# A weekend in Urdaibai, an hour from Vitoria: the estuary by canoe, Gernika and Gaztelugatxe One night in Mundaka to paddle down the estuary by canoe to Laida, see Gernika and climb to Gaztelugatxe before anyone else. An hour from Vitoria and an hour and a half from Santander. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/basque-country/urdaibai/itineraries/urdaibai-canoe-gaztelugatxe-weekend · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Dónde: Urdaibai 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. ActivityDurationPriceFor whom Canoe down the estuary to Laida2–3 hFrom €27, under-12s €20Families who can swim Boat from Bermeo to Gaztelugatxe1 h€14, children €9Those who don't want steps Climb to Gaztelugatxe2 h 30FreeWith good legs Peace Museum1 h 30€6.50, under-12s freeTeenagers 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. ## El plan ### Saturday · 10:00 · Gernika: 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. ### Saturday · 13:30 · Lunch 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. ### Saturday · 16:00 · The 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. ### Saturday · 19:30 · Laida 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 · 08:30 · San 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. ### Sunday · 11:30 · Gaztelugatxe 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. ## Un consejo más 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. ## Cuándo no ir 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. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### 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. ## Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Spa El Puerto**: 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**, 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**: 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. ## Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel Spa El Puerto**: 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**, 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.