Bilbao
Activities in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque country, is a melting pot of architectural wonders, culture and gastronomic delights all set in the beautiful surroundings of the Basque country.
Once a bleak and grey city famed for its shipbuilding, steel and iron industries, the inauguration of the avant-garde Guggenheim Museum in 1997 accelerated the city into a new era and its transformation has resulted in the generation of many other awe inspiring architectural developments and cultural sites that can compete alongside Spain’s more prominent cities like Madrid and Barcelona.
Amongst all of the modernity though, Bilbao has an old town, that can be found on the other side of the Nervión river. A walk around the locally known ‘Siete Calles’ where narrow and winding streets come to life with locals travelling between bars enjoying the culture of pintxos (the Basque equivalent to tapas) reveals the heart and soul of this charming city.
As well as the architectural tours of Bilbao that offer in depth details on each building there are many excursions and tours are on Bilbao’s doorstep such as the incredible Pyrenees mountains and the beautiful city of San Sebastian. If you visit in July you could also take a trip to nearby Pamplona to see the world famous running of the bulls that has been a unique and captivating tradition for over 700 years.
Food in Bilbao is extraordinary and there are some exquisite restaurants to dine at and enjoy the fine flavours of the Basque Country, which are considered by many to be the most innovative in Spain. After dark there are many trendy bars and clubs that stay open bustling with atmosphere until the early hours of the morning.
Bilbao has an extremely well connected airport as well as a still thriving ferry port that connects to the UK. The city is enjoyed best on foot but there is also a great public transport network connecting all major areas.
Bilbao has come a long way in recent years and more than deserves its reputation for being one of the best places in Europe for architecture and contemporary art. Visit this city and you will be dazzled by its charm and uniqueness.
Bike and Kickbike Tours
Activities in Bilbao
Bike and Kickbike Tours
Bilbao is a perfect city for a bike or a kickbike tour! We would like to suggest participating in a guided tour by kickbike or bike as an active and entertaining way get to know the city’s history, the charm of the medieval old quarter and its well-known development into this contemporary architectural city.
Bilbao has lately been a ‘city workshop’ for the world’s best known architects. Our guides will show you the context and details of these notable works by Calatrava, Isozaki, Starck and Foster to name just a few on these private guided tours. Of course, after leaving our vehicles and enjoying a stop for a tapas lunch, we suggest visiting the famous Guggenheim Museum for a perfect way to enjoy this vibrant city.
It is possible to arrange a combination of a bike tour with a ‘pinxos’ tour, a wine tour or one of our more gastronomic tours. We can cross the old and new part of town, feeding our thirst for knowledge and appeasing our appetites with yummy tapas. We want you to entertain your taste buds with the help of exquisite local wines of the Basque Country.
In Bilbao, we’ll take you to many different places to indulge in the finest specialities and combine gastronomical delights and tasty anecdotes.
Sailing Activities
Activities in Bilbao
Sailing Activities
Enyevent DMC proposes two different sailing trips, along the Nervion River or along the Basque Coastlines.
Enyevent DMC proposes two different sailing trips, along the Nervion River or along the Basque Coastlines.
Boat trip on the river : The itinerary following the River Nervión starts at the pier of Bilbao. We will step aboard into a ship that will take us around the Nervión´s Estuary to the Hanging Bridge. Along the way we will have the opportunity to admire the Industrial area that surrounds the city and the development see how the city is experimenting with all the new projects that have taken place in the last few years.
Sailing trip out to the sea : The captain will introduce himself and give you a briefing of technical data and the necessary safety information for the excursion. If you would like to be involved or want to learn more about becoming a sailor, the captain will give you different duties to fulfill.
You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred privately to the Getxo pier near Bilbao where you will embark on a sailing boat. You will head out to sea and follow the wild Basque coastline towards the most natural and beautiful spots like Aizkorri, Barinatxe, Sopelana, Meñacoz, Plentzia and Gorliz.
For those expert customers we suggest that we organize for you a sailing regatta as an alternative to provide a more sporting and competitive excursion.
Tours and Excursions
Activities in Bilbao
Tours and Excursions
Bilbao and its surroundings offer so many opportunities for tours and excursion that it will be difficult for you to choose.
Bilbao and its surroundings offer so many opportunities for tours and excursion that it will be difficult for you to choose.
Bilbao is the ‘Mecca’ for the world’s leading architects and designers: Our cultural tour is built around the Architectural side of the city and includes a visit to the Guggenheim Museum, the centerpiece of The Art and Architecture of Bilbao. Also included is a visit to the Bilbao Fine Art Museum, a tour of Old Bilbao, visits to Santiago Calatrava’s dramatic new bridge and to Norman Foster’s state-of-the-art subway stations and the New Bilbao Symphonic Auditorium.
You can also add a visit to Getxo, more residential municipality of Biscay, in which we will visit the outstanding Suspension Bridge, recently recognized by UNESCO.
Cider house excursion : The Basques continue to conduct tastings at the cider master’s farmhouses where draughts are taken directly from enormous barrels accompanied by grilled beefsteaks, cod tortilla and local artisan cheeses. Large communal tables are set up, and you can stand and eat the various dishes that are presented to you, all the time going back to the barrel to fill up your glass of cider. You need to learn how to catch the cider as it shoots out of the barrel – an acquired technique!
Full day trip to the city of Vitoria – Gasteiz : Here we will discover its medieval old town with its charming corners and gardens, the cathedral of Santa Maria, the Artium Museum; and, of course, we will enjoy lunch in a traditional family restaurant.
Full day trip to Gernika : It is considered as the ‘peace symbol city’. We will visit the Casa de Juntas del Señorío de Vizcaya with its symbolic tree, the “juradera” church of Santa María, the Museum of Euskalerria and the Parque de la Paz, with colossal sculptures by Eduardo Chillida and Henry Moore. We will also visit the Gernika Peace Museum Foundation.
Full day trip to Hondarribia : This is one of the most picturesque villages in Northern Spain, overlooking the River Bidasoa and protected from invading French forces in the past by its 15th century walls. The visit includes the Plaza de Armas, Castle of Carlos V, Gate of Santa María, district of La Marina and a succulent gastronomic lunch!
Full day trip to Biarritz : Located on the borders of the Basque Country, this city is the most fashionable and most frequented seaside resort in Southwest France. The setting is magnificent, with Atlantic rollers breaking against rocks and reefs, impressive cliffs, a small port and superb bathing beaches.
Tapas Tour
Activities in Bilbao
Tapas Tour
Tapas Tours are one of the most interesting activities you can enjoy in Spain, and in Bilbao they are an absolute must-do in order to truly understand the city and the mythical gastronomy. Basque ‘bar food’ has been raised to an art form.
Tapas Tours are one of the most interesting activities you can enjoy in Spain, and in Bilbao they are an absolute must-do in order to truly understand the city and the mythical gastronomy. Basque ‘bar food’ has been raised to an art form.
Known in Spain as “Pinchos, Pintxos, Montaditos, Tapas, etc”, the tapas you find in Bilbao are unique: from freshly grilled foie gras, to sautéed wild mushroom with shrimp brochettes thrown in for good measure, not forgetting the famous “Gilda” banderilla.
Each Tapas Bar in Bilbao has its specialty that they will proudly prepare for you to enjoy. This may be stuffed peppers, clams, cured ham, gourmet desserts, etc… Over the course of a fascinating gastronomic walking tour through the historic quarter of Bilbao we will introduce you to Basque culture, meet the locals and taste the best of what the city has to offer.
The tapas route will include a minimum of five pintxos, a minimum of five glasses of Crianza wine or beer, and an approximately two hours walking (strolling) tour of the city’s beautiful “Casco Viejo”, the old quarter, by a bilingual wine expert guide who will explain you about Bilbao’s history, gastronomy and local cuisine!
You will be guided by our staff in to assist you to taste as many tapas and drinks as you like in different bars, each with different recipes and on the way you will get the feeling for the life of the city, imitating what the locals do – eating, drinking, laughing and chatting in a relaxing atmosphere.
Traditional Activities
Activities in Bilbao
Traditional Activities
The Basque traditional activity will begin with an exhibition game of the most popular Basque sports, the “pelota vasca” followed by classes of ‘Basque ball’ for the participants or with a team competition.
The Basque traditional activity will begin with an exhibition game of the most popular Basque sports, the “pelota vasca” followed by classes of ‘Basque ball’ for the participants or with a team competition.
After these games are complete, we will organize a gymkhana of ‘rural sport’ in which the participants, divided into teams, will do a series of tests related to the Basque culture: sokatira, txingas, mazorkas and the launch of txapelas.
Depending on the size and budget of the group, we would propose the following variations:
Option 1 : We will visit a typical village of the Biscay coast to enjoy a traditional gourmet lunch.
Option 2 : After the cultural sightseeing, the group will participate in a traditional ‘food fair’ which consists of seven stalls featuring six local products, animated with lively traditional music. The participants will pass along the different stalls where they can enjoy homemade bread, homemade sausage, grilled sardines, Guernica and Goxua peppers, besides trying out the typical “txakolí” – a very dry white wine.
Option 3 : We will visit a traditional cider house in the countryside where we will have lunch. Cider houses are usually “caserios” which have facilities for the preparation and bottling of cider, and a space for the ‘kupelas’ and long tables where we can taste the specialties like cod omelet, fried cod with green peppers, and barbecued steak. It has become a tradition for the Basque people to come to these cider temples to practice the “txotx” ritual, which is extremely beautiful and very peculiar.
Consumption of cider is unlimited – take care!
Rally and Wine Tour
Activities in Bilbao
Rally and Wine Tour
Our local guide and deluxe private bus will pick you at your selected hotel in Bilbao for an interesting and active day in the countryside.
Our local guide and deluxe private bus will pick you at your selected hotel in Bilbao for an interesting and active day in the countryside.
This activity includes a 4×4 Rallye with various tests to be held among the vineyards. This can be “a treasure hunt among the vineyards,” a “rally photo-shoot“, or other theme connected with the wine location. The activity will last for up to four hours and will take place mainly in the Sonsierra Riojana, an area which offers a compendium of history, landscape, vineyard and unmatched tradition.
In terms of transport it could be done by: 4×4, mountain biking or walking. The route would end in a local original wine cellar offering the most spectacular views. In the same wine cellar we could insert some of the treasure hunt challenges, so that we can end the activity with a country-side lunch among the vineyards.
You can also combine this activity with 4×4 vehicles and double quads around the vineyards.
The group must be divided into two, half with quads and half group with 4X4 vehicles. After the picnic lunch, the vehicles will be changed for all the participants to have the same experience. After the activity, we will get back to Bilbao by bus.