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.
7 km · about 15 min drive
EuropeSpainBasque Country
Sopela
Basque Country, Spain · Europe
About Sopela
Sopela works well as a base: 5 minutes from Algorta, 60km from Flysch Cliffs of Zumaia.
Sopela is in Basque Country, Spain, with about 12,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Algorta, about 4 km away.
Sopela, formerly known as Sopelana, is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.
The town is roughly 820 hectares in size, located in the comarca Mungialdea on the north east side of Bilbao and due east of the Nervión river estuary. InRead more
the municipality, other former towns like Larrabasterra were annexed to make Sopela larger. The population is 13,878 people, as recorded in the 2019 census. The area of Sopela is situated among green hills and beaches. This makes it a very attractive suburb of Greater Bilbao, with a short commute of 35 minutes on the metro.
Where to Stay in Sopela
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Sopela?
Within an hour or so of Sopela: Vizcaya Bridge (Puente Colgante) (7 km), Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (13 km), San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (18 km), San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (Dragonstone) (18 km).
Are there any good drives near Sopela?
The nearest famous roads are Corniche Basque, Desfiladero de la Hermida and Puerto de Ibañeta.
Where is Sopela?
Sopela is in Basque Country, Spain, about 4 km from Algorta.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 12,359
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Spain
- Region
- Basque Country
- Timezone
- Europe/Madrid
- Coordinates
- 43.3789, -2.9831
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 Sopela
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.
13 km · about 25 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.
18 km · about 20 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.
18 km · about 20 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.
27 km · about 30 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.
43 km · about 50 min drive
waterfall
Salto del Nervión
Spain's tallest waterfall at 222 meters, dramatically plunging into the Delika Canyon on the Basque Country border.
49 km · about 55 min drive
natural wonder
Flysch Cliffs of Zumaia
Stunning layered geological formations along the Basque coast that expose 60 million years of Earth's history in dramatic tilted rock strata.
60 km · about 70 min drive
Driving roads near Sopela
4 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.
- 79 kmMonte IgueldoA vintage funicular hauls you to a hilltop viewpoint and amusement park with the postcard panorama over San Sebastian's Concha bay.
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
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