The Bikepacker: Bikepacking 2024 - Ride to Bilbao port from the city

Day #

State of Legs

:-)

	Distance (miles)	Distance (km)	Ascent (feet)	Ascent (metres)	Punctures
Today	12.5 miles	km	226 feet	metres	1
Trip Totals	1259.1 miles	km	45274 feet	metres	1

Today's Route

Route So Far

Travelogue

Today marks the end of the European part of our trip (unless you still consider Britain part of Europe, that is!).

We checked out of our apartment at about 9:30 and with a ferry that sails at 19:00 later today, headed for the local park, intending to chill out there and kill time before cycling the ten miles or so to the port. On the way to our favourite local park, we detoured to see a church called Virgen de Begoña Kalea. We'd seen it every time we'd gone anywhere but not taken a look at it so it was now or never. It was nice enough, with a fine collection of religious paintings.

From there we went to the park and sat on one of the benches we've enjoyed relaxing on each evening, admiring the view of the city and doing a bit of people watching. But despite the weather forecast, today was not a day for views. It was very overcast with low clouds looking like they really wanted to deposit their contents on us. So we didn't stay there for very long.

We left the park, taking the bikes down towards the old town using one of the elevators.

We stopped for coffee in a bar in the old town. Anything to kill time. Another pair of bikepackers happened to be there and they too were British. We had a nice chat.

After coffees, we jumped back on the bikes and started following the cycle path up towards the port. This largely meant following the river. We encountered a protest by city hall on the way.

A few miles up the river we came to something we'd read about and wanted to see. In fact, we wanted to use it if possible and from talking to the other British bikepackers, who had arrived by ferry in Bilbao this morning, we'd learned that it was in fact possible for us to do just that. The Vizcaya Bridge is a UNESCO listed industrial artefact. It's a gondola bridge with a large platform suspended by cables from it. It carries a small number of cars and bikes as well as a fair number of foot passengers at each crossing and goes back and forth across the river all day. M1 bought tickets from a machine (95 cents each!) and we boarded when the gondola next arrived. The crossing was surprisingly swift.

The town of Portugalete lies on the other side of the river. We stopped at yet another bar and had a light lunch of pintxos, specifically tiny tuna sandwiches. M1 also had a cocktail stick loaded with olives, anchovies and chillis. Did you know "pintxos" actually means "pointy stick" or something like that? It's the fact that most dishes consist of something stuck to bread with a cocktail stick that gives rise to the name.

A little further down the river, we stopped at Santurtzi in the park and sat around for a while. We then relocated to the harbour for a change of scenery. Eventually, we got restless and went to a nearby bar for cold drinks.

Time was ticking by and finally it was time to go to the port to check in for our ferry. The route was weird. There were no helpful signs at all and occasionally there were barriers or signs that made it seem as though we really shouldn't be cycling on these roads. There were enormous articulated lorries as well, just to add to the feeling we were in the wrong place. But at each barrier, a member of staff assured us we were in the right place and going the right way.

Things improved when we arrived at the Brittany Ferries check-in. We were grouped with a load of British motorcyclists and eventually moved to the very front of the queue with the only other cyclist, a Dutch woman who we chatted with whilst waiting.

And then the time came to board. And M1 was first to board the ferry! This was like a dream come true. Being at the front of the queue and the first to board?! Living the dream. M1 can't help being like this :-)

We're now in the cafe on the ferry. We've eaten an over-priced meal and now have a mere 27 hours to get through before we dock in Portsmouth tomorrow.

The whole of the Spanish part of our trip ended up looking like this: