Kennedy Williams

Out of the almost 3 years I lived in Spain, I always said I was going to visit Pais Vasco AKA Basque Country, but for whatever reason the plans never came to fruition. This time around I told myself it was gonna be different, and I am SOO happy I did. Before settling in Barcelona for the summer, I booked a 2 week “roadtrip” to the places in Spain that I always wanted to go to; the north and the south. We ended up staying in Bilbao for 5 days and taking a day-trip to San Sebastian. I feel like the North doesn’t get the props it should! Like if I could leave a Google review for Basque Country I would give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ because this places left me speechless. Pais Vasco is so green and so lush compared to all the other parts of Spain that I’ve visited, like if I hiked, I would hike the hell out of this place.

Here is how it went

Before landing in Bilbao we were ready and accepting of the rain, not excited, but accepting. We were anticipating constant, torrential rain, thunder, lighting, the whole nine; but to our “disappointment”, it didn’t even rain that much. Our first, full day there it was fairly warm, so we walked a bit to get a sense of the city and it was super walkable. The city itself is pretty small, flat, and safe, so we had no problem with getting our steps in. We ended up getting the Barik tap metro card to avoid the rain and it was so cheap! The card itself was 3€ and I put 5€ and it lasted the whole time I was there. I honestly can’t tell you the math behind it, but you are charged based on the distance you go. You tap in and tap out, some of the trips were less than a euro, which was mind-blowing to me! You can use the Barik card on the metros, trams, buses, and even their funicular! Unfortunately, we didn’t know that on our first day because we ended up paying 4€ and some change for the funicular to Artxanda Park. It definitely wasn’t 4€ wasted though. The ride itself is quick and takes you to the best look out spot in the city, Artxanda Park. Just like the other parks in Bilbao, Artxanda Park is picturesque, lush, and VERY well taken care of. Not only does it have a breath-taking view, but it have other great spots for pictures and areas to sit and just take it all in.

As I mentioned before, Bilbao was very walkable city, so we spent lots of time just walking around seeing the seeable things. The “Casco Viejo”, Old Town, is the perfect place to start! There is so much beautiful, modern architecture throughout the city, but Casco Viejo has that old, very gothic architecture that makes Spain the charming country it is. Because Camino de Santiago goes through the north, Bilbao has many trekker-friendly stops and spaces, including churches and cathedrals, and because of this many of the cathedrals and churches are opened to visitors!

Along with lots of history, amazing street art, and notable sites, the Old Town also holds some of the, dare I say, BEST Mexican food in Spain, Surfin Tacos! We ran into this place while wondering the streets one day and I thank the universe everyday for it! In my almost three years in Spain the only other good Mexican food i’ve had was Leda’s Mexican Food in Girona, which is absolutely amazing when it comes traditional dishes, but Surfin’ Tacos almost exclusively does tacos and to say they do it well is an understatement. These tacos reminded me of Taco Man tacos back in California, like good ass, no BS tacos that are made from an angel’s smile and love. If you thought that it couldn’t get any better than that, you’re wrong. Surfin’ Tacos has a baby brother, Flyin’ Burrito. Naturally, we tried that one too, as you can guess, it was BANGIN! Do yourself and a favor and try BOTH of these fine establishments the next time you’re in Bilbao. The food isn’t only great, the employees are some of the nicest people we met in the North, and the atmosphere they create just makes my heart sing. This is to the message is for the owners, I beg of you POR FAVORRRRRRRR, OPEN A SPOT IN BARCELONA, love a California girl who can’t live without her Mexican Food!

On the subject of food, I also have to give shout out to this amazing pinchos place we went to called Gure-Toki. I feel like a Baddie because I can say that I have eaten from a Michelin Guide Restaurant * does hair flip*. This cozy spot in Plaza Nueva, def has not let it Michelin status go to their head. Everything was super affordable and for the most part simplistic. I went right after the lunch rush but, before the evening crowd, so there was no wait to be seated and they had lots of options to choose from without having to wait. Before going to the restaurant, I had this vision that it was going to be a whole lot of frufru stuff that I might not like, but to my surprise, no frufru, just amazing and fresh Basque pinchos with a sprinkle of pizazz. I ended up only paying 13€, which was 100% a steal. I had some sort of queso soup, pastrami sandwich, shrimp eggroll-like pincho, and I have no idea what the other thing was, but the chef recommended it, and it was delish! Of course, no meal is complete without a glass of Verdejo.

So the moral of this story kids is don’t ever overlook Bilbao when planning your next trip to Spain. There is AMAZING food, beautiful scenery, mind-blowing art and culture, and just good vibes in general!

Got any other Bilbao suggestions? Drop it in the comments below!