A day or a weekend from Bilbao
Day trips and getaways from Bilbao
Fishing villages on the Basque coast, San Sebastián an hour away, the vineyards of Rioja Alavesa and the villages of Cantabria: ideas for a day trip or a weekend from Bilbao.
Updated 20 October 2026 · How we make our guides
The Biscay coast
Seafaring villages less than an hour away, between cliffs and surf beaches.
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SpainBermeo
A fishing port with colourful houses and, very close by, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, the hermitage on an islet joined to the coast by a stone stairway.
What to see in Bermeo -
SpainMundaka
A seafaring village at the mouth of the Urdaibai estuary, famous among surfers for its wave.
What to see in Mundaka -
SpainGuernica
The historic seat of Basque self-government, with its oak tree and the Assembly House, in the heart of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve.
What to see in Guernica -
SpainLekeitio
A harbour of tightly packed houses, a Gothic basilica and San Nicolás island, which you can walk to at low tide.
What to see in Lekeitio
Gipuzkoa
The most foodie coast, an hour or so away.
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SpainSan Sebastián
La Concha bay, the old town and its pintxos, and Mount Igueldo with views over the whole bay.
What to see in San Sebastián -
SpainGetaria
Elcano’s home town, with the “mouse of Getaria” headland above the sea and txakoli vineyards on the slopes.
What to see in Getaria -
SpainZumaia
The flysch, layers of rock dropping into the sea like the pages of a book, on Itzurun beach.
What to see in Zumaia -
SpainHondarribia
A walled old town of houses with colourful balconies and the fishermen’s quarter of La Marina, next to France.
What to see in Hondarribia
Rioja Alavesa and Vitoria
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SpainVitoria-Gasteiz
A green, peaceful capital, with its almond-shaped medieval quarter and Santa María cathedral.
What to see in Vitoria-Gasteiz -
SpainLaguardia
A walled village among vineyards, with wine cellars beneath its streets and the Sierra de Cantabria behind.
What to see in Laguardia -
SpainElciego
A wine village in Rioja Alavesa, home to some of the most famous wine architecture in the world.
What to see in Elciego
Cantabria
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SpainCastro Urdiales
The castle-lighthouse, the Gothic church of Santa María above the sea and a lively harbour, less than half an hour away.
What to see in Castro Urdiales -
SpainSantander
The bay, the Magdalena Palace and the Centro Botín, an hour away along the coast.
What to see in Santander -
SpainSantillana del Mar
An almost intact medieval stone village and, next to it, the Altamira neocave.
What to see in Santillana del Mar
Frequently asked questions
Which pretty villages are near Bilbao?
On the coast, Bermeo, Mundaka and Lekeitio; in Gipuzkoa, Getaria, Zumaia and Hondarribia; in Rioja Alavesa, Laguardia and Elciego; and in Cantabria, Castro Urdiales and Santillana del Mar.
How do you get to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe from Bilbao?
It is about 40 minutes by car, near Bermeo. In high season, access to the stairway requires a free booking: check before you go.
What can you see near Bilbao in a day?
San Sebastián, the Urdaibai coast (Bermeo, Mundaka, Gaztelugatxe), Getaria and Zumaia, Vitoria or Castro Urdiales are easy to see in a day.
Is it worth going to Rioja Alavesa from Bilbao?
Yes: an hour and a half away are Laguardia and Elciego, among vineyards and wineries, and you can combine them with Vitoria.
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Reviewed 20 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.
Cover photo: Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.