Car Rental Bilbao - Exploring Bilbao

Set on a dramatic coastline surrounded by rugged mountains, Bilbao offers plenty of opportunities to explore the province of Vizcaya. The city is on one possible route of the Pilgrim’s Road to Santiago de Compostela, which lies in the province of Galicia to the west.

This coastal road passes some attractive beaches and quaint towns such as Bermeo, Mundaka, Plentzia, Sopelana and Getxo as well as the Urdabai estuary, which is a protected area. Farther inland, there are other preserved areas well worth visiting, such as the Urkiola and Gorbeia nature reserves.

Also near the coast, the small town of Gernika has acquired worldwide fame as the subject of one of the most famous paintings of the 20th century. After the town was devastated by bombing in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, Pablo Picasso depicted the methodical massacre in his huge, haunting image titled Guernica.

Alternatively, Kotezubi stands in the midst of a timeless landscape and has some prehistoric caves with paintings on the walls; while nearby in Gautegiz Arteaga, the Castle of Empress Eugenia de Montijo overlooks the Urdabai Nature Reserve. Additionally, there are several small towns that retain a medieval feel tucked away in the hills, for example, Areatza, Otxandio and Orduña, where you can spend hours marvelling at the locals’ simple lifestyles.

In the coastal resort of Santander, much of the old town was destroyed by fire and ferocious storms in 1941; however, the ornate Magdalena Palace, built for King Alfonso XIII during the 1920s, survived on the headland known as El Sardinero. It is now part of Santander's International University.

Despite its famously extreme climate, Burgos, located to the south of Bilbao, is one of Castile's most agreeable cities. The city's main feature is its stupendous cathedral, which is Spain's best example of Gothic ecclesiastical architecture and is packed with treasures. Burgos also boasts a delightful old centre with good restaurants and lively bars.

On the outskirts of Burgos lie three interesting monasteries. The best of these are the Monasterio de las Huelgas, which incorporates a fascinating textile collection in its Museo de Ricas Telas; and the Real Cartuja de Miraflores, with its superbly sculpted altarpiece and tombs. Folklore says the ghost of the medieval hero El Cid, who was born near Burgos in 1026, haunts the city. His final resting place can be seen at the transept crossing beneath the great lantern in the cathedral.