Bilbao to Portugalete
Stage 1 · Camino del Norte
Bilbao → Portugalete
About this stage
Bilbao to Portugalete · 18.5 km · up 490 m, down 410 m
This stage leaves Bilbao along the Nervion River towards the coast, passing through the city's former industrial heartland. The route follows the river downstream through areas that have been transformed from heavy industry to modern urban spaces.
The walking is predominantly urban and suburban, with the river providing a navigation thread. The approach to Portugalete brings you to the Puente de Vizcaya (Vizcaya Bridge), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's oldest transporter bridge, built in 1893.
Portugalete is a historic iron-mining town on the Nervion estuary with a charming old town, good restaurants, and the transporter bridge as its centrepiece. Services are adequate with accommodation and dining options.
Terrain: Urban streets, riverside paths, suburban roads, some hilly sections
The day, stop by stop
- 0km
Bilbao
cityThe largest city in the Basque Country, transformed by the iconic Guggenheim Museum. A vibrant industrial city reinvented as a cultural capital, with world-class architecture, pintxos, and full services.
View town guideRestaurantCafeGroceryWaterPharmacyATMBusTrainClinicPost Office
- 5.1km
- 9.4km
- 12.3km
- 16.5km
- 18.1km
Puente de Vizcaya
Worth stopping forOpened in 1893, the Puente de Vizcaya is the world's oldest transporter bridge. This UNESCO World Heritage site crosses the Nervión River, connecting Portugalete and Getxo. Pilgrims can ride the suspended gondola or walk the upper pedestrian deck.
- 18.5km
Portugalete
townAn industrial town on the Nervion estuary south of Bilbao, connected to Getxo by the UNESCO-listed Vizcaya Bridge, the world's oldest transporter bridge (1893).
View town guideRestaurantCafeGroceryWaterPharmacyATMBusTrainClinicPost Office
Places to stay along this stage
Koala Picks first, then each town in walking order. Where a place does not book online, walk in, call or message them.
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Planning the Camino del Norte?
Add this stage to your day by day plan and see how it fits with the stages around it. Day 0 is the night you arrive in Bilbao. Choosing is never booking.