18.5 km | 5-8 hours | +961m / -939m
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 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.
An 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).
18 places to stay between Bilbao and Portugalete
Accommodation at the start of this stage (useful for booking the night before)
No accommodation options available
Accommodation at the end of this stage
No accommodation options available
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