Serantes, family route in Santurtzi.

Mount Serantes, one of the most emblematic peaks of the Left Bank, offers an incredible panoramic view of the Biscayan coast.

Serantes mountain is one of the favorite places for Santurtziarras when it comes to sports. Also of many other Basque men and women. It is not surprising. The Serantes offers us with its 451 meters of altitude, some of the best views of the Great Bilbao. A panoramic view of 360 degrees that includes the regions of Uribe, Meatzaldea and Bilbao. A natural watchtower, which allows us to control much of the coast of Bizkaia. Reason, for which we find different military buildings in its highest section.The most important buildings of the Serantes mountain have been the fort and the tower. Two spaces that we will have the luck to visit during the route that today we present to you. Two attractions, which together with the views, make the route to Serantes worthwhile. Do you dare to climb the Serantes mountain with us?

The Serantes mountain is a symbol of Santurtzi and Bizkaia, an essential element of the Abra Bay. Did you know that if the Serantes has a txapela it is synonymous with rain? It is said that when fog covers the top of this mountain it is synonymous with rain. And when the fog covers the top of Serantes it looks like it has a beret, a txapela. Curious, isn’t it? So you know, if you see the Serantes with txapela, you must equip yourself well, at least a good raincoat.

Route to Serantes.

The ascent to Serantes mountain can be done by any of its slopes, but in our case, we decided to do it from Santurtzi. From the street “Nafarroa Etxetaldea”. This route is signposted from practically any point of the urban nucleus of Santurtzi. If you look carefully, you will find arrows with the name Serantes written inside.If you have followed our directions on how to get to Santurtzi, you must leave the subway and follow Mamariga street up to Nafarroa Etxetaldea street, from this point we will find signs that will take us directly to the top of Mount Serantes. There is no loss, the concrete track that we find in the street Nafarroa Etxetaldea leads us to our destination. Once on the track, we have plenty of options to get to the top. And although for us the most pleasant way is to follow the winding track that takes us to the top, without shortcuts, there are dozens of paths that shorten the route. Narrow paths created between forests and fields, which take us up the mountain making a route with more slope but of less length. To suit all tastes.Once we reach the high part of Serantes mountain, we find the fort and the tower. Of the former only a handful of ruins survive, but the Serantes Tower has been restored and you can visit inside for free. Undoubtedly the best point from which to contemplate much of the coast of Bizkaia. We must say that in the 4 hours of duration that we have indicated is included the time used to eat and take pictures and videos. Do not be afraid.

Video of the route to Serantes.

As usual in all our publications, we have created and published a short video about the Serantes mountain route so you can get a more realistic idea of what awaits you in this corner of Euskadi. If you like this kind of videos, we recommend you to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can discover all the places and experiences that we recommend in Euskal Herria.

Serantes Tower.

The Serantes tower was the first building to be constructed on this Basque mountain (1881). It was a military building whose purpose was to prevent enemy attacks. Located at the top of Serantes, at an altitude of 451 meters, this tower was a perfect vantage point from which to contemplate and control much of the coast of Biscay. And it is that this quadrangular structure of 2 heights offers us one of the best views of the whole area. The tower has been restored for your visit.

If you visit the tower, we recommend that you look at the perspective we get from each of the sides. On sunny days, it is possible to contemplate both sides of the estuary, the coast from Santurtzi to Gorliz and the mountains of Meatzaldea. An impressive panoramic view.

Serantes Fort.

The Serantes fort was built in 1882 as one of the elements of the defensive system of Bilbao. Although today we only find its ruins, this military building had more than 8,000 square meters. Along with Serantes, other nearby areas such as Punta Lucero, La Galea or Gorliz were fortified. With the passage of time, these facilities fell into disuse, partly because of the danger of maintaining such facilities so close to the urban center.

How to get to Santurtzi.

Santurtzi is very well communicated both by road and by the different public transports. A fact, which leaves us a good number of options when it comes to get to this municipality of Bizkaia. However, due to the limited parking space and the location of the public transport stops, the best option is the subway. If you want to follow our directions, we recommend that you get off at the Santurtzi metro station and then take the Mamariga shuttle. To do this we must exit through the turnstiles and instead of going to the street go to the shuttle.

Pilgrimage.

Once a year, the Serantes mountain becomes the main protagonist. On Easter Monday, the famous Cornites pilgrimage is celebrated, a traditional festival in which the people of Santurtziarra climb to the top of Serantes in pilgrimage. The name of this event, Cornites, is due to the pointed shaped bread roll that used to be eaten in this peculiar ascent to the Serantes mountain. A bread that usually used to be filled with a good chorizo sausage and egg. Today you can buy this bread in any of the bakeries of the village on the day of the pilgrimage. This traditional ascent to Serantes mountain is also made from the neighboring town of Zierbena.

Eating at Serantes.

The tables and barbecues that we find along the route offer us a luxurious space to gather strength. And the views they offer are difficult to match. Undoubtedly a great option to bring a sandwich or any other food from home. Highly recommended.

Family routes in Euskadi.

If you like this kind of routes, if you are looking for routes to do with children in Euskadi, we recommend you to read our article about family routes in Euskadi. In this publication you will find more than 40 routes scattered throughout Euskadi. A great plan to enjoy nature in style. We hope you like them.

What to see in Santurtzi.

If after the route to Serantes you intend to visit this coastal town, we recommend reading our article on what to see in Santurtzi. And is that next to its port, in the lower part of the town, find several spaces that may be of interest to you. In any case, we leave you some of the most emblematic places of Santurtzi.

What to see near Santurtzi.

The towns surrounding Santurtzi offer us a good number of places to see and enjoy. And the neighboring towns of Portugalete, Zierbena or Getxo, join many others to offer a nice range of possibilities. Here are some examples.

What to do near Santurtzi.

If you want to enjoy some of the best experiences in Bizkaia, we recommend you to take a look at our reservation center. We are sure that some of the activities that we recommend will suit your tastes and budget. Here are some of the most demanded experiences.

As you have been able to see, the route to Serantes mountain is one of those family routes that has a nice reward when you reach the top. A nice walk that we recommend to all those people who want to enjoy Santurtzi. In case you have any questions, we recommend you to use the comments system that you will find below these lines to let us know. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!