Bakio Beach

Bakio Beach is a long Atlantic surf beach below the village of Bakio on the Biscay coast, about 30 km from Bilbao in Spain's Basque Country. It sits in a curved bay between green hills and the sea, with a waterfront promenade running behind the sand and the village rising on the slopes above. Because it faces the open Bay of Biscay, it receives consistent waves and is one of the best-known surf spots of the Biscay coast, supported by several surf schools that rent boards and wetsuits and offer lessons to beginners. The beach is also close to the Gaztelugatxe coast, so it forms a natural stop on a day along the Biscay shoreline.

Visitors spend the day on the sand, in the water or along the promenade. Swimmers use the beach in summer when lifeguards are on duty, while surfers are present for much of the year, with autumn and spring offering some of the best conditions. Watching the surfers from the promenade is a pastime in itself, and the cafes and bars along the front provide meals and drinks. A visit usually lasts half a day, though a surf lesson and lunch can fill most of a day. The coast path and nearby viewpoints offer views of the cliffs and the sea, and the best photographs are of the sweep of the bay from the elevated road or the village side, with the surf lines in the foreground.

Crowds are heaviest on summer weekends, when families, day-trippers from Bilbao and surf students share the sand, and the village car parks fill early. Weekday mornings and shoulder-season days are far quieter. The sea can be strong, with rip currents and cold water, so swimmers should stay in the supervised areas and follow lifeguard advice. A Bizkaibus line runs from Termibus in Bilbao to Bakio in about 45 minutes, and visitors should check bizkaibus.eus for current times, while driving takes about 30 km by road. Because the beach lies near San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, visitors with a reservation for the islet often combine the two in a single day, though the islet itself needs a timed slot booked in advance.