Bilbao has a charm that isn’t always mentioned in guidebooks: almost everything of note in the Basque Country is less than an hour and a half’s journey from its streets. The rough sea, the vineyards, the history and the best bar in Europe are all within easy reach, and you can always be sure of returning to the city to sleep.

Here are the five day trips we recommend from the hotel, listed in order of proximity. Each one offers a different insight into the same region.

Getxo and the Suspension Bridge: the sea just twenty minutes away

The closest and, perhaps for that very reason, the most overlooked. Just 20 minutes from Bilbao, following the estuary to its mouth, Getxo is home to villas built by those who made their fortune abroad, seaside promenades and the seaside atmosphere of the Old Port of Algorta, where groups of locals still head down to catch squid on Sundays.

Its most famous landmark is the Vizcaya Bridge, the Suspension Bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the first ferry of its kind in the world. It has been carrying people across the estuary in its suspended gondola for over a century, and is still in service: a crossing costs less than a coffee and is one of the little rituals of this coastline. Once again, Bilbao’s iron, this time spanning the water.

Gernika: the memory of the Basque Country

Just 35 minutes from the city, Gernika is a short journey in terms of distance but profound in significance. The General Assembly of Bizkaia has met here for centuries, and beneath the Tree of Gernika, at the Casa de Juntas, the lords of Bizkaia swore allegiance to the local charters. The 1937 bombing, which Picasso immortalised in the most famous painting of the 20th century, made its name a universal symbol.

You can see it all in a morning, but it stays with you for much longer. For anyone who wants to understand this region – and not just see it – it’s the perfect getaway.

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe: the coast at its most unspoilt

About a 45-minute drive away, the islet of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is the most recognisable sight on the Basque coast: a chapel perched atop a rock, connected to the mainland by a stone bridge and a path of 241 steps that winds its way over the Cantabrian Sea. Tradition dictates that you ring the bell three times upon reaching the top; the views take care of the rest. Two tips from us: in high season, it’s best to book your free admission in advance, and the trip is greatly enhanced if you combine it with a visit to the nearby fishing villages of Bermeo and Bakio, where the bounty of the Cantabrian Sea is served up on your plate.

Rioja Alavesa: the southern wine region

Swapping the sea for vineyards, an hour’s drive south lies the Rioja Alavesa: century-old wineries alongside architecture by Gehry and Calatrava, and the medieval town of Laguardia, built atop a network of underground cellars where wine has been ageing for centuries. It’s the ultimate gastronomic getaway from Bilbao, and we’ve dedicated a guide entirely to it, featuring wineries, timetables and routes.

Donostia-San Sebastián: the elegance of the Cantabrian coast

The furthest stop on the route, an hour and fifteen minutes away, and probably the most famous. San Sebastián showcases its La Concha Bay in a way that few other cities can: an urban beach, architecture reminiscent of an aristocratic summer resort, and an Old Town whose concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants is unrivalled in Europe.

Bilbao and Donostia have been comparing themselves for a century, and travellers come out on top in this rivalry: they represent two distinct ways of being Basque. To see both is to understand the conversation.

Bilbao as a base: the best starting point

Coast, memories, wine, the sea and fine dining: five getaways, five different perspectives on the same region, all with a return before dinner. That’s the advantage of staying in Bilbao, and even more so in the city centre: every morning you choose a different chapter, and every evening the city is there again, with its brightly lit bars and the calm estuary.

From Tayko Bilbao, right in the heart of the Old Town, all these routes start right on the doorstep.

Tayko Bilbao. The start of your story in the city.