Bilbao, the Basque Country’s most famous city, is very easy to visit even in just a couple days but, like in any city, you need to pick a strategic spot to stay so you can get around easily both during the day and in the evening. So, what are the best areas to stay in Bilbao? Let’s check ’em out together!
When it comes to staying in Bilbao, you’ve basically got two options, right next to each other: Casco Viejo, the oldest historic center, or the “modern” center which is on the opposite side of the river and is a bit bigger.
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Staying in Bilbao: Map and Introduction
Bilbao tends to be more expensive in accommodations compared to other, even more famous, Spanish cities.
Let’s start with a map of the best areas to stay in Bilbao, before we describe them in more detail later in the article:
- The green area is Casco Viejo, the old historic center;
- Red area on the other hand is the “modern” center;
- In yellow some surroundings of the central areas that may still be a good compromise;
- the green line in the middle shows the part of the metro line that runs through both centers, to better understand where it’s easiest to use public transport.
Casco Viejo
Atmosphere: 5/5
Convenience for going out at night: 5/5
Ease of getting around: 5/5
Bilbao’s Casco Viejo is the city’s historic center, and it’s one of the most characteristic areas to visit in this Basque city.
Although visiting Casco Viejo doesn’t take more than half a day, choosing it to stay in Bilbao has its perks.
One of these is that it lets you “experience the city”, especially in the late afternoon or evening, by going out on foot and trying some aperitifs with the famous pintxos or having dinner without jumping on public transport and enjoying a mostly pedestrian area without much traffic.
Indeed, Casco Viejo isn’t short on numerous restaurants, bars, and places to try pintxos, which we could describe as small snacks that, similar to tapas in other parts of Spain, are a great way to share an aperitif or even have a light dinner.
Especially for those who want to stay out late, Casco Viejo is an excellent option, because even though there’s a metro station called “Casco Viejo” right in the center, the last trains run until around 11 PM, so if you were staying elsewhere, you’d have to head back early.
You can find all the details about Bilbao’s public transport here.
The downside of staying in the Casco Viejo area is definitely the price, as accommodations here are, on average, the most expensive in Bilbao.
- Pension Mardones : basic guesthouse, one of the cheapest prices in the area;
- AliciaZzz Bed&Breakfast Bilbao : B&B with a very well-done themed setting at a reasonable price: rooms for 1 or 2 people;
- Casual Serantes : pretty good prices and rooms for up to 4 people;
- Petit Palace Arana :Â modern hotel housed in a majestic 19th-century building just a few meters from the Cathedral.
The Modern Center
Atmosphere: 3/5
Convenience for going out at night: 4/5
Ease of getting around: 5/5
On the western side of the river, instead, we find Bilbao’s more modern side.
This area, certainly less characteristic than the historic center, looks quite similar to comparable areas in many other cities around the world.
Indeed, we find long, quite busy streets, modern buildings, but also the Guggenheim center, with its uniquely shaped constructions, as well as some parks where you can sit and relax away from the traffic.
Worth mentioning are Bilbao’s Gran Via (a kind of Rambla, if you allow the comparison), which is an avenue lined with shops and various commercial activities, marked by the red pin on the map, and some secondary avenues in the westernmost area, a short distance from the stadium, marked by the brown pin, where large numbers of people gather in the evenings along the roadside to have a drink in the bars there. It’s an excellent alternative for evening life outside of Casco Viejo.
As for getting around, it’s just as easy here as in Casco Viejo: the modern center has a good three metro stops (which you can see in more detail here) and the bus to/from the airport also passes through, making several stops.
In short, if you’re willing to have a slightly less characteristic view from your hotel room, you can stay in the modern center, save some money, and still be in one of Bilbao’s best areas.
In terms of distances, the modern center has a “diameter” of about 2 km, so even if you’re staying in Bilbao in the westernmost area (San Mamès, near the stadium of the same name) and you want to walk to Casco Viejo in the evening after the metro closes, you’ll walk just over 2 kilometers.
- Pension San Mamès: the one I stayed at; cheap and “basic”, near the stadium, great for getting around and also reaching Termibus where the airport buses depart.
- Ibis Bilbao Centro : cheap, if you find it available it has good reviews.
- Hotel Abando or Sercotel Coliseo : 4-star, among the closest to Casco Viejo too, for getting around often on foot.
- Aparthotel Edificio Santiago : comfortable apartments for groups of up to 5 people.
Where to stay in Bilbao with kids?
Casco Viejo is the most recommended area to stay in Bilbao for those traveling with children, so you don’t go crazy with getting around.
Where to stay in Bilbao for young people?
- The Casco Viejo area is definitely the best for young people and nightlife, thanks to its many bars and clubs.
- Even in the modern center, there are some streets with busy bars in the evening, near the brown pin on the map above.
And the flight?
Now all that’s left is to find out what to visit in Bilbao and a cheap flight:
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