Hosted by Be Casa Barakaldo; opinions are my own

Our family headed out on our next adventure: to Bilbao, Spain! We love northern Spain and specifically love San Sebastián for its food culture and Llanes, Asturias for its moody farms and Cantabria for its greenery and villages. Driving from Madrid to northern Spain is one of my very favorite things to do.

We headed to Bilbao to explore restaurants that had those yummy pintxos, to bring Nacho for a fun furry weekend and to take in the sites of the beautiful city and nearby town of Algorta in Getxo.

Here are our recommendations of what not to miss in Bilbao:

1- Downtown Bilbao:

-Pintxos at Victor Montes (El Globo is also recommended)

-Cheesecake from Gure Toxi

-The best steak dinner and cozy environment at Tolon Tolon Bilbao: highly recommend

Be sure to also walk the river and the streets of Casco Viejo, enjoying the unique architecture of the homes there. You need to also be sure to visit the world-famous Guggenheim museum, even if you just enter the main lobby and don’t pay for full access.

2 – Algorta, Getxo, a local town to Bilbao

I highly recommend taking a day trip into Algorta, a beach town about a 14-minute drive from Bilbao

-Walk Ereaga Beach and enjoy the sites of the historic marina

-Walk the Puerto Viejo and be sure to ride the funicular

Is going to the Asador Etxebarrio restaurant necessary? This is a top-rated restaurant in the world and requires a reservation for several months, even years, in advance. It is all 300 euros per person for their tasting menu, something we decided was not worth the experience itself. Apparently, you can also attempt to wait in line and get affordable pintxos there on Sunday mornings, but I’m glad we didn’t go out of our way for it.

Other tips: be sure to turn off “Avoid tolls” on your Google Map settings on your phone if driving from Madrid – it will save you 45-minutes of drive time. Also, if you are planning to take the train, it will be about an hour longer so a total of 4 hours and 45 minutes.

Be Casa Barakaldo is pet-friendly and was great for our dog, Nacho. Be aware that the gym was closed and other amenities were under construction when we were there in May 2026.