By boat from Bermeo to Gaztelugatxe or Elantxobe

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 [email protected]; 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.