Bilbao (Spain)

“Where’s that then?” asked our hairdresser last week, when I mentioned that we were going to Bilbao for a few days. “It’s a port in North-Eastern Spain, in the Basque region”, I replied, stretching my own research into the subject to its limit. “So why are you going there?” she continued. “Because I’ve never been there”, I returned, hoping that that was the depth of the delving – and it was. There are several good reasons to go to Bilbao, especially off-season, but the chief one is that you now can! You can get there by car ferry directly from Portsmouth. It’s another of those 24-hour affairs ... more

I adore Bilbao. It's so much nicer than any other place in the UK and I reckon it's the best city in the world. I have family there, so I visit it regularly. It is in the North of Spain, so it does rain sometimes, but the weather is usually great. The views are beautiful, and the river is very nice. If you visit places like Benidorm, you do not see the Spanish culture. I was speaking to someone about Spanish food. He had only ever been to Mallorca in Spain and thoguht that all the Spanish ate was 'English' food. To see what Spain is really about, this is where you have to go. There's a lot to ... more

Those of you, who know me, will know why I like Bilbao. For those of you that don’t know me I like Bilbao because of the Guggenheim. The Guggenheim is an art museum run by the Guggenheim family; they also have a museum in New York and Chicago. As well as the art I am also interested in the Architecture of it. I went to Bilbao for a 2-day trip with my Dad, he had been there before so he knew what it was like but for me it was a totally new experience. The flight there was about two hours, which flew by. I spent most of the time looking out the window. When we arrived it was cold, windy and ... more

Hi Bilbao is an interesting city. It is quite post-industrial and the scars of the Basque problems are plain to see - not many people here would agree that they live in Northern Spain, they are Basque through and through. Stayed at the Barcelo Nervion which was plush, comfortable, efficient and friendly. Slightly expensive, but then the flights ('Go', flying from Stansted, were only £25 each return). There were excellent food and bars in the old town, some interesting shops and clever ideas. The Guggenheim. Now. We went in mid September and three quarters of the museum was closed. What was ... more

This is a beautiful city surrounded by a beautiful countryside. During my last stay in Spain, I visited many places in the Basque Country, and Bilbao had to be the best of the whole of the north of spain. It has everything a good city needs, Sun, Sand, Shopping! Although recently there have been terrorist attacks by the basque seperatist group ETA, I would consider it to be one of the safer places to go in the Basque Country. Bilbao, otherwise known as Bilbo in the basque language, has a high student population, and has many attractions like the Gugenheim Museum (forgive my spelling). As I ... more

Bilbao will now and forever be known for being home to the Guggenheim gallery, along with the giant chia-pet dog called 'Puppy' outside of it. The gallery is certainly a sight to see - a very ambitious architechural oddity. I don't quite know what to make of it, it seems to just be trying too hard to be revolutionary. And it's rusting, which is a bit of a turn-off. The art inside was 'modern', which to me means pretentious and boring; I was not disappointed in this regard, it was totally absurd and pointless. But I hear that many people like this sort of thing, so if you do it will be right up ... more

I have travelled on the P&O Portsmouth-Bilbao ferry twice now, as a cheap way of seeing a wide variety of Whales and Dolphins. You can get a cabin for two people for about £80 each, this does not include any meals or any type of cabin service. You sail out on the Pride of Bilbao, a large car carrying ship. There are three main restaurants, a breakfast and lunch type diner, as well as several bars. There is also a cinema, swimming pool, child minding play area, health & beauty care (for the Ladies), arcade games for the kids and night time disco and cabaret. The best time to go on the crossing ... more