Join us on a tour that includes shopping, pintxos, Good wine and much more besides.
Bilbao is a really lively city. Anyone who remembers the grey, industrial Bilbao of years gone by only needs to spend 24 hours in Bilbao with us, at the very least, to see how nowadays its streets are buzzing with atmosphere, how its shops fill the city with hustle and bustle and how its bars and restaurants earn their well-deserved reputation day after day after day…
Enjoying the city —and that doesn’t just mean the city centre, but its neighbourhoods as well— is something nobody should miss out on, no matter whether you’re a local or a visitor to the city. So let bilbaoDendak take you on a tour that includes shopping, pintxos, a glass or two of good wine and much more besides. 24 hours in Bilbao with bilbaoDendak. Let’s go!
You’re really going to enjoy visiting some of Bilbao’s main districts. All the way from the old part of town, the Casco Viejo, with its vibrant streets, to the city centre, with its main Gran Vía-Indautxu artery, or Bilbao La Vieja, one of the most alternative and unique areas of the capital of Vizcaya. There’s so much to see in 24 hours in Bilbao, so let’s set off early in the morning.
9am HOMEMADE BREAKFAST
We start the day in the Casco Viejo, a good starting point to begin our route and enjoy a good breakfast. Head for Plaza Unamuno – there’s a Metro exit nearby, you can’t miss it. On one of the corners of the square, just where Calle Iturribide begins, The Beetle is an ideal place to enjoy a full breakfast, replete with toast, natural yogurt or a croissant. Why not try one of their specialities, a delicious freshly-squeezed orange juice, or perhaps one of their home-made cakes? If you have a sweet tooth, it’s hard to beat a slice of one of their sponge cakes with a cup of hot chocolate! Another possibility is Café Lago, on Calle Correo, one of the most popular cafés in this historic area, with a wide range of coffees, breakfasts and homemade pastries, not to mention their famous churros with chocolate. What a way to start the day! 24 hours in Bilbao
10am SHOPPING FOR LOCAL PRODUCE
Suitably invigorated after our hearty breakfast, we continue on our way. Just a few streets away, we come to the La Ribera Market, Europe’s oldest covered food market. Situated alongside the estuary, La Ribera is well worth a visit – not for nothing is it a commercial reference point for the whole of Vizcaya. Its more than ten thousand square meters are home to some 60 merchants all set on offering you their very best produce: meat, fruit, fish, seafood, cheeses, cold meats, frozen food, wild mushrooms… Lots of the products are locally sourced —what they call in Spain ‘kilometre zero’ food— from our ‘baserritarras’ (farmers) using traditional and ecological methods. Don’t forget to bring your shopping basket!
These 24 hours in Bilbao provide more than enough time to discover that the Casco Viejo contains a major commercial artery full of unique ‘made in Bilbao’ clothes shops where you can pick up that special little number you’ll never forget. SKFK is strong on urban fashion and their own fun, original and environmentally friendly designs. Cardenal on the other hand, offers avant-garde and international brands to make sure men look their very best while Gili Gili sells fashion, accessories and jewellery for young, modern and trendy women. Olañeta is home to the latest styles in both men’s and women’s fashion.
11am TIME TO HIT THE SHOPS
These 24 hours in Bilbao provide more than enough time to discover that the Casco Viejo contains a major commercial artery full of unique ‘made in Bilbao’ clothes shops where you can pick up that special little number you’ll never forget. SKFK is strong on urban fashion and their own fun, original and environmentally friendly designs. Cardenal on the other hand, offers avant-garde and international brands to make sure men look their very best while Gili Gili sells fashion, accessories and jewellery for young, modern and trendy women. Olañeta is home to the latest styles in both men’s and women’s fashion.
12 noon HAMAIKETAKO: PINTXO TIME!
Among the myriad things that breathe life into these historic streets, let’s not forget the Plaza Nueva and its mini-tour of pintxo bars such as Gure Toki or such traditional Basque restaurants as Víctor Montes or Víctor. Another nearby option is Los Fueros where they serve typical Bilbao dishes. A ‘hamaiketako’ to enjoy a splendid array of pintxos washed down with a nice glass of txakoli. Along the way, be sure to stop by Santiago Cathedral or the Basque Museum. These are just a few of this area’s interesting sights and attractions before we move on to the next one.
1:30pm LUNCH AND GOURMET SHOPPING: TWO IN ONE
Leaving historic Bilbao behind, we head towards Bilbao’s modern and culturally rich city centre where we can enjoy quality shopping and luxury hotels and restaurants. This is where we will find the Museum of Fine Arts and the Guggenheim, not to mention a wealth of important food emporiums such as La Okawith its two different areas – a shop and a bar – where you can buy and taste all manner of gourmet produce.
If you’re spending 24 hours in Bilbao, then the area around and within such streets as Ledesma, Colón de Larreategi, Diputación and Heros are ideal for soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying a few splendid pintxos and a glass or two of wine. Some of the most popular hostelries in the area include the cosmopolitan and contemporary Basquery, a quite unique gastronomic concept that features its own bakery and a craft beer brewery; the Charcutería Alemana Hermann Thate, where they make and serve their own sausages and cold meats; Al Dente, the very best of Italian gourmet gastronomy in the heart of Bilbao.
4pm FASHION, AND LOTS OF IT!
The Alhóndiga-Azkuna Zentroa is one of downtown Bilbao’s most important tourist attractions. Located in the Indautxu district, this former wine warehouse is now a cultural and leisure centre that offers a wide range of cultural activities that fit seamlessly into the city’s daily life. In the afternoon, it’s time to hit the shops again so we suggest the area around Plaza Campuzano and such streets as Máximo Aguirre and Rodríguez Arias where we’ll find all manner of interesting stores such as Styling, a perfect place for surf, snowboard and skateboard enthusiasts, or the creative home of Basque fashion Loreak Mendian or Eguzkilore, a jewellery shop specialising in its own designs and Basque Country symbols.
Whatever you do, don’t forget to nip into one of the shops run by one of our most international designers, Mercedes de Miguel. Inside you’ll find carefully designed garments, prints that tell stories and innovative trendsetting fabrics; or Falstaff which offers fresh and highly original garments with a special touch that always makes them that little bit different.
6pm SWEET TREAT
Are you a football fan? If you are, perhaps you’d like to pick up a souvenir of the city’s team? Known the world over for its home-grown-talent policy, Athletic Club has several shops dotted around the city. In these 24 hours we’re spending in Bilbao, there’s plenty of time to stroll along the Alameda Rekalde and to enjoy a well-deserved break for a cup of coffee and a typical Bilbao pastry at Don Manuel. This is an ideal place for such traditional treats as a butter bun, a custard rice cake or a Carolina pastry.
Of course, Bilbao is also renowned for its men’s fashion and there’s a wide range of shops to suit all tastes, no matter whether you’re keen to update your image or on the lookout for a gift.
8pm AN ENJOYABLE ATMOSPHERE
We’ve been in and out of so many shops, it’s time for a fun break. It’s time to enjoy the city’s lively areas and to have a drink or two in Calle García Rivero or Calle Pozas in such hostelries as Alameda or Mugi, a tavern that boasts a splendid wine and champagne cellar. Or perhaps you’d like to listen to some live music? If that’s the case, you should check out Residence, in Barrainkua.
We’re off to a new district. A quick tram ride from the city centre will whisk you to one of the most happening parts of town: Bilbao La Vieja, Bilbi, one of the most alternative and special areas of the capital of Vizcaya that you can’t afford to miss, even if it’s just for the views over the estuary. Take a stroll around one of Bilbao’s oldest museums, the Museum of Artistic Reproductions, which is home to faithfully reproduced works from such repositories as the Louvre, the Vatican and the British Museum. Another must-visit is Mongolia, a clothes shop that does a great balancing act between creativity, art and fashion on the one hand, and good taste, style and prices on the other.
Bilbao La Vieja is an amazing neighbourhood, due in part to the many unique shops and restaurants that have opened in the area and its cosmopolitan and diverse atmosphere. You can find everything here, no matter whether you prefer local and traditional fare or fusion cuisine with a markedly international touch. The nerve centre of this district, Marzana square and pier, is really buzzing and a great place for a few beers or a good glass of wine as you enjoy the views. The Marzana 16 bar and the Perro Chico are excellent choices if you’re looking for somewhere for a drink. Spend 24 hours in Bilbao
10pm FINE DINING
Tradition and the avant-garde, two concepts that define Bilbao La Vieja and the Bihotz Café, a gem of a spot where you can enjoy a wide selection of craft beers that change daily, or Dando la Brasa, a good choice if you’re in need of somewhere to recharge your batteries. If what you’d really like to do is round off these 24 hours in Bilbao by treating yourself to an unforgettable gastronomic experience, then the Michelin-starred Mina restaurant, a veritable temple of Basque haute cuisine, will be sure to surprise you with its innovative proposals.
