.

Atyla Crew.

The Atyla crew is made up of volunteers and professionals of different ages and countries of origin. A large family among which we find people between 17 and 54 years of age. A crew that together with the people in charge of the foundation (Rodrigo, Emma, Mikel, Alfonso, Lucia and Mamen) work hard to offer us a great experience on the Basque coast.

Personalized experience.

Although the schooner Atyla has had throughout its history the capacity to transport more than 80 people, nowadays it only makes maritime departures for 12 people. This makes these routes along the Bilbao estuary practically private outings. A fact that makes that this activity allows us to have a more than sure social distancing. A great option to avoid crowds.

Rent Atyla sailboat for groups and events.

The Atyla sailboat is the perfect setting for a group trip or an event. And this boat has a large space on and below deck. Private trips can be customized 100%. From the duration and number of passengers to the location. In case you want to rent this boat, we recommend you to use the contact form in order to create a personalized offer.

Video of the pirate sailing ship Atyla.

As usual in all our articles, we wanted to accompany the words and photographs about the routes of the boat Atyla with a short audiovisual. In case you like this kind of videos, we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel. We are sure you will find hundreds of videos that will catch your attention. Who knows, maybe you will find your next destination or experience.

What to see near Bilbao and Getxo.

Bilbao and Getxo are two of the most attractive urban centers of Bizkaia. In fact, there are many articles in which we have recommended you to visit some of the corners of these 2 cities. In any case, today we are going to propose some of the places that we like the most in the vicinity of Bilbao and Getxo. We hope you like them.

What to do near Bilbao and Getxo.

Bilbao, the city from which some of the routes we have mentioned today depart, together with Getxo, another of the urban centers where this boat docks, provides us with a wide range of experiences to enjoy. Here are some of the experiences that we can make less than 1 hour from these spaces.

As you have been able to see, the routes on the Atyla pirate sailboat are a unique opportunity to sail the seas aboard a historical vessel. A sailboat of more than 30 meters long and 7 meters wide, which allows us to travel the open sea in total comfort. Do you dare to travel with us? Remember that you can use the comment system below to send us your doubts, opinions or suggestions. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!