Marti Buckley Destination Expert

Bilbao is practically synonymous with Frank Gehry’s impressive Guggenheim museum. But once you’ve seen it (and snapped your selfie), dig a bit deeper into the varied and richly textured culture of this Basque capital. See the city by kayak or through street art, or do some shopping at one of Europe’s largest food markets. Stroll the streets and the banks of the estuary and revel in just how easy it is to feel like a Bilbaíno, a local of this former industrial hole turned European art world destination.

• Best for history
• Best for sightseeing
• Best for art
• Best for families
• Best for nature

A 1929 Art Deco façade hides a gigantic 10,000 square metre food market, whose utilitarian interior stalls are built for business. Indeed, the Guinness World Record-winning building of La Ribera Market bustles daily with locals and chefs shopping and sourcing their produce. This is not a market geared towards tourists, so grab your shopping bag to wander the stalls hawking ham, meats, fish, dried goods, fresh greens and produce.

Insider tip: The best part of shopping at La Ribera is conversing with the stall owners, many of them producers of what they sell. Let them know when you plan to use their produce, and they will hand pick pieces in the perfect state of ripeness.

Website: mercadodelaribera.biz
Price: Free entry

The keepers of the sea, from fishermen to shipbuilders to the women that toted sardines in baskets, have always held an important symbolic place in Basque culture. Immerse yourself in their rich history at Itsasmuseum, which is spread out over 27,000 square metres, including an esplanade, shipyard, and museum buildings. The open-air exhibition spaces and bright red crane named Carola (after a gorgeous young woman who would pass the shipyards daily) fascinate even younger visitors.

Insider tip: Keep the nautical theme going and stroll over to have a drink at El Cargadero, a popular outdoor bar whose claim to fame is being perched over the Nervión estuary.

Website: itsasmuseum.eus
Price: £

A stroll through Bilbao’s nucleus, zazpi kaleak, should be first on the list for a visitor looking for the city’s soul. This medieval grid, seven of the most important streets when the city was first founded over 700 years ago, is the real Bilbao – dark and a bit mysterious. These streets are home to ancient walls, the birthplace of famous characters such as author Miguel de Unamuno, and ghosts of tradesmen and fishermen traipsing up and down with their wares. Nowadays, visitors spend a few hours wandering in and out of boutiques, churches and pintxo bars.

Insider tip: All the small, dimly lit pintxo bars in the Seven Streets are worth peeping into. Around the corner of the St. James cathedral, you’ll find one of the trendiest, however – Baster is the hippest place in town for a glass of vermouth.

On weekends, you haven’t lived Bilbao if you haven’t sipped an aperitif before lunch, propped up on the walls along the river, or the muelles. Follow the clink of ice cubes to the muelle de Marzana, the river wall and staircase appropriated by the city’s hippest denizens. The neighbourhood favourite is Marzana 16, a miniscule bar that retains all of its vintage charm and serves an eclectic, bohemian crowd.

Insider tip: Should you get peckish, good bites can be had down the way, in bars with a touch more modernity, such as Dando la Brasa or Peso Neto.

Price: £

Bilbao is no Venice, but its estuary has always played a living, evolving role in shaping the city. Trace the paths of the naval vessels of history, laden with freight and goods to distribute and ship, from a modern perch. Kayaks or stand-up paddleboards available for rent are a fabulous way to check off a laundry list of landmarks: La Ribera market, the town hall, Arriaga theatre, and more, not to mention the most unique view of the Guggenheim in town.

Insider tip: If canoeing isn’t your thing, you can also sail all the way out to sea with Bilboats, passing by the hanging Vizcaya Bridge in Getxo as you go.

Website: bilbobentura.com
Price: £

The spectacular titanium of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim museum has come to stand for Bilbao’s transformation from industrial hole to Basque art world headquarters. Many settle for a selfie outside with Jeff Koons’s floral sculpture, Puppy, but the museum’s gigantic, site-specific artworks and an impressive 20th-century art collection with extensive Basque influence makes the admission worthwhile.

Insider tip: Dance the night away at the regular evening concerts  in the shadow of the Guggenheim’s titanium sculpture. Entry to Art & Music is limited, so purchase tickets ahead of time for a totally different way of seeing the Gugg.

Website: guggenheim-bilbao.eus
Price: ££

The Guggenheim does not have a monopoly on the Bilbao art scene. Stroll the underside of bridges and the back streets of Bilbao and you’ll discover that the streets are actually the best place to pace the pulse of the current art scene in the city. Cross the Puente de La Salve to see an excellent example of urban art, “Giltza Bat” by Verónica and Christina Werckmeister. Then down Bilbao La Vieja Street, Cortes Street and through to Plaza Kirikiño, you can see various murals by Bada, Fermín Moreno, and Jorge Rubio. Finish your art stroll al fresco along the river, passing the Guggenheim by on your way to Olabeaga to see the striking “Soñar” piece by the artist SpY.

Insider tip: Keep your eyes peeled for pop-up art, as SpY’s other public work (“Crisis”, composed of €1,000 in coins glued to a city wall) disappeared after only a few days.

Price: Free

This Philippe Starck-designed behemoth, Azkuna Zentroa, fits loads of fun into a few city blocks, featuring a design that feels both fun and forward-looking, thanks to its 43 columns playfully decorated and designed by the architect. Off of the open, expansive atrium there are spaces devoted to the arts. From installations and exhibits to a multimedia library open to the public, the building truly serves the city’s cultural needs.  

Insider tip: You wouldn’t know it, but there are probably dozens of Bilbaínos with a cold drink in their hands looking down at you from the top floor, La Terraza del Yandiola. It’s the place to be during summertime happy hour.

Website: azkunazentroa.eus
Price: Free

The fans of Bilbao’s football club are legendary, or notorious, depending on whom you ask. Blend in to the red and white sea of them in the recently renovated San Mamés stadium, home to Athletic Bilbao, the only team besides Barcelona and Madrid to remain consistently in Spain’s first division. Feel the wave of patriotic pride that’s omnipresent in the modern, 53,000-seat stadium, and with reason – Athletic only recruits players native to or trained in Basque Country.

Insider tip: For fans of a more die-hard variety, the stadium also holds a 1400-square meter museum, with ample audiovisuals to explore the stadium’s 105-year history.

Website: athletic-club.eus
Price: ££

Bilbao is a hole, and Mount Artxanda is the precipice. Hop into the red and white funicular car and zoom up to the top, from which all of Bilbao sprawls out to form an urban valley. Take your picture and stroll on, through lovely gardens and walking paths, until you work up enough hunger to pop into one of the restaurants at the top.

Insider tip: In summer months, the local favourite is Txakoli Simón, whose homey outdoor communal tables bear witness to steak served sizzling and abundant traditional Basque dishes.

Sometimes the best things to do in Bilbao are just outside Bilbao. Take the short metro to Getxo to see the Puente Colgante, a Unesco-listed transporter bridge that has ferried passengers across the Nervión estuary since 1893. From there, follow the clifftop path past the grand Belle Époque mansions of Neguri, then drop down to the old port for a kalimotxo (the famed Basque red wine and cola drink, invented right here in Getxo) at one of the terrace bars. The coastal walk back toward the beach at Ereaga is an easy scenic hour walk.

Insider tip: Don’t miss the chance to go inside one of Getxo’s turn-of-the-century palaces. Palacio Arriluce is a five-star hotel, but even without a room you can pop into the Kupka bar, housed in the home’s ornate library, complete with a secret door and a chapel-turned-champagne-counter.

Website: getxo.eus/es/turismo
Nearest metro: Neguri
Price: Free

Every attraction and activity in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from world-class museums to family-friendly theme parks – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.