bridge
Vizcaya Bridge (Puente Colgante)
The world's oldest transporter bridge, a UNESCO iron giant that ferries cars and people across the Nervion estuary in a hanging gondola.
0 km · about 5 min drive
EuropeSpainBasque Country
Portugalete
Basque Country, Spain · Europe
About Portugalete
Portugalete works well as a base: 5 minutes from Barakaldo, 43km from Salto del Nervión.
Portugalete is in Basque Country, Spain, with about 46,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Barakaldo, about 4 km away.
Portugalete is a city and municipality west of Bilbao in the province of Biscay in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country in northern Spain.
The city has 44,864 inhabitants and lies west of Bilbao, and as such is part of its metropolitan area. It is located at the mouth of the Estuary of Bilbao, on the leftRead more
bank. Its land area is only 3.14 square kilometres (1.21 sq mi), resulting in a population density of 14,288/km2 (37,010/sq mi), the 8th most densely populated municipality in Spain. It was established in 1322 by María Díaz de Haro.
Where to Stay in Portugalete
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Portugalete?
Within an hour or so of Portugalete: Vizcaya Bridge (Puente Colgante) (0 km), Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (9 km), San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (24 km), San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (Dragonstone) (24 km).
Are there any good drives near Portugalete?
The nearest famous roads are Corniche Basque, Desfiladero de la Hermida and Puerto de Ibañeta.
Where is Portugalete?
Portugalete is in Basque Country, Spain, about 4 km from Barakaldo.
Road trip
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Quick Information
- Population
- 45,826
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Spain
- Region
- Basque Country
- Timezone
- Europe/Madrid
- Coordinates
- 43.3210, -3.0206
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Spain
Guardia Civil (traffic police): 062. Two warning triangles required in vehicles.
Full driving guide for SpainTags
Worth the detour from Portugalete
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
museum
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Frank Gehry's titanium-clad masterpiece that single-handedly reinvented Bilbao is an essential road-trip pilgrimage for art and architecture lovers.
9 km · about 15 min drive
landmark
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
A hermitage perched on a tiny tidal islet connected to the mainland by a dramatic stone bridge with 241 steps, made famous as Dragonstone in Game of Thrones.
24 km · about 25 min drive
film location
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (Dragonstone)
The islet chapel reached by 241 stone steps and a serpentine bridge is Dragonstone's approach in season seven.
24 km · about 25 min drive
beach
Playa de Laga
A golden sweep of sand below the green pyramid of Cabo Ogono in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, a favourite of Basque surfers.
31 km · about 35 min drive
restaurant
Asador Etxebarri
Bittor Arginzoniz's grill house on the square of tiny Axpe, where everything from caviar to butter is cooked over bespoke wood fires: perennially ranked among the world's very best restaurants. Book months ahead; the valley drive alone rewards.
41 km · about 45 min drive
waterfall
Salto del Nervión
Spain's tallest waterfall at 222 meters, dramatically plunging into the Delika Canyon on the Basque Country border.
43 km · about 50 min drive
cathedral
Santa Maria Cathedral Vitoria
A Gothic cathedral whose 'open for restoration' tour inspired Ken Follett, letting you climb scaffolding through 800 years of construction.
60 km · about 70 min drive
Driving roads near Portugalete
5 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- Right hereVizcaya Bridge (Puente Colgante)The world's oldest transporter bridge, a UNESCO iron giant that ferries cars and people across the Nervion estuary in a hanging gondola.
Driving in Spain
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.55/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€4.00/100km
When to drive here
April to October
Nearby Destinations
Other places to explore near Portugalete.
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