The Bilbao that
doesn't appear in
the postcards.
Honest stories, neighborhood guides and chronicles to discover the most authentic Bilbao.
Explore by category
Latest stories
View all →Bilbao Christmas Markets, Three Markets and When Each Opens
Looking for a Christmas market in Bilbao? Go to Gabonart on the Arenal quay for ceramics and jewellery bought from the maker, or Doña Casilda Park for food trucks and free shows. Neither is a mulled-wine town square. Santo Tomás adds talo, cider and cheese for a single Monday, and both Arenal sites sit by Casco Viejo metro.
Más experiencias
View all →
Olentzero, Bilbao's Basque Christmas Figure and the 23 December Parade
Who is Olentzero, the figure on Bilbao's Christmas posters? A Basque gift-bringer you can watch for free from 17:30 if the 2025 timing holds. Trams stopped between Arriaga and Pío Baroja for five hours last time, so take the metro, and the indoor meeting uses free passes, 1,500 last year, with a talo stall outside the theatre for everyone else.
New Year's Eve in Bilbao, Dinner, Bars and the Metro Gap
New Year's Eve in Bilbao means booking a table, not joining a crowd: Barceló Bilbao Nervión sells dinner and dancing until 4:00, and there is no city countdown announced. Sleep close to a station, because Gautxori night buses meet at Plaza Circular from 1:00, and bring a Barik card. On the 1st, the Artxanda funicular is the easy daylight plan.
Santo Tomás Fair in Bilbao, Talo, Txakoli and the Crowds
Is the Santo Tomás fair in Bilbao worth planning a trip around? Yes, if a farmers’ market appeals more than a Christmas market. See the Guggenheim from 10:00 to 19:00 on Sunday 20 December, spend the next day grazing along the riverside stalls, and ride to Casco Viejo, 203 m away, on a €2.00 single ticket.
Three Kings Parade in Bilbao, Route, Times and Sweets
When is the Three Kings parade in Bilbao? Tuesday 5 January 2027 in the early evening, and Moyua is the stop for it. The last edition brought a Sweet Factory with 3 tonnes of gluten-free sweets, floats from Toy Story and Bluey and a reserved 40 m stretch at Gran Vía 25. Then comes a holiday, when only the Guggenheim of the big three museums opens.
Latest articles
View all →Bilbao Christmas Markets, Three Markets and When Each Opens
Looking for a Christmas market in Bilbao? Go to Gabonart on the Arenal quay for ceramics and jewellery bought from the maker, or Doña Casilda Park for food trucks and free shows. Neither is a mulled-wine town square. Santo Tomás adds talo, cider and cheese for a single Monday, and both Arenal sites sit by Casco Viejo metro.
Bilbao Christmas Lights, the Tree Shows and a Walking Route
Do you need a ticket for the Bilbao Christmas lights? No, they are free on the street from late November to early January. Walk from Casco Viejo metro to Doña Casilda park in 27 minutes, through El Arenal, Plaza Circular and Plaza Moyúa, then take the tram back from Euskalduna at 187 m. Allow an hour with stops.
Bilbao at Christmas With Kids, Plans by Age and Rain Days
Bilbao at Christmas with kids? Book the Guggenheim workshops only for a child who speaks Spanish or Basque; otherwise choose the 6-lane slide on Ripa quay or the funicular up Artxanda, where children ride free and adults pay 3.50 euros. The Itsasmuseum waives its 10-euro fee on Sundays from 17:00, and the Basque Museum does so on Wednesdays.