Lezama to Bilbao
Bilbao
- Distance
- 11 km
- Climb
- 280 m up, 330 m down
- Ground
- 10 to 240 m
- Time
- 2 to 3 hours
- Difficulty
- easy
- Underfoot
- urban, paved, forest
Where this day sits on the Camino del Norte
Above, the highest and lowest ground of each of its 34 stages. Below, the word each day is given.
From open-pilgrimages: each stage's highest and lowest ground and its interior theme.
The day
A short walking day, and then Bilbao. You enter the city from above — from Mount Avril where the Guggenheim suddenly appears in the valley below, a metallic shape that looks nothing like anything else in your Camino so far. The descent is by stairs. You arrive in the Casco Viejo, the old Gothic quarter, and the rest of the day is yours. Most pilgrims take a rest day. The Guggenheim, Puente Colgante, the Cathedral, the Basílica de Begoña on the hill, tapas in Plaza Nueva — Bilbao deserves more than one night.
What pilgrims often meet here
- The first glimpse of the Guggenheim from above — not what anyone expects on a pilgrimage
- The descent by stairs into the old city
- Rest-day indecision: Guggenheim or old town, pintxos or full meal
- Basílica de Begoña on the hill — the Marian heart of Biscay
You walked from an oak tree to a Frank Gehry museum in two days. What does the Camino do with that kind of contrast?
The ground
The short entry day into Bilbao. Descends from Lezama through suburban forest to the Mount Avril viewpoint, then drops via stairs into the Casco Viejo old town. Most pilgrims use the afternoon for the Guggenheim or the old town.
The light
Sunrise and sunset in Lezama depend on the day you walk.
Walk it with Pilgrim
In Pilgrim's Honor mode you can walk this stage as it is drawn here, and save its maps for days with no signal. The morning opens with this day's word, Bilbao, and its story. When you arrive, it asks the question above, and you can answer out loud. Your walk stays on your phone.
With Pilgrim on your phone, this opens the stage, ready to begin. Without it, you'll see the stage and where to get the app.