The 7 Best Day Trips From Bilbao

The Painted Forest of Oma sits close to part of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve and is a 45-minute journey east of Bilbao. The forest can be likened to an open-air art gallery, as it is filled with works of art painted on the trees by the artist Agustín Ibarrola. The trees feature many different colourful themes such as eyes, human figures, animals or abstract patterns. The forest can be reached in around 45 minutes by car if you’re staying in Bilbao.

The charming seaside town of Lekeitio lies approximately a one-hour drive from Bilbao to the north east. Originally a fishing town, it started to become popular tourist destination in the 19th century, and even Queen Elizabeth II came on holiday here. With its colourful port, wide sandy beaches and magnificent Gothic church, it’s well worth the exploration. In the centre of the bay, where the river meets the sea, lies the island of St. Nicholas, which is accessible on foot at low tide. Lekeitio is around an hour from Bilbao by car, or hop on a bus, which usually ranges from 60 to 90 minutes.

Meaning ‘Rock Castle’, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is a tiny island, which sits around 35km (21.7 miles) northeast of Bilbao, and is connected to the mainland via a manmade rock and stone bridge. There’s a winding 241-step pathway to reach the top of the island, where you’ll find the 9th-century hermitage dedicated to St. John the Baptist, along with spectacular views of the surrounding coastline. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan you might recognise the island as it was used as the filming location for Dragonstone on the HBO series. It takes 45 minutes to drive there, or you can get there in around an hour and a half via bus.

Located within the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, lies the quaint town of Mundaka around 40km (25 miles) northeast of Bilbao. The town is small and has a pretty little fishing port, however most visitors are drawn to Mundaka because of its world-famous surfing scene. Home to one of the longest waves in the world, it’s filled with people hoping to catch a ride. If you’d like to try your hand at surfing, the town also has a couple of surf schools where you can book a lesson. Mundaka is an hour and 20 minutes from Bilbao by public transport, or you can drive there in under 40 minutes.

Head 35km (21.7 miles) northwest this time, to reach the pretty town of Castro Urdiales, which actually lies within the Cantabria region of Spain. Roman in its origin, the town has a fascinating old town, as well as a number of attractions to look out for including the church of Santa María – one of the best pieces of Gothic architecture in Cantabria. Other attractions worth seeing here include the castle-lighthouse, the medieval bridge and the hermitage of Santa Ana. When you’re done sightseeing, you’ll also find two beautiful beaches nearby to relax on – Ostende and Brazomar.

Around an hour’s drive just south of Bilbao sits one of the Basque Country’s best, and its biggest, Natural Parks – Gorbeia. The ideal place for walking, hiking and even mountaineering, the park is very mountainous and rises up to 1,482 meters (4,862 feet) at its highest point. As well as sports, tourists can visit caves of Mairuelegorreta, the waterfall of Goiuri and look out for wildlife in the dense forests, which surround the mountains.

Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve is a natural wetland area, which extends for 12km (7.5 miles) along the coast between Matxitxaco and Ogoño. Important because of its natural flora and fauna, it was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The area is particularly known for its birdlife, and twitchers will be delighted with the variety of species to be found here, which include fish eagles, spoonbills and eurasian bittern, among others. Visit the Urdaibai Bird Center to discover more.