# Urdaibai

The Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve brings together Gernika, the Mundaka estuary and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. You can see it in a long day; with two, you paddle down the estuary by canoe.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/basque-country/urdaibai · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Urdaibai is the basin of the River Oka, which opens into a wide estuary between Gernika and the sea, and has been a Biosphere Reserve since 1984. In practice, for visitors, it is three stops that fit into one day: Gernika, with the Casa de Juntas, the tree and the Peace Museum; Mundaka, the port at the mouth of the estuary, with its surf wave and boats; and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, the hermitage on an islet reached by 241 steps. In between are Laida beach, the marshes and the Urdaibai Bird Center, for birdwatching.

## How to get there

From Bilbao it is about 35 km to Gernika: allow 35 to 45 minutes by car along the BI-631 and the BI-635, depending on where you set out from. Mundaka is 12 km further north, following the estuary along the west bank, and Bermeo, 3 km after that. For Gaztelugatxe you go up from Bermeo along the BI-3101 towards Bakio.

From San Sebastián you take the AP-8 towards Bilbao and exit for Gernika: a little over an hour (estimated). From Vitoria-Gasteiz, about an hour along the AP-1 and the N-634 or via Durango. From Pamplona, allow almost two hours along the A-15 and the AP-8. From Santander, a good hour and a half along the A-8 to Bilbao and then towards Gernika. These are approximate times: in summer, the approach to Bilbao and the coast road get busy at weekends.

Without a car it can also be done. Euskotren has the E4 Bilbao–Bermeo line, which stops at Gernika and Mundaka; according to its timetable, it leaves every 30 minutes for most of the day. To Gaztelugatxe, in summer Bizkaibus runs the direct A3517 line from Bilbao; the rest of the year you have to take a bus to Bakio or Bermeo and continue on the A3524 minibus, which only takes cash.

## Where to park

In Gernika there is parking in the centre and around the Casa de Juntas; everything is done on foot from there. In Mundaka the old town is small with narrow streets: leave the car at the entrance to the village and walk down to the port. In summer it is the spot that fills up first.

At Gaztelugatxe, the Provincial Council warns that the car parks fill up, especially from 10:00 to 16:00. Next to the Urizarreta entrance there are 22 free public spaces and, below, a private paid car park; at Lurgorri, near the Ermu access, another 57. A gantry limits the height to 2 m, so motorhomes cannot enter: they have to stay in the areas at Bakio or Bermeo. If you arrive late, park in Bakio and walk about 2 km along the coastal path to Urizarreta.

## Gaztelugatxe: the reservation

On controlled-access days you need a free ticket, booked on the Provincial Council website (reservagaztelugatxe.bizkaia.eus) and printed or on your phone; on other days you enter freely. Which days they are is set by an annual calendar published by the Provincial Council: check it before you go. Capacity is 1,462 people a day. The Provincial Council asks people not to go on 24 June, 31 July, 29 and 31 August or 30 December, which are reserved for local festivals.

The entrance path, from Urizarreta, is 1,200 m with gradients of 35%; the return, via Ermu, is 1,600 m with 15%. Then come the 241 steps of the islet. The full visit takes about two and a half hours, and is not recommended with a baby buggy or if you have difficulty walking: in that case, stay at the Ermu viewpoint.

## How much time

One day covers Gernika in the morning, lunch in Mundaka or Bermeo and Gaztelugatxe in the afternoon, or the other way round if your reservation is early. Two days allow you to paddle down the estuary by canoe with the tide, take a surf lesson in Mundaka or a boat from Bermeo, and spend the morning at the Urdaibai Bird Center. If you are with children, the Bird Center and Laida beach are enough for a whole morning.

## When to go

From May to September the weather is good and all the boats and companies on the estuary are working; in July and August there are more people and it is best to book everything. Spring and autumn are good for birds and for Gaztelugatxe with shorter queues. In winter the Bird Center is open only at weekends and the Peace Museum closes from 1 to 26 January; in bad weather, the Provincial Council advises against going up to the hermitage on an orange alert.

The estuary rules everything done on the water: at low tide you cannot sail, so the canoes and boats at Mundaka set the time each day according to the tide table.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Bay of Biscay, Game of Thrones Locations
- Cerca: Getaria and Zarautz (a 40.9 km), Santoña and Laredo (a 63.0 km), Hondarribia (a 72.0 km), French Basque Coast (a 82.7 km · France)

## Qué hacer
- **San Juan de Gaztelugatxe** (2 h 30 · 2.8 km · With good legs; not with a pushchair · Free · advance booking on controlled-access days): What it is
An islet off the Bermeo coast joined to land by a stone bridge, with the hermitage of San Juan at the top. From the Urizarreta entrance you go down 1,200 m along a path with slopes of 35%, cross the bridge and climb the 241 steps to the hermitage. The return is via Ermu, 1,600 m with a 15% gradient. It is a protected biotope and Natural Monument.
The reservation
On controlled-access days, set by the Bizkaia provincial council's annual calendar, you need a free ticket booked on its website and you show it at the checkpoint, printed or on your phone. The rest of the year entry is free. The capacity is 1,462 people a day, and the council asks you not to go on 24 June, 31 July, 29 and 31 August or 30 December, days of local festivals. If your plans change or the weather is bad, cancel the reservation so someone else can use it.
Getting there and parking
Via the BI-3101, between Bermeo and Bakio. At Urizarreta there are 22 free public spaces and, below, a paid private car park; at Lurgorri, 57 spaces a kilometre's walk from the Ermu access. They fill up from 10:00 to 16:00. A 2 m height barrier stops motorhomes entering. In summer, Bizkaibus A3517 runs direct from Bilbao (every hour in June, every half hour in July and August); the rest of the year, take a bus to Bakio or Bermeo and the A3524 minibus, cash only.
Worth knowing
The hermitage is usually closed: the reservation gives access to the route, not to the interior. Bring comfortable footwear, water and sun protection. Drones, camping, climbing, diving and shellfish gathering are prohibited. It is not recommended with a pushchair or if you have difficulty walking: for those cases there is the Ermu viewpoint.
Dragonstone
In Game of Thrones the islet is Dragonstone, Daenerys Targaryen's castle, and the hermitage is replaced by a fortress, as Visit Bizkaia recalls. Turismo Euskadi adds that the castle was added with digital effects and that access was closed for a few days during filming. What you climb is real: the path, the bridge and the 241 steps. The castle does not exist, so do not expect anything from the series at the top; the scene in which Daenerys arrives on the beach and meets Jon Snow was filmed on another coast, at Itzurun beach, in Zumaia.
- **Casa de Juntas and the Gernika Tree** (45 min · Everyone · Free · by appointment): The Casa de Juntas, at Allende Salazar 1, is the seat of the Bizkaia General Assembly. Inside you will see the Assembly Chamber, with portraits of the Lords of Biscay and two paintings of the oath-taking of a Lord at Gernika (from 1609 and 1882), and the Stained-Glass Room, whose ceiling is a large stained-glass window from 1985 with the tree as a symbol. There are 17th-century silver ballot boxes and a model of the building. The Gernika Tree stands beside the entrance.
A parliament under an oak
Documents record meetings under the Gernika tree from the 14th century, and Turismo Euskadi counts the Casa de Juntas among the oldest parliaments in Europe. Before the present building, the assemblies met in the hermitage of Santa María de la Antigua. The neoclassical building you see today was built between 1826 and 1833 to a design by Antonio de Etxebarria, who took the old church as a reference; that is why the Assembly Chamber keeps the altar and the holy water fonts. Plenary sessions of the General Assembly are still held there, and the lehendakari takes the oath of office here.
The oak is the best-known symbol of the Basques. It grows in the garden of the site, and when it has to be replaced, a sapling of the previous tree is planted in its place, so that each specimen descends from the one before.
The rooms inside
In the Assembly Chamber hang 17th-century portraits of the Lords of Biscay, the work of Sebastián de Galbarriartu and the Bustrín brothers. The two large canvases are the one by Francisco de Mendieta, from 1609, with the oath of Ferdinand the Catholic in 1476, and the one by Anselmo de Guinea, from 1882, with the oath of another Lord of Biscay.
The Stained-Glass Room was originally an open courtyard and since 1964 has been a museum of the history of Bizkaia. Its ceiling is the stained-glass window installed in 1985 by Vidrieras de Arte de Bilbao, the largest work by that firm: in the centre appear the Juradera and the tree with the inscription "Lege Zaharra", and on the edge, monuments of the towns of Bizkaia and their trades. As well as the silver ballot boxes there are 18th-century staffs of office of the deputies general.
Hours, booking and how to get there
Admission is free, but you must book an appointment on the General Assembly website (jjggbizkaia.eus). It opens every day from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00, and from June to September until 19:00. During plenary sessions it is closed to visits. Telephone: 94 625 11 38. There is a virtual visit on the website for those who cannot go.
The building is in the centre of Gernika, a few minutes' walk from the Euskotren station and the Peace Museum. If you prefer to see it with a guide, the tourist office at Artekalea 8 organises a one-and-a-half-hour tour of the town that ends at the Casa de Juntas, Monday to Friday at 10:00, for €3.65 (€2.65 for pensioners), with prior booking on 94 625 58 92.
With children and what to combine
The self-guided visit lasts about 45 minutes and is easy with children. The Peace Museum, in Plaza de los Fueros, fits into the same morning, and for lunch the centre of Gernika has a set menu on weekdays at the Zallo Barri.
- **Gernika Peace Museum** (1 h 30 · From about age 12 · €6.50 · reduced €4.50 · under-12s free): The museum tells the story of the bombing of Gernika on 26 April 1937 and uses it to talk about peace and reconciliation. The visit lasts about an hour and a half and has a lift, adapted toilets and transcripts of the audiovisuals. It is at Foru plaza 1, a five-minute walk from the Casa de Juntas.
What is inside
The permanent exhibition is organised around three questions and ends with a reflection on human rights. It begins with "What is peace?", which reviews the paths to peace, from inner peace to that agreed between countries. It continues with the legacy of the bombing, the longest part, which covers the history of the town from its foundation to the Second Republic, the war, the air raid, the destruction and occupation of the town, Francoist repression and reconciliation between survivors and attackers.
The best-known room is "Begoña's House": a set recreating the dining room of a Gernika house on the day of the bombing, with an audiovisual in which Begoña, the protagonist, tells what happened in those days; it is available with a transcript and in sign language. Then come "In memoriam", an award-winning audiovisual about tragedy and hope, and an introduction to Picasso's "Guernica".
On the second floor, the bombing is told by those who lived through it, with testimonies recorded in the 1970s and in 2018, and objects such as Fernanda Arrien's melted coins or Sofía Gandarias's painting "Gernika peregrino". The visit closes with "Guernica" as a starting point for talking about human rights today. In the semi-basement there are temporary exhibitions, three or four a year.
Prices and hours
In 2026 admission costs €6.50 and the reduced rate €4.50 (groups, students, pensioners, large families, pilgrims); under-12s and people with disabilities enter free, as does everyone on Saturday afternoons. The temporary exhibition alone costs €3. It is also free on special dates, such as the anniversary of the bombing in April or Memory Day in November. At the tourist office they sell a joint pass with other Gernika museums.
From 16 March to 18 October it opens Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00, and Mondays and Sundays from 10:00 to 14:30. In winter it is closed on Mondays, opens Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, on Saturdays from 10:00 to 14:30 and from 16:00 to 18:00 and on Sundays from 10:00 to 14:30. It closes from 1 to 26 January and on 24, 25, 30 and 31 December. The ticket office closes half an hour earlier. Telephone: 94 627 02 13.
Before you go
Backpacks, large bags and umbrellas are not allowed in the rooms: leave them in the shop's cloakroom. You can take photos and video, but not eat. Only assistance dogs are allowed. Children must be accompanied by an adult; given the subject, it suits better from about age 12. You can do the visit on your own or sign up for a guided one from the booking website.
What to combine
Plaza de los Fueros is right in the centre, a few steps from the Casa de Juntas and the Gernika Tree, so both visits fit into one morning. On the way out, the tourist office at Artekalea gives you a map of the town and, for lunch, the Zallo Barri has a set menu on weekdays.
- **Urdaibai Bird Center** (1 h 30 · Families and bird enthusiasts): It is in Gautegiz Arteaga, about 4.5 km from Gernika, on the right bank of the Oka and at the edge of the marshes. Inside there is a migration map, a projection dome, exhibitions, a viewpoint with telescopes towards the Orueta lagoon and a tower. From Gernika, take the road to Lekeitio and, 700 m after the Kortezubi roundabout, turn left at the signposted entrance, which leads to its car park.
What you will see
The Urdaibai Bird Center is both a museum and a research centre devoted to bird migration, and the building itself works as an observatory over the marshes. Urdaibai is a stopover on the migratory route of many birds, and from the viewpoint you see, depending on the season, spoonbills, herons, ducks, waders and, with luck, the elusive bittern. The Orueta lagoon, right in front, was created in 2009 on a former polder, and the centre carries out a daily bird count there.
Inside, the visit combines the large migration map, the exhibitions, an audiovisual room and the projection dome, before moving on to the viewpoint and the tower, which gives a wide view of the area. The centre closely follows the osprey reintroduction project in Urdaibai: the first chick in the reserve was in 2021, and in spring it broadcasts the nesting season live. After a recent storm it even recorded a group of 85 spoonbills sheltering in the marshes.
What the visit is like
Allow an hour and a half. You can do it on your own with an audio guide or arrange a guided visit. It has a shop, parking and meeting rooms, and its website publishes that count and a live camera of the reserve, useful for deciding whether it is a good day. It is an easy visit with children, and the centre has environmental education programmes for schools and families.
Opening hours and price
From February to June and in September and October it opens Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 16:00 and at weekends and on public holidays from 10:00 to 18:00. In July and August, every day from 10:00 to 18:00. From November to February, only Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 16:00. It closes on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 and 6 January. On the San José long weekends and at Easter it extends to 10:00–18:00 every day. The rate is published on its website as an image; if you want to confirm it beforehand, write to them through the contact form.
Getting there by bus and what to combine
Without a car, Bizkaibus bus A3513 between Bilbao, Gernika and Lekeitio stops at Zelaieta (stop 1855), in Gautegiz Arteaga. Very close, on the same bank of the estuary, Laida Kanoak canoes set out. In Gernika, ten minutes away, you have the Peace Museum and the Casa de Juntas.
- **Canoe trip down the Urdaibai estuary** (2 h 30 · No experience needed; you must be able to swim · Desde 27 € per person): You paddle down the Gernika estuary from Gautegiz Arteaga to Laida beach, between marshes and reed beds, in a double canoe, kayak or paddleboard. It is a low-effort route with no difficulty, of 2 to 3 hours. You meet at Laida beach car park, next to the Atxarre bar, and the company's van takes you up to the start.
What the descent is like
Laida Kanoak organises the trip within the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. Before getting into the water they give you a life jacket and you do some basic paddling exercises on land. The boats are self-draining, unsinkable and very stable, so no experience is needed: you can choose an open canoe, a single or double kayak, or a stand-up paddleboard. Each canoe carries a waterproof drum for spare clothes, food or a camera.
The time depends on the tide, and so does the direction of the route: depending on the day you go down with the current towards Laida or go up from the beach. That is why there is no fixed timetable; call or write beforehand to set it.
Prices
Without a guide it costs €27 per person in groups of 1 to 6, €25 for 7 to 14 people and €23 for 15 to 60; under-12s pay €20. With a guide, who is a local who knows the reserve well, a minimum of six people is needed: €50 per person up to six, €48 for 7 to 14 and €45 for 15 to 60, and €30 for under-12s. A rental wetsuit or windbreaker is €2 extra. There are special rates for schools.
The price includes the transfer from Laida to the start, the boat, the paddle, the backrest, the waterproof drum, the life jacket, the wetsuit, the waterproof jacket and accident and civil liability insurance.
Who can go
Under-12s go with an adult and must be able to swim. The company presents it as suitable for any level of fitness. Bring swimwear, a T-shirt, a towel, water shoes and sun protection. Guided groups are accompanied by a support inflatable boat and the staff carry radios and a phone.
Booking and getting there
Book on the Laida Kanoak website or on 94 627 65 15 and 689 708 769, which also answers on WhatsApp. The meeting point is at Antzora 24, Ibarrangelu, in the Laida beach car park and about 500 m from the Arketa campsite. If you do not have time for the descent, the same base hires out boards, canoes and kayaks by the hour on the beach and organises a guided one-and-a-half-hour trip round Kanala, Sukarrieta and Mundaka.
After the descent, you can stay on Laida beach or head to the Urdaibai Bird Center, on the same bank of the estuary, to watch from its viewpoints the marsh birds you have just paddled past.
- **Surf lesson in Mundaka** (2 h · Adults from 18; children's lessons from age 6 · Desde 40 € per person): Mundaka is famous for its left-hand wave on the estuary bar, which is for experts. To get started, a school in the village gives 2-hour beginners' lessons in groups of about five students per instructor, with board, wetsuit and insurance.
What the lesson is like
Mundaka Barra Surf has its premises at Plaza Santa Kataliña 4, next to the harbour. There you pick up the equipment and change in the changing rooms before and after the lesson. Each session lasts two hours and is taught by one instructor for a group of about five students, with approved board and wetsuit, which the school hands to each student washed and dry, and insurance included. You only have to bring a towel, flip-flops and swimwear.
The beach depends on your level. Beginners' lessons are given at Laida, on the other side of the estuary mouth, far from the bar. Those who can already manage move to El Txorro beach, in Mundaka, and the bar is kept for high-level lessons. If you do not know your level, the school helps you choose.
Prices and packs
The published prices, including VAT, are the same for adults and children:

1 lesson of 2 hours: €40
2 lessons (4 hours): €75
3 lessons (6 hours): €105
4 lessons (8 hours): €125
5 lessons (10 hours): €140
8-lesson pass: €190

Adult courses are from age 18, with no upper age limit. Children have their own groups from age 6, with children's boards; the school gives different figures for the size of those groups, so confirm when you book. For groups of six or more, companies or schools there are tailor-made lessons with advance booking, and for those who already surf there are technique sessions with video recording and correction.
Times and booking
The lessons depend on low tide, which is why there is no fixed timetable: there are two slots a day and they alternate each week between morning and afternoon. The exact time is asked for by WhatsApp on 688 77 26 22, and booking is done online from the school's website or by email at reservas@mundakabarrasurf.com. On the first and second day it is best to arrive half an hour early to change calmly. The school does not publish a season: the calendar depends on the sea, so ask before planning your trip.
Getting there and what to combine
In summer parking in Mundaka is difficult: the blue zone is for residents and the white zone has few spaces. The school itself recommends public transport; the Euskotren E4 train between Bilbao and Bermeo stops at Mundaka every half hour for most of the day. After the lesson, the walk to the Santa Katalina hermitage lets you see the bar from the rocks, and if you are left wanting more water, the estuary can be paddled by canoe from Gautegiz Arteaga to Laida.
- **By boat from Bermeo to Gaztelugatxe or Elantxobe** (1 h · All ages · Desde 14 € per adult): Two one-hour routes leave from Bermeo harbour. The Gaztelugatxe one passes Cape Matxitxako and the Akatz crag and reaches the front of the islet: you see it from the sea, with no steps and no booking. The Elantxobe one goes round the island of Izaro, approaches the Ogoño caves and Elantxobe and returns via Mundaka.
The two routes
The San Juan de Gaztelugatxe route heads west. It skirts Cape Matxitxako, passes the Akatz crag and stops in front of the islet and its hermitage, before returning to Bermeo. It is the way to see Gaztelugatxe without going down and up the path or the 241 steps, and without depending on the access reservation that the provincial council requires on some days.
The Ogoño caves and Elantxobe route, which Hegaluze flags as recommended, goes east. It passes north of the island of Izaro, crosses in front of the mouth of the estuary, reaches the Ogoño cliffs and the village of Elantxobe, perched above the sea, and comes back along the south of Izaro and past Mundaka. It is the best way to see the whole Urdaibai coast from the water.
Prices, season and booking
Both cost €14 per adult and €9 per child. The Gaztelugatxe one runs from March to October and the Elantxobe one from April to October; the times are shown when you book on the Hegaluze website. The sea can cancel the departure.
Cancellation is free up to a day before, and if the weather is bad the company sends a message as soon as possible. You must be at the harbour ten minutes before departure. For queries, Hegaluze answers on 666 79 10 21 or at info@hegaluze.com; its address is Puerto Viejo, in Bermeo.
For groups, Hegaluze charters the boat all year round on the day, at the time and for the duration the group chooses, at €15 per adult and €10 per child, with a minimum of 14 adults or paying the equivalent. Group departures leave from the marina, at the entrance to La Ola car park.
Whale and dolphin watching
In season, longer routes also leave from Bermeo to see cetaceans out at sea, organised with other centres. With Ekoetxea Urdaibai, the standard route lasts four and a half hours on Saturdays from April to October (€45 adults, €32 children aged 7 to 12) and is booked on 94 687 04 02. For these long trips, it is best to bring warm clothes, a waterproof, a cap, sunglasses, some food and drink.
With children and what to combine
An hour's boat ride is a good plan with children and demands no effort, although in choppy seas it can make you seasick. Bermeo has a station on the Euskotren E4 line, which links it with Mundaka and Gernika, and from there the A3524 bus goes up to Gaztelugatxe if you then want to walk the path. If you are left wanting more water, at Laida you can paddle down the estuary by canoe.
- **Laida beach** (3 h · Families · Free): Laida is on the east bank of the estuary, in Ibarrangelu, right opposite Mundaka. At low tide the sand opens out to the estuary and at high tide the water is sheltered, which makes it comfortable with children. It has parking next to the Atxarre bar, and the Laida Kanoak canoes and boards set out from there. At low tide, the mouth of the estuary has currents: swim where the lifeguards indicate in summer.
What the beach is like
It is a fine-sand beach on the right bank of the Oka estuary, near its mouth. According to the bathing water profile from the Basque Water Agency, it is about 812 m long and 166 m wide on average, although its shape changes from year to year with the tides and currents. The difference between low and high tide is large: at low tide the sand surface is about 59,000 m² and at high tide it falls to about 38,000 m². The tidal range reaches almost five metres on spring tides, so it is worth checking the tide table before putting up the parasol.
The beach has two faces. The north part faces the open sea and takes the swell and the north-westerly wind; the south part is sheltered, inside the estuary, and there the tide rules. That inner area is the one families look for because of its calm water. In the channel between Laida and the Mundaka shore the tide creates strong currents, especially when it is rising, so it is not a good idea to swim across to the other side.
Services and rules
It is a semi-urban beach, with services run by the Bizkaia provincial council and with quality and environmental certificates. It is very busy in summer, and during the bathing season dogs are not allowed. The dunes at the back were regenerated from 1999 after losing a good part of their surface, and form part of the protected areas of the Urdaibai marshes: walk on the marked accesses and do not trample the vegetation.
The car park is next to the Atxarre café-bar, in the Antzora district, and fills early on hot days. The beach has cameras that the provincial council uses, among other things, to detect dangerous currents. Lifeguard cover is limited to the bathing season: outside it, swim with caution.
What to do at Laida
Besides swimming, Laida is the arrival point for the canoe descents down the estuary that start from Gautegiz Arteaga, and from its base you can hire paddleboards, canoes and kayaks by the hour or by the day. The Mundaka Barra Surf school gives its beginners' lessons there. For eating, the Atxarre bar is in the same car park, and on the other side of the estuary, in Mundaka, you have the walk to Santa Katalina and the Portuondo restaurant.
Getting there
By car, from Gernika follow the road on the east bank of the estuary towards Ibarrangelu and Elantxobe. From Mundaka, although the beach looks a step away, by car you have to go round the estuary via Gernika.
- **Walk round Mundaka to Santa Katalina** (45 min · Everyone · Free): Leave the car at the entrance to the village and go down to the fishing harbour, with its coloured houses. Continue along the promenade to the point of Santa Katalina, where the hermitage stands: from there you see the estuary bar, where the Mundaka wave breaks, and Laida beach opposite. Forty-five minutes at an easy pace; if there is a swell, you will see the surfers from the rocks.
What you will see
Mundaka is on the left bank of the mouth of the estuary, within the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, and the harbour is the centre of the village. Around it are the narrow streets of the seafaring quarter and the buildings Turismo Euskadi highlights next to the harbour: the municipal library, which was a pilgrims' hospital on the Camino de Santiago, the town hall and the Larrinaga palace. A little higher up is the parish church of Santa María, in Renaissance style.
The hermitage of Santa Katalina stands on a small headland by the sea, somewhat apart from the centre. It is the village's best viewpoint: in front you have the mouth of the estuary and, depending on the day, Cape Ogoño and the island of Izaro. Below breaks Mundaka's left-hand wave, which Turismo Urdaibai describes as the longest in Europe and which has hosted international surfing championships. The wave depends on the swell, so there will not always be surfers in the water.
How to do the walk
The route is short, along village streets and a seafront promenade, with no mountain sections. Allow about 45 minutes there and back, without long stops; if you want to sit on the quay or go to the Portuondo viewpoints, south of the village, allow another hour. The dog can come with you, on a lead.
To arrive without a car, the Euskotren E4 train between Bilbao and Bermeo stops at Mundaka, every half hour for most of the day, and from the station you walk down to the harbour. By car, bear in mind that in summer parking is difficult: the village surf school warns that the blue zone is for residents only and the white zone has few spaces. Out of season it is much easier.
When to go
The walk can be enjoyed all year. On swell days, more frequent outside summer, the bar looks more spectacular from Santa Katalina; in summer the harbour is livelier and it is a good time to combine it with a swim at Laidatxu, the village's small beach. If it coincides with Carnival Sunday, Mundaka holds one of the best-known carnivals in the Basque Country, with costumed characters, music and dancing in the streets.
What to combine
From Mundaka quay you can see Laida beach on the other side of the estuary, where the Laida Kanoak canoes set out. In the village itself there is a surf school with beginners' classes, and Bermeo, with the boat trips to Gaztelugatxe, is a few minutes away by train. For eating without leaving Mundaka, the Portuondo restaurant looks over the estuary from above.

## Dónde comer
- **Portuondo restaurant** (Restaurant, Mundaka, €€€). Qué pedir: Mundaka or Bermeo fish over holm-oak embers, or grilled hake, with views of the estuary
- **Zallo Barri** (Restaurant, Gernika-Lumo, €€). Qué pedir: the set lunch on weekdays, with bread and wine included
- **Baserri Maitea** (Restaurant, Forua, €€€€). Qué pedir: a grilled fish, such as the turbot or hake, or the chuleta to share

## By car: The whole estuary by car, in a day or two
With a car you can combine Gernika, Mundaka and Gaztelugatxe in a day, and move from one bank of the estuary to the other without depending on the tide or the train timetable. The only delicate point is parking at Gaztelugatxe and in Mundaka in summer.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–160 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Spa El Puerto** (Small hotel): On the Mundaka quay
El Puerto is at Portu Kalea, 1, above Mundaka's fishing harbour, at the mouth of the Urdaibai estuary. In the same building it has a café with a terrace open to everyone, and next door, in the Mundakaport apartment building, its private spa, which you reach without going out into the street.
Doubles, sea-view doubles and an apartment
There are three ways to stay:

Standard double, for two adults, with a double bed or two beds, to choose when you book.
Double with sea view, also for two, with large windows onto the Cantabrian Sea and Mundaka harbour.
Apartment, recently built, for those who want independence.

All have wifi, satellite television, heating and a telephone, and are disinfected with ozone. The website does not publish fixed prices: if you book on it they advertise up to 15% less than on agencies and free cancellation with no advance payment.
A spa for yourself, by the hour
The spa is not shared: it is booked in one-hour slots for whoever you choose. It has a hydromassage bath, sauna, two heated loungers and mist showers. It costs €60 an hour for two, €70 for three and €80 for four. It is added as an extra when you book the room on its website, and with stays of two nights or more there is a discount. It can also be booked without sleeping at the hotel. There is also a gym.
Breakfast and the café over the harbour
Breakfast is served in the café from 8:30 to 11:00, and can be brought forward or put back if you let them know. The same café serves lunches and dinners, with the kitchen open from 13:00 to 16:00 and from 20:00 to 23:00: pintxos, sandwiches, burgers and raciones, from cod kokotxas in pil-pil to braised cheeks or stuffed peppers, on the sunny terrace if the weather allows.
Parking 50 or 100 metres away
The parking is not in the building: guests have spaces in two car parks, at 50 and 100 m, for €25 a day; from 2 November to 19 March, except the December long weekend, it is €12.50. Ask for a space with the room. Without a car, the Euskotren E4 line stops at Mundaka.
Dogs and times
Pets are admitted in all the accommodation, as long as the hygiene rules and the other guests are respected. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out before 12:00.
Leaving the hotel, the walk through Mundaka to Santa Katalina begins, and the surf lessons in Mundaka are given in the village itself. For a Sunday with views of the estuary, Portuondo is at the entrance to Mundaka.
- **Hotel Gernika** (Hotel, desde 100 € / night): Three stars on Calle Carlos Gangoiti
The Hotel Gernika is a three-star hotel built in 1987 at Calle Carlos Gangoiti 17, in the centre of Gernika-Lumo. It has 40 rooms, a café and free parking. From here you can walk to the essentials of Gernika, and by train or car to the rest of the Urdaibai estuary.
The rooms and what they cost
It has 36 doubles and 4 singles, for 80 people in all, and one of the rooms is adapted for people with disabilities. All have a full bathroom, satellite television, heating, air conditioning, telephone and free wifi. Prices from its website, per night, VAT included:

Single: from €78.
Standard double: from €100.
Superior double: from €106.
Superior double with terrace: from €159, the only one with its own terrace.

Breakfast is not in the rate: it costs €12 and is served in the hotel café.
Free parking or a garage for €11
Parking is free for guests, and anyone who wants to leave the car under cover has a garage for €11. It is handy if you are going to travel every day by car to Mundaka, Bermeo or Gaztelugatxe.
Check-in, payment and cancellation
Check-in is from 15:00 to 23:00 and check-out before 12:00. Booking on its website there are no booking fees and you pay at the hotel, with Visa, Mastercard or Diners. If you cancel with less than 48 hours' notice, they may charge you the whole first night; cancellation is done by phone or by email with the booking number. The website says nothing about children, extra beds or pets: ask when you book.
Gernika on foot, the estuary by train
On foot you have the Casa de Juntas and the Gernika Tree and the Peace Museum, and for lunch on weekdays, the set menu at Zallo Barri. Gernika's Euskotren station is in the centre: line E4 continues to Mundaka and Bermeo, so you can leave the car parked. If you are going to tour the estuary over two days, see the weekend in Urdaibai.
- **Camping and Bungalows Portuondo** (Campsite): Bungalows above the estuary
Portuondo is at the entrance to Mundaka, on terraces above the estuary and opposite Laida beach, within the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. It rents out bungalows, mobile homes and two glamping tents, and its website also mentions grass pitches for vans, caravans and tents. It has free wifi throughout the site, free parking for bungalow and glamping guests, laundry and sinks, a mini-market in season and tourist information at reception.
The accommodation
There are seven bungalows (Laida, Antzoras, Txatxarramendi, Izaro, Atxarre, Ogoño and Otzarri), four mobile homes (Katillotxu, Basoa, Kanala and Agarre) and two glampings (Munitiz and Abaroa). The website does not publish prices in the listings: you book on its own booking engine, with a best-price guarantee and more flexibility for changes and cancellations than on the platforms.
To give you an idea of what there is:

The Laida bungalow, of 22.42 m², is for 2 or 3 people: a bedroom with a 150 cm bed and television, a sofa bed in the living room, a kitchen with ceramic hob, microwave, dishwasher and fridge, a full bathroom, air conditioning and heating, its own barbecue and views of the reserve. Includes sheets, towels and shower gel.
The Katillotxu mobile home, of 23.6 m² with a covered cantilevered terrace, is for up to 3 people, with a 135 cm bed and a single sofa bed, an equipped kitchen, a bathroom with shower, air conditioning and a barbecue; it has no sea views.
The Munitiz glamping is for 5 people, in two bedrooms with bunk beds, with a small kitchen, a dining area and a furnished terrace. It has no private bathroom or running water: the shared toilets and showers are a few metres away. It includes sheets but not towels, and has no climate control.

Eating
On the same estate are the beer hall, Basque in style, with a terrace and views, which serves roast chicken, burgers and local produce and reopens in March 2027, and the Portuondo restaurant, à la carte, with fresh seasonal produce cooked over the embers in the style of a grill. The restaurant serves lunch from 13:30 to 15:30, dinner only on Fridays and Saturdays, closes on Tuesday and Wednesday and opens at lunchtime on Sundays too.
With children and with a dog
The pool area has a pool for the little ones, slides, sun loungers and a sun terrace, and opens in summer; Laida beach, opposite, completes the plan with children. Pets are allowed only in some accommodation and only with a phone booking; the Katillotxu and Munitiz listings, for example, say so. Call 946 877 701 before booking.
What to do nearby
Mundaka is famous for its surf wave, and from the campsite you can set out walking and cycling around Urdaibai, take boat trips on the estuary or see the coastal villages. The website gives no distances: ask at reception how to get down to the village.
### Servicios
- **Gaztelugatxe car parks and bus**: 22 free spaces at Urizarreta, 57 at Lurgorri, paid private car park · direct A3517 bus from Bilbao in summer

## Car-free: By train along the estuary and by bus to Gaztelugatxe
Urdaibai is one of the few corners of the coast that is easy to do without a car: the Euskotren train runs from Bilbao to Gernika, Mundaka and Bermeo, and in summer a direct bus goes to Gaztelugatxe. What is harder to reach is the east bank (Laida, the Bird Center).
Presupuesto orientativo: 80–140 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Spa El Puerto** (Small hotel): On the Mundaka quay
El Puerto is at Portu Kalea, 1, above Mundaka's fishing harbour, at the mouth of the Urdaibai estuary. In the same building it has a café with a terrace open to everyone, and next door, in the Mundakaport apartment building, its private spa, which you reach without going out into the street.
Doubles, sea-view doubles and an apartment
There are three ways to stay:

Standard double, for two adults, with a double bed or two beds, to choose when you book.
Double with sea view, also for two, with large windows onto the Cantabrian Sea and Mundaka harbour.
Apartment, recently built, for those who want independence.

All have wifi, satellite television, heating and a telephone, and are disinfected with ozone. The website does not publish fixed prices: if you book on it they advertise up to 15% less than on agencies and free cancellation with no advance payment.
A spa for yourself, by the hour
The spa is not shared: it is booked in one-hour slots for whoever you choose. It has a hydromassage bath, sauna, two heated loungers and mist showers. It costs €60 an hour for two, €70 for three and €80 for four. It is added as an extra when you book the room on its website, and with stays of two nights or more there is a discount. It can also be booked without sleeping at the hotel. There is also a gym.
Breakfast and the café over the harbour
Breakfast is served in the café from 8:30 to 11:00, and can be brought forward or put back if you let them know. The same café serves lunches and dinners, with the kitchen open from 13:00 to 16:00 and from 20:00 to 23:00: pintxos, sandwiches, burgers and raciones, from cod kokotxas in pil-pil to braised cheeks or stuffed peppers, on the sunny terrace if the weather allows.
Parking 50 or 100 metres away
The parking is not in the building: guests have spaces in two car parks, at 50 and 100 m, for €25 a day; from 2 November to 19 March, except the December long weekend, it is €12.50. Ask for a space with the room. Without a car, the Euskotren E4 line stops at Mundaka.
Dogs and times
Pets are admitted in all the accommodation, as long as the hygiene rules and the other guests are respected. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out before 12:00.
Leaving the hotel, the walk through Mundaka to Santa Katalina begins, and the surf lessons in Mundaka are given in the village itself. For a Sunday with views of the estuary, Portuondo is at the entrance to Mundaka.
- **Hotel Gernika** (Hotel, desde 100 € / night): Three stars on Calle Carlos Gangoiti
The Hotel Gernika is a three-star hotel built in 1987 at Calle Carlos Gangoiti 17, in the centre of Gernika-Lumo. It has 40 rooms, a café and free parking. From here you can walk to the essentials of Gernika, and by train or car to the rest of the Urdaibai estuary.
The rooms and what they cost
It has 36 doubles and 4 singles, for 80 people in all, and one of the rooms is adapted for people with disabilities. All have a full bathroom, satellite television, heating, air conditioning, telephone and free wifi. Prices from its website, per night, VAT included:

Single: from €78.
Standard double: from €100.
Superior double: from €106.
Superior double with terrace: from €159, the only one with its own terrace.

Breakfast is not in the rate: it costs €12 and is served in the hotel café.
Free parking or a garage for €11
Parking is free for guests, and anyone who wants to leave the car under cover has a garage for €11. It is handy if you are going to travel every day by car to Mundaka, Bermeo or Gaztelugatxe.
Check-in, payment and cancellation
Check-in is from 15:00 to 23:00 and check-out before 12:00. Booking on its website there are no booking fees and you pay at the hotel, with Visa, Mastercard or Diners. If you cancel with less than 48 hours' notice, they may charge you the whole first night; cancellation is done by phone or by email with the booking number. The website says nothing about children, extra beds or pets: ask when you book.
Gernika on foot, the estuary by train
On foot you have the Casa de Juntas and the Gernika Tree and the Peace Museum, and for lunch on weekdays, the set menu at Zallo Barri. Gernika's Euskotren station is in the centre: line E4 continues to Mundaka and Bermeo, so you can leave the car parked. If you are going to tour the estuary over two days, see the weekend in Urdaibai.
### Servicios
- **Euskotren E4 train Bilbao–Bermeo**: Stops at Gernika and Mundaka · every 30 minutes for most of the day
- **Gaztelugatxe car parks and bus**: 22 free spaces at Urizarreta, 57 at Lurgorri, paid private car park · direct A3517 bus from Bilbao in summer

## As a family: Birds, canoes and a calm beach

With children, Urdaibai works best on the east bank of the estuary: the Bird Center, Laida beach and a canoe trip with the tide. Gaztelugatxe is something else: steep, with no shade and no pushchairs.

### What works best
The Urdaibai Bird Center, with telescopes, a tower and a dome

The canoe trip with Laida Kanoak: under-12s €20, always with an adult

Laida beach, sheltered at high tide

The boat from Bermeo to Gaztelugatxe: an hour, €9 for children, no steps

### Where to sleep
Camping Portuondo, with a pool and slide in summer

Hotel Gernika, with free parking and in the centre

### Where to eat
Portuondo, next to the campsite, at lunchtime

Set lunch at Zallo Barri on weekdays

### Worth knowing
You cannot go up to Gaztelugatxe with a pushchair: bring a baby carrier or look at the hermitage from the boat

On the estuary trip you must be able to swim

In winter the Bird Center is only open at weekends

### Qué hacer as a family
- Urdaibai Bird Center
- Canoe trip down the Urdaibai estuary
- By boat from Bermeo to Gaztelugatxe or Elantxobe
- Laida beach
- Walk round Mundaka to Santa Katalina

## With teenagers: Surfing, steps and a story that counts

For teenagers there is a physical challenge (the 241 steps of Gaztelugatxe, surfing), water and a visit that does not bore: the Peace Museum tells the story of the bombing of Gernika in a very direct way.

### What works best
Gaztelugatxe, with the path down and the 241 steps

Surfing in Mundaka: children's groups from age 6 and adults from 18

Canoe or paddleboard on the estuary, 2 to 3 hours

Peace Museum, free for under-12s and reduced for students

### Where to sleep
Hotel Spa El Puerto, in Mundaka, next to the surf school

Camping Portuondo, in a bungalow

### Where to eat
Portuondo at lunchtime

Baserri Maitea, for a grilled meal in Forua

### Worth knowing
The Mundaka Barra Surf adult lesson is from age 18: for 12–17, ask about the children's groups

Book Gaztelugatxe first thing in summer

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
- Gernika Peace Museum
- Canoe trip down the Urdaibai estuary
- Surf lesson in Mundaka
- By boat from Bermeo to Gaztelugatxe or Elantxobe

## Consejos

### Book Gaztelugatxe for first thing
You arrive with the car park free and go down before the heat. The reservation is valid from ten minutes before the chosen time.

### Use the train between Gernika and Mundaka
The E4 links the two in a few minutes and saves you looking for a space in Mundaka.

### Check the tide before booking on the estuary
The canoes and boats will give you the time depending on that day's tide.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Do you have to pay to see San Juan de Gaztelugatxe?
No. The ticket is free and only needs to be booked on the controlled-access days marked on the Provincial Council's calendar.

### How many steps does Gaztelugatxe have?
241, after a very steep 1,200 m path from Urizarreta. Allow about two and a half hours.

### Can you visit the Casa de Juntas in Gernika?
Yes, free, but by prior appointment. It is open every day from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00, until 19:00 from June to September, except when there is a plenary session.

### Can you go to Urdaibai without a car?
Yes. Euskotren E4 runs from Bilbao to Gernika, Mundaka and Bermeo, and in summer Bizkaibus A3517 goes direct to Gaztelugatxe.

### Where can you paddle down the estuary by canoe?
Laida Kanoak runs the descent from Gautegiz Arteaga to Laida beach, 2 to 3 hours, with the time set according to the tide.

### Can you go to Gaztelugatxe in a motorhome?
Not to its car parks: a gantry limits the height to 2 m. Use the areas at Bakio or Bermeo.