From Bilbao to Portugalete

This is undoubtedly the most urban stage of the entire Northern route. Mainly because the urban area of Bilbao forms an urban continuum up to the mouth of the River Nervión, which is exactly the stretch we are going to cover in this stage up to Portugalete. So yes, dear pilgrims, today we meet again the Cantabrian Sea!

There are two possible ways to embark on the journey to Portugalete from Bilbao:

The first is the one marked by the official route, which takes us along the left bank of the Nervión estuary. It passes through the towns of Zorrotza and Barakaldo until we reach our destination. This option accumulates a total of 19.2 kilometers and is the most common among pilgrims.

On the other hand, there is an alternative route that runs along the right bank of the Nervión estuary. In this section, we cross through the towns of Erandio and Getxo. Upon reaching Getxo, we cross the estuary to enter Portugalete. This option is considerably shorter, with a total distance of 13.3 kilometers.

Things to consider

Although some pilgrims choose to take the line 2 of the metro to Portugalete to avoid the industrial and urban environment, we do not recommend skipping this section. The departure from Bilbao and its surroundings offers historical and architectural elements that are part of the identity of the route.

Places of interest

• Hermitage of Santa Águeda – Barakaldo
• Bizkaia Bridge (Hanging Bridge, UNESCO World Heritage) – Portugalete
• Salazar Tower – Portugalete
• Convent of Santa Clara – Portugalete
• Basilica of Santa María – Portugalete

Typical dishes

• Bacalao a la vizcaína
• Idiazábal cheese
• Piperrada and Cocochas
• Varied pintxos
• Squid in its ink
• Sidra de Sagardoa and Patxarán
• Desserts: Pantxineta, Goxua, and Intxaursalsa