Hotel Spa El Puerto
Why we like it: A hotel in the harbour of Mundaka, with rooms onto the estuary, a café with a terrace and a private spa by the hour.
Duration1 night
From Vitoria1 h by car
Best timeMay – September
Budget€160–250 pp
DifficultyEasy
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving on Saturday morning and sleeping one night in Mundaka or Gernika. Saturday is for Gernika and the estuary, at the time the tide sets; Sunday starts early at Gaztelugatxe.
Saturday
- 110:00Gernika: the Casa de Juntas and the tree
From Vitoria to Gernika in an hour. The seat of the Bizkaia General Assembly, with the tree stained-glass window and the oak by the entrance, is visited free by appointment. Then the Peace Museum, on Plaza de los Fueros, tells the story of the 1937 bombing: €6.50, free for under-12s.
- 213:30Lunch at Baserri Maitea
A grill in a 17th-century farmhouse in Forua, next to Gernika: fish and T-bone steak over holm-oak embers. Open every day at midday; book.
- 316:00The estuary by canoe to Laida
With Laida Kanoak you paddle the estuary from Gautegiz Arteaga to Laida beach by canoe or paddleboard, easy, in two or three hours. The time is set by the tide: write to them beforehand to fix it. From €27 unguided; under-12s go with an adult and everyone must be able to swim.
- 419:30Laida and Mundaka at sunset
After the canoe, a while on Laida beach, with calm water at high tide. Then cross to Mundaka and walk from the harbour to the Santa Katalina peninsula, with the river bar in front of you.
Sunday
- 108:30San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
Half an hour from Mundaka. You walk down 1,200 m from Urizarreta, cross the bridge and climb the 241 steps to the hermitage; you return via Ermu. About two and a half hours. First thing there is room in the car parks and almost nobody on the path.
- 211:30Gaztelugatxe from the sea or lunch at Portuondo
If you want to see the islet from below, Hegaluze leaves Bermeo harbour on a one-hour route round Cape Matxitxako, for €14, from March to October. At 13:30, a farewell lunch at Portuondo, above the estuary facing Laida, which is open on Sunday at midday. Back home in the afternoon.
Urdaibai is the Gernika estuary and everything around it: marshes, holm-oak woods, Laida beach at the mouth and Mundaka opposite, and on one side the cliff coast of Bermeo, with San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. It is a Biosphere Reserve. From Bilbao it can be seen in a long day, but from Vitoria, an hour away, or Santander, an hour and a half, a night lets you do it at the rhythm of the tide: the canoe goes down the estuary when there is water, and Gaztelugatxe is best first thing, before it fills up.
When to go and what to book?
From May to September: long days, the estuary navigable, swimming at Laida and the Bermeo boat running. In July and August everything fills up, so book the canoe, the accommodation and, if it is a controlled-access day, the climb to Gaztelugatxe, free on the Bizkaia Provincial Council website. The Casa de Juntas is free, but by appointment.
| Activity | Duration | Price | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canoe down the estuary to Laida | 2–3 h | From €27, under-12s €20 | Families who can swim |
| Boat from Bermeo to Gaztelugatxe | 1 h | €14, children €9 | Those who don't want steps |
| Climb to Gaztelugatxe | 2 h 30 | Free | With good legs |
| Peace Museum | 1 h 30 | €6.50, under-12s free | Teenagers and adults |
Where to sleep?
In Mundaka, the Hotel Spa El Puerto is above the fishing harbour, at the mouth of the estuary, with sea-view rooms and a private spa booked by the hour. In Gernika, the Hotel Gernika, three stars and 40 rooms, has free parking and is the most practical base for getting around the whole estuary. Beside Laida beach, on a slope above the estuary, Camping Portuondo has bungalows, mobile homes and glamping, with a pool in summer.
With children and teenagers
The canoe works very well for families, with children who can swim, and Laida is a calm beach at high tide. Gaztelugatxe is not for pushchairs: with small children, swap the climb for the Bermeo boat. With teenagers, in Mundaka there are two-hour introductory surf lessons with Mundaka Barra Surf, from €40.
Without a car
The Euskotren E4 train leaves from Bilbao and runs along the estuary through Gernika, Mundaka and Bermeo, every half hour almost all day. In summer, the Bizkaibus A3517 goes direct from Bilbao to Gaztelugatxe. For the canoe, the start at Gautegiz Arteaga is on the other bank: the company transfers you from Laida to the start point.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Urdaibai, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Urdaibai
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
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.
90–160 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Gernika, with free parking…
- Getting aroundGernika–Mundaka, 12 km along the…
- Where to eatBaserri Maitea, in Forua, open…
- ServicesUrizarreta and Lurgorri car parks…
Where to sleep
- Hotel Gernika, with free parking, from €100 for a double
- Hotel Spa El Puerto, on Mundaka harbour, with parking at €25 a day
- Camping Portuondo, bungalows above the estuary with parking included
Getting around
- Gernika–Mundaka, 12 km along the west bank; Bermeo, 3 km further
- Gaztelugatxe, via the BI-3101; arrive before 10:00 or park in Bakio
- Laida and the Bird Center, along the east bank
Where to eat
- Baserri Maitea, in Forua, open at lunchtime every day
- Portuondo, at the entrance to Mundaka, closed Tuesday and Wednesday
- Zallo Barri, set lunch in Gernika on weekdays
Services
- Urizarreta and Lurgorri car parks at Gaztelugatxe, with a 2 m height limit
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).
80–140 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Spa El Puerto, a…
- Getting aroundEuskotren E4 Bilbao–Gernika–Mundaka–Bermeo, every 30…
- Where to eatZallo Barri, next to Gernika…
- ServicesGernika tourist office, Artekalea 8
Where to sleep
- Hotel Spa El Puerto, a few minutes from Mundaka station
- Hotel Gernika, in the centre, near Gernika station
Getting around
- Euskotren E4 Bilbao–Gernika–Mundaka–Bermeo, every 30 minutes for most of the day
- Bizkaibus A3517 to Gaztelugatxe in summer; the rest of the year, to Bakio or Bermeo and the A3524 minibus (cash only)
- The Hegaluze boat leaves from Bermeo harbour, on foot from the station
Where to eat
- Zallo Barri, next to Gernika station, set lunch on weekdays
- Portuondo, on foot from Mundaka station
Services
- Gernika tourist office, Artekalea 8
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Gernika
Why we like it: A three-star hotel with 40 rooms in the centre of Gernika, with free parking and a café; a practical base for the whole estuary.
From €100
View details
Camping and Bungalows Portuondo
Why we like it: Bungalows, mobile homes and glamping on a slope above the Mundaka estuary, with a pool in summer and two restaurants.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Gernika | Casa de Juntas, Peace Museum, train | |
| Mundaka | Port, surf, boats on the estuary | |
| Bermeo and Bakio | Boats and access to Gaztelugatxe |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Urdaibai
Portuondo restaurant
What to order: Mundaka or Bermeo fish over holm-oak embers, or grilled hake, with views of the estuary
Zallo Barri
What to order: the set lunch on weekdays, with bread and wine included
Baserri Maitea
What to order: a grilled fish, such as the turbot or hake, or the chuleta to share
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Check the tide before you settle the plan. The canoe and the swim at Laida depend on it, and it sets the order of Saturday.
We'd skip it
Orange sea-alert days at Gaztelugatxe, and 24 June, 31 July, 29 and 31 August and 30 December, days the Council asks you to avoid.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Vitoria?
An hour by car to Gernika. From Santander, an hour and a half; from Bilbao, about 40 minutes.
Do I need to book Gaztelugatxe?
Only on the controlled-access days that the Bizkaia Provincial Council sets each year. The booking is free.
From what age can you do the canoe?
Under-12s go with an adult, and everyone must be able to swim.
Can it be done without a car?
Largely yes: Euskotren reaches Gernika, Mundaka and Bermeo, and in summer there is a direct bus from Bilbao to Gaztelugatxe.
Where to sleep to see dawn at Gaztelugatxe?
In Mundaka or Bermeo, half an hour or less from the Urizarreta access.