It should be pretty clear from my prior posts that one of our favorite things about Euskadi is the accessibility of hiking trails with scenic vistas. We’re especially fond of routes near the coast that also allow us to sit on/near the beach after finishing our hike. Luckily the region is known for its acantilado, or seaside cliffs, many of which are home to well maintained hiking trails.
During our first year and a half in Bilbao we made an effort to get to the trails most easily accessible by public transit as often as possible. While we continue to hike these routes, as spring turned to summer we decided to broaden our horizons and try new trails that may require more effort to reach. Since Bizkaia is home to wonderful public transit options, venturing further still hasn’t required us to get into a car.
Photos: On a route that we love near Plentzia; Hiking to Hondartza Laga near Guernica; On a November trip to Guipúzcoa
Ruta nº 1: Vía Verde de Itsaslur
Knowing that we’re fans of hiking, this route was recommended to us by one of our neighbors. We’d initially hesitated to make the journey, as accessing the trailhead would require taking both a regional train and bus. However, as the days got longer we knew that we’d have more than enough daylight to make the trek [both transit and on foot], and decided to give it a try.
The first time we hiked this route, we decided to hike to the trailhead from the regional train station, rather than waiting for the Bizkaibus. We soon realized this wasn’t a great decision, as it left us walking along a decently busy road with views of the Petronor refinery, rather than along the coast. Fortunately we reached Pobeña, the village nearest the trailhead, soon and stopped for a caña in the plaza before continuing our journey.
We were, as usual, stunned by the vistas that we discovered when we finally made it to the acantilado. We did not trek as far along the Vía Verde as we had planned, as we still wanted to relax on the beach for a while. But we did vow to return again soon and hike farther along the flysch.
Photos: At the trailhead (finally!); View of Playa La Arena; Looking towards Cantabria)
Photos: Selfies taken in the exact same location, not quite two years apart. I’d forgotten that we’d stopped here while driving from Haro to Santander in 2023, during the trip when we decided to move to Euskadi.
We returned to Itsaslur last week, this time taking the Bizkaibus from Muskiz to Pobeña [and fueling up on rabas] before departing for the hike. Starting the trek with fresh legs meant that we made it farther along the coast, this time deciding to cross into the neighboring Autonomous Community of Cantabria before heading back towards the beach. On our return we stopped in Kobaron before taking the bus to Barakaldo [to appreciate street art that had taken on even greater meaning the day before].
Photos: A clear day on the acantilado makes me VERY happy [and Eliott apparently always wears his Sama Siku shirt when we make this trip]; Crossing into Cantabria for our mid-trail 🍻; I was a big fan of this 🌴-filled terraza
Photos: Nico’s contract extension announcement video included him tagging this mural of him with his brother, Iñaki [though they must have removed it instantly, as the tag was gone the next day]; A re-creation of probably my favorite picture from the Copa del Rey celebration; So excited that Nico is staying [but still said that Julen isn’t]
Ruta nº 2: The cliffs near Ea
Ea is a coastal community near Lekeitio that, not surprisingly, was recommended to us by one of our neighbors. While we did not visit it on our first trip to the area last year, we knew that we needed to make the journey when we returned this spring. Luckily, there’s an incredibly scenic Bizkaibus route between the two towns.
After pintxos we took to the trail and were surprised to encounter no other hikers on such a gorgeous day. We didn’t venture very far, as the trail wasn’t as well maintained as others in Bizkaia, but we still found a spot to stop for a beer with amazing views of the bay.
Up Next: Durango
In a couple of weeks we’ll be making a trip to the nearby town of Durango, with plans to hike in the Urikola Nature Park. It’ll likely take me a while to actually write about that trip, as I’m terrible at writing posts in a timely manner. [I’ve been telling Eliott for weeks that I wanted to write this one.] But, check back eventually [sometime in August, if I’m being realistic] for a recap!