Bilbao. Guide for Bilbao

The Basque capital is a beautiful city with a great tourist attraction, so that more and more people who decide to visit. As a result, some of the services offered to tourists have been a price increase. The best way to combat rising prices are staying in a hostel.

The Bilbao hostels offer good quality accommodation, good location and affordable prices. Nothing more could you want! Here are some examples to get an idea.

The Ganbara Hostel is a brand new, opened in July 2011 and is located in the Old Quarter of the city. There are a total of 62 beds in 13 rooms for four, six or eight people. Breakfast is included in the price, but that's not all ... Ganbara Hostel has air conditioning, WiFi, security lockers, luggage storage, bike rental, kitchen, laundry, ... In short, everything you need to enjoy economic and stay most enjoyable.

Surf Backpackers Bilbao - Hostel

On the other hand, the Surf Backpackers Bilbao offers private and shared rooms, to suit the budgets of all travelers. Located in the heart of the city, two blocks from the Museo Guggenheim and around you will find many pintxos bars. Guests have free access to common room, kitchen, laundry, luggage and the Internet.

Hostal Mardones (Bilbao)

The last example that we share with you is the Hostal Mardones. This is a more traditional setting but has the best situation (in the heart of Bilbao's Casco Viejo) and excellent facilities. There are a total of 18 comfortable rooms, all double, ideal for couples and travelers who want to fully enjoy your privacy. The price includes bed linen, towels and luggage, but there are internet access, lockers in the rooms and parking.

These three hotels are just a small sample of the supply of housing having Bilbao. Private rooms, shared rooms, kitchen, laundry, internet access, ... Most offer all the amenities necessary to make the most of a visit to Bilbao.

Sheraton Bilbao Hotel

The Sheraton Bilbao, designed by architect Ricardo Legorreta, has a privileged location between the Congress and the Euskalduna Palace, and close to the Museo Guggenheim , the Museum of Fine Arts and the Maritime Museum. Moreover, it is just 15 minutes from Airport Loiu.

The design of the Hotel Sheraton Bilbao is based on the work of Eduardo Chillida. Ricardo Legorreta not only took up the task of designing the hotel, but also participated in the choice of materials to be built in each of the decorative elements.

Sheraton Bilbao Hotel has a total of 211 rooms including 21 suites. The rooms feature the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper (SM), cable TV, ADSL, air conditioning, minibar and marble bathroom. The suites also feature a spa tub and plasma TV.

The sixth floor is the spa, with stunning views of the estuary. It has a gym, sauna, massage and heated pool.

In the restaurant of the Sheraton, Aizian, we can find the best chefs, which makes it a point of reference. Buyers can enjoy the best of Basque cuisine, but also in the room, with service available 24 hours.

One thing to mention is the collection of contemporary art and Spanish ship models, spread across the hotel with the intention of giving it part of the history port of Bilbao.

Sheraton Bilbao Hotel Room

The ascent to Pagasarri Bilbao is an activity quite often, hence the path of Pagasarri is well documented.

The following describes the ascent route to the mountain, accompanied by photographs to help guide:

The route starts in the neighborhood of San Adrián (Bilbao). We start from the Zabalburu Square, near the train station and go down the street Avenida Juan de Garay and San Adrián. At the end of the street we find the bridge of the following image:

Way up to Pagasarri: Building Iberdrola

Crossing the bridge will cross the highway, coming to the building of Iberdrola. At this point we leave the city to begin the ascent to Pagasarri. Go around the building right onto the road Larraskitu, an asphalted road that passes through the neighborhood Larraskitu.

Way up to Pagasarri: Camino Larraskitu

Continue about 300 meters down the runway. We find a path that goes left. If we take this shortcut will we end up the same track much later, while ensuring more spin. This step is optional, if you follow the trail all the time we go out at the same point, but take longer.

Way up to Pagasarri: Shortcut

Continuing along the road, called Camino Pagasarri, we will come to the Bar Athletic and later with a picnic area and tables, along with a panel of the council with a map and area information.

Way up to Pagasarri: Camino Pagasarri

If we continue down the road, we reach a point where a barrier prevents access to vehicles. This is the point where it begins the ascent to the mountain and in which, normally, we will have taken about 45 minutes to get there. Highlight a road out to the left, just before the barrier, which leads to the hermitage of San Roque.

Way up to Pagasarri: Barrera Pagasarri

On the way up, we find the source Zapaburu.

Way up to Pagasarri: Power Zapaburu

Later we came to a crossroads that offers three routes to the Pagasarri. The right path is the softest and offers spectacular views over Bilbao. The path of the center, begins with stairs and an information panel. Of the three routes, is the fastest (30 minutes) and the oldest but also the most physically demanding. The left path instead, is the longest and gives the greatest return, so the least you usually do.

Way up to Pagasarri: Crossing the Pagasarri

If we opted for the old road to Pagasarri, by the way we find the source of the next picture. This way, toward the end, joins the left route. On the descent we must remember to properly take detours.

Way up to Pagasarri: Source in the ancient way Pagasarri

The path to the left and right end joining in the campaign of Pagasarri, under Mount Ganet (685 meters).

Way up to Pagasarri: Field of Pagasarri

In the campaign we have a bar

Way up to Pagasarri: Campa and bar Pagasarri

To finish up the top, climb a hill behind the bar.

Way up to Pagasarri: Top of Pagasarri

Taking the old road of Pagasarri, ascension round the hour and twenty minutes.

Monte Pagasarri (Bilbao)

The Pagasarri is one of the two mountain ranges that surround Bilbao (the other is Artxanda). Part of Ganekogorta solid, separating Bizkaia and Araba.

Etymologically, Pagasarri comes from the union of two words: To / Payment has meaning, and meaning sarri thick, dense. So the translation would Pagassari Pagasarri to indicate that a mountain is covered by a thick mantle of beech.

The Pagasarri has 673 meters high and is very popular in Bilbao, mountain enthusiast young and old thanks to the familiar ways of Pagasarri.

Bilbao Weather is characterized, like the Basque climate in general, a large volume of rainfall. These rains are spread throughout the year, which does not have a summer especially "dry". This becomes evident when it is found that rainy days account for 45% of the year, excluding 41% of the year is covered.

The rainiest months are the delay between October and April (November being the most). Although the rainfall generally occur in the form of showers, are also common fine mists, which are called drizzle.

The proximity to the ocean makes both summer and winter have little temperature fluctuations. In summer the average maximum temperature ranges between 25 ° and 26 ° C, while in winter the average minimum varies between 6 ° and 7 ° C. In winter the snow does not usually come to fruition, however if it hails, with a total of about 10 days a year.

Below you can see the weather in Bilbao of today and of the following (x) days:

Hotel Carlton (Bilbao)

Located in the Plaza Moyúa Carlton Hotel is the first deluxe hotel which was in Bilbao. Designed by the architect Manuel Maria Smith, was designed in 1919 and completed in 1926. For its design was based on the guidelines of the Second Empire style, with classic and traditional plants, but direct inspiration of famous hotels of the era: the front porch and access the Carlton in London, and the windows of the lobby Hotel Negresco in Nice. We also noticed the magnificent oval skylight of the lobby, second in Spain by size, after the Hotel Palace in Madrid.

Skylight Hotel Carlton (Bilbao)

In 1937, the Carlton Hotel hosted the first Basque Government still has the bomb shelter at the time. It is also used to host official ceremonies and cultural Bilbao.

With a section of the building intended for hotel and other offices, has basement, basement, ground floor, five floors high and a sixth floor set back. They distributed a total of 142 rooms (one imperial suite 250m2, 5 semi-suites, 21 superior rooms and 115 standard rooms), decorated in a classic style with the latest technological advances.

Imperial Suite at the Hotel Carlton (Bilbao)

Feria de Santo Tomas (Bilbao)

On December 21 we celebrate the Feria de Santo Tomás, with the preamble of Christmas Bilbao. Today, traditional products baserris (hamlets) are shown in the Plaza Nueva and the Arenal.

The origin of this festival is the late nineteenth century, when the tenants of the baserris Bilbao Bizkaia came to pay rents to farmhouses to their owners. The baserritarras also go to Bilbao with rents, took samples of their products baserris owners.

Women in these baserritarras took the initiative to accompany them on these trips and taking positions in the Old Town Square (next to the San Anton) and in different parts of the Old Town and the Bank, offered these products for housewives in Bilbao , for consumption at Christmas.

In 1945, following a BBK idea Arzeluz Felix Garcia, is in charge of how to market this event and giving it a continuity that has been maintained until now.

Thus, the Fair Market or St. Thomas becomes a great way to try typical Basque products, also having the possibility to acquire. Among them, a typical food of this event is the thallus with chorizo, accompanied by a txacolí.

Enter the Cafe Iruña in Bilbao

Founded in 1903, the day of San Fermin, by an employer Navarro, Severo Unzue, is now part of Bilbao's historical heritage, both for its aesthetics and to become the meeting place of Bilbao society, hosting gatherings with participants as famous as Ortega and Unamuno Maeztu. Located on the corner of Columbus and Berastegi Larreategi and the architect Joaquín Rucoba (author also of Arab living Hall), has a neo-Moorish style which emphasize its interior tiles and murals.

The Café Iruña is currently keeping his literary vocation, being home to a dozen cultural organizations, who continue to use the Café Iruña as a center of celebration of its biggest events.

But despite its strong cultural role, it neglects the cuisine. Service has a daily menu that recalls the Café Iruña pianist wrote there, in 1927, the Castilian version of the song "Good Menu". In fact, the lyrics of this song can be obtained free of charge on a postcard in the same Café Iruña and the Bilbao Turismo (BIT).

Finally, a detail of the importance of coffee in Bilbao has been declared a unique monument in 1980 and in 2000 won the award for best coffee in Spain.

Cafe Iruña (Bilbao)

Cafe Iruña (Bilbao)

Cafe Iruña (Bilbao)

"Container books" of the Regional Library of Bizkaia

Located in the rear of the council, the Regional Library is located. Library entrance stands the "container" and, avant-garde design with semi-transparent box-shaped and decorated with silk-screened 170 phrases in languages ​​from around the world. The glass also is treated so that the light does not affect the books. The library acquires all its splendor at night, when illuminated. Work by architects bilbínos Gloria Iriarte, Eduardo Mugica and Augustine of Brena, the new building is attached to the former Regional Library.

The library has a capacity of 60,000 volumes and has 450 reading seats, divided into different rooms for consultation, mapping, reproduction and research.

The main access (with a panoramic elevator) is located between the streets and Arbieto council. The entrance is between the container and the ancient books of the library building.

Gate Regional Library of Bizkaia