An exhilarating walk along the amazing Basque Coast, featuring cliffs, beaches and stunning estuaries as you make your way through charming coastal towns and characterful fishing villages to the lively and cosmopolitan Bilbao. A walking holiday with nature, culture and gastronomy at its heart.
7 nights
68 mls (km)
Northern Spain
Moderate to Challenging
Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct
£920
Nature, culture and gastronomy of the Basque Country
Amazing coastal walks and incredible views of a stunning coastal landscape from the peaks
The wonderful sandy beaches of Laida and Laga in the Urdaibai Natural Reserve
Characterful Basque fishing villages that maintain the region's culture
The magical location of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe hermitage
The Basque region is quite different from any other region in Spain. Locally known as Euskadi, it has its own language, gastronomic traditions and a distinctive geographic and cultural landscape. You will discover many fascinating coastal towns and villages along the route to Bilbao, such as beautiful Lekeitio, Ea, Elantxobe, Mundaka and Plencia, each with their own ambience, pintxo bars and quiet medieval streets to be strolled. This stretch of the Basque Coast features dramatic clifftop scenery alongside beautiful beaches and stunning estuaries. For Game of Thrones fans the iconic Basque landmark of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, translated from Basque to "castle rock" is also "Dragonstone", Deanerys Targaryen's castle and truly is a magical location by the sea with its wonderful surrounding views. At the end of the walk the lively Bilbao awaits, where you can further immerse yourself in the region's culture. The city is renowned for its architecture and contemporary art collection as well of course, for its delicious Basque cuisine.
The walk starts in Lekeitio, one of the most beautiful towns in the Basque Country. From here there are incredible views of cliffs and remote beaches on your way to the coastal town of Ea. Onwards towards Mundaka and you are treated to the best views of the Basque Country along Urdaibai's estuary, the coast and surrounding mainland mountains. The next stage features the iconic San Juan de Gaztelugatxe hermitage on your way to Bakio. A challenge then awaits with an ascent of Jata or this can be bypassed to walk the beautiful cliffs between the small harbour of Armintza on to the interesting town of Plencia with its lovely beach and estuary. The last stage gives you long-ranging coastal views along the cliffs until the Puna Galea Cape, when you are suddenly hit by the magnificence of the Bay of Bilbao! Continue on to visit the fantastic hanging bridge at the end of the Bay before heading to Bilbao's town centre.
A selection of good quality hotels and pensions with comfortable ensuite rooms and welcoming hosts, have been handpicked for your holiday.
Personal transfers where indicated in the programme as a standard arrangement
Walk Pack, to include route notes, mapping and GPX tracks,
Destination guide.
Local support and telephone advice
Price Does Not Include:
One breakfast (Bilbao - several cafes nearby)
Packed lunches (own arrangements)
Evening meals (own arrangements). Available in local restaurant or in-house
Bus tickets back to Lekeitio after Day 2 walk (approx. 2,5€)
Boat tickets (approx. 3€) for optional trip on Day 4 in June and September
Train tickets from Gernika to Mundaka or Bermeo (approx. 1,5€)
Metro or bus tickets at the start or end of Day 7
Travel to Lekeitio/travel from Bilbao
You choose which day you would like your holiday to start on. We will book your holiday in accordance with your requirements.
Our Basque Coast to Bay of Bilbao holidays are available to walk April to June, September to October.
Airports:
Bilbao From Bilbao Airport (BIO) https://www.aena.es/en/bilbao.html (also called Loiu) to Bilbao Bus Station (also called Termibus): Take line bus A3247 from the airport to the last stop (Termibus) - departures every 15 minutes (journey time 25-30 minutes). Ticket prices 3€ payable in cash or credit card to driver.
Bus: From Bilbao (Termibus) to Lekeitio - Take bus A3512 to Lekeitio, operated by Bizkaibus. There are several buses to Lekeitio but this is the fastest one (journey time 1 hour and 15 minutes). The A3512 bus departs at :45 every hour from 06:45 to 20:45 (last departure). No bus available at 14:45h, this one runs at 15:00, and then again at 15:45, 16:45, etc.
Looking for different mileages or a different number of nights? Please contact us to discuss how our itineraries can be adjusted to meet your specific needs. Call one of our helpful team on +44 (0)1291 689774 or e-mail us here.
We will check your details and come back to you within two working days with a personalised estimate based on your requirements. We will then formally request a deposit of £150 per person (£100 per person for a single centre break) and book all your arrangements - find out about our full booking process here.
Please note this does not constitute a booking confirmation, we kindly ask you to refrain from booking any travel until we have confirmed all your arrangements.
Still Have Questions?
If you are still unsure on any of your requirements, please do enquire with us first and one of our friendly team will be happy to help you with any queries you have.
New Walk 
Lekeitio to Bilbao
