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  4. Stage 7

Stage 7 · Camino del Norte

Bilbao → Portugalete

675km km to Santiago
19,4 km Distance +320 m Ascent −350 m Descent 22,6 km Effort 7 h 06 Time needed · On foot

Down the estuary to the hanging bridge

A day off after Gernika: 19.4 kilometres with 320 metres of ascent and 350 of descent, easy, and almost all of it urban. There are two ways out of Bilbao. The official one climbs through Altamira and Kobetamendi above the city and comes down through Barakaldo; the estuary route follows the water through Deusto, Zorrotza and the old shipyard districts, flat and impossible to lose. Many choose the estuary, which is easier and has bars the whole way.

The two join at Barakaldo and continue through Sestao and its industrial promenade, between converted blast furnaces and working-class neighbourhoods, with the estuary always on your left. It is pure tarmac, with pavements and cycle lanes, and the only tiring things are the kilometres and the heat, if there is any.

You come into Portugalete along the seafront with the hanging bridge ahead of you: the Puente de Bizkaia, built in 1893, the first transporter bridge in the world and a World Heritage site, which crosses the estuary with a gondola slung beneath it. Portugalete has a steep old town, the basilica of Santa María and every service.

Tips

No need for an early start: it is short and flat. Use the morning to see Bilbao and leave halfway through it.

Cushioned shoes: it is all pavement and tarmac and your feet notice it more than in the hills.

Sestao and Barakaldo have bars for a stamp along the way and for filling your bottle.

Cross the hanging bridge on the gondola, it costs little and takes two minutes; the walkway on top is a separate ticket and has an enormous view.

Buy whatever you need for tomorrow in Portugalete, because the start is long and the first stop is slow to come.

Walk with me

It crosses where you are with the time, the daylight left, the water, the beds and the notice board. Three things at most: the ones that actually change your afternoon.

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Profile and services

Elevation profile of the stage from Bilbao to Portugalete, 19.4 kilometres, with services placed at their kilometre point.

The elevation for this stage has not been loaded yet.

Bilbao 19.4 km Portugalete

The weather

23°C

Clear

Feels like
25 °C
Wind
2 km/h
Daylight
08:23 – 19:32
  1. Today ⛅ 25° 19°
  2. Wed ⛅ 29° 17°
  3. Thu ⛅ 27° 18°
  4. Fri 🌦️ 19° 17° 30 %
  5. Sat 🌧️ 17° 13° 60 %
  6. Sun ⛅ 15° 12° 32 %
  7. Mon 🌦️ 14° 8° 24 %

Data from Open-Meteo, refreshed every half hour.

What's there today

Nobody has reported anything on this stage.

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Tips from people who walked it

The things that do not expire: where the fountain actually is, which bar opens at six, where not to go in the rain.

None here yet. If you have just walked this stage, you know something tomorrow’s pilgrim does not.

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Emergencies

Call 112

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Say where you are I am walking the Camino del Norte, on the stage from Bilbao to Portugalete.

The map

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What to see on this stage 28

  1. Iglesia de San Francisco de Asís Church km 0,0
  2. Iglesia de San Antonio de Padua Church km 0,2
  3. Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Pilar Church km 0,4
  4. Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen Church km 0,6
  5. Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción Church km 1,2
  6. San Gabriel Arcángel Church km 2,5
  7. Hirurtasun Guztiz Santua eliza Church km 3,2
  8. Parroquia de Santa Águeda de Kastrexana Church km 5,1
  9. Ermita de Santa Águeda Church km 6,5
  10. Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Church km 10,9
  11. La Esperanza Church km 12,0
  12. Iglesia evangélica Church km 12,5
  13. Iglesia de San Vicente Church km 13,0
  14. Iglesia Church km 14,6
  15. Iglesia Adventista de Barakaldo Church km 14,6
  16. Capilla de la Residencia de Ancianos Juan Ellacuría Church km 16,1
  17. Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Church km 16,2
  18. Hornacina de Santa Rosa Church km 16,9
  19. Santa María Church km 16,9
  20. Hornacina de San Miguel Church km 17,1
  21. Iglesia de San Miguel Church km 17,1
  22. Hilerriko kapera / Capilla del Cementerio Church km 17,5
  23. Iglesia de la Sagrada Familia Church km 18,2
  24. Andra Maria basilika / Basílica de Santa María Church km 18,5
  25. Parroquia Nuestra Señora De Nazaret Church km 18,8
  26. Siervas de María Church km 18,8
  27. San Roke baseliza Church km 18,8
  28. Andra Mariren Mirabeen Konbentua Church km 18,8

What you will find 1759