I’ve written in prior posts about our adventures into Pais Vasco, including stops in Bakio, Lekeitio, and Gernika. Each of these trips made possible thanks to a fantastic regional public transit system and influenced by the recommendations of our neighbors, in particular the Capitán, who has given us numerous maps in which he has noted his recommendations.
Over Labor Day weekend we visited Mundaka, one of the recommended coastal sites. Mundaka is a small town [Population < 2,000] located about 40 kilometers from Bilbao. We figured this would be a good place to recover from the madness that was Aste Nagusia. As with the other locations we’ve visited in Euskadi, Mundaka is easily accessible by either Bizkaibus or Euskotren, and the views along the route are absolutely stunning.
The Weather
It is difficult to get reliable weather forecasts in Euskadi. We’ve been advised to use a local service, Euskalmet, instead of apps like AccuWeather, as it is typically more accurate.
Prior to our departure for Mundaka, the weekend forecast did not look pleasant. [Cloudy/showers, highs in the low 70ºs.] I considered canceling our trip, as our plans [hiking and sitting on the beach] did not match well with rainy days.
Fortunately, Euskalmet’s forecast was totally wrong. The weekend was sunny and dry, with wonderful temperatures. It was perfect for beach sitting!
Coastal Wanderings, Day 1: Mundaka to Playa San Antonio
The owner of our favorite neighborhood bar had recommended a restaurant with views of the water called Cervecera Portuondo. It was only about a 15 minute walk from our hotel. After a couple of hours at the beach on Saturday morning, we’d worked up quite the appetite. We ventured there for lunch and were so grateful that he’d provided the recommendation: the views were incredible [and so was the roast chicken]!
Re-energized after the delicious lunch, we decided to walk further along the water. I cannot get enough of the beautiful scenery of Euskadi. Our first stop was Txatxarramendi, an island located in the mouth of the Ria de Mundaka. We’d brought our edalontzia [reusable festival cups], which we used to grab beers at a nearby bar before crossing onto the island to explore.
Having appreciated the views and finished our beers, we continued to Playa San Antonio. We saw the word Txiringuito [beach bar] on Google maps, and decided this would be a great place to end our day’s journey.
When we arrived, we were shocked to find such a large and beautiful beach along the river. We enjoyed one last caña before returning to Mundaka on the Euskotren, vowing to return to Playa San Antonio in the future.
Evening Festivities [including Athletic Club]
A serious downpour arrived as we were preparing to leave to watch Athletic Club’s match against Atletico Madrid. Luckily we found a bar showing the match just a few blocks away. But, even with rain gear, we got drenched during the three minute walk. Sadly, Athletic Club lost after allowing a goal very late in stoppage time. But, drinking beers while watching sports on a September Saturday certainly felt like home!
After the match we wandered around town and discovered a small festival in the Plaza. [Though this was much quieter than Aste Nagusia.] We grabbed some beers and hung-out for a little while, appreciating the fact that there’s pretty much always something interesting happening, even in Euskadi’s smallest towns.
Coastal Wanderings, Day 2: Mundaka to Bermeo
We woke-up on Sunday morning to more sun. We again delayed our original plans and opted to start the day chilling on the beach. After a couple of hours, having finished our snacks and beverages, we decided to venture to the nearby town of Bermeo.
While the route was still beautiful, it wasn’t quite as scenic or peaceful as what we’d discover on Saturday’s wander. However, the town of Bermeo itself was lovely and more lively than Mundaka. We wandered around the port and up to a few different viewpoints, appreciating the views from every possible angle, and obviously stopped to nourish ourselves with some pintxos.
Hamaiketako at an Hermitage
One of our favorite traditions of life in Pais Vasco is hamaiketako. The exact translation is “that of 11:00” [hamaika is 11 in euskera] and it describes the late morning snack that is eaten to stave off hunger in the hours between breakfast and the traditional late lunch hour.
In Bilbao, most days we enjoy hamaiketako at seats along the Ria. On our last day in Mundaka, we walked up to the Ermita de Santa Katalina to enjoy our kalimotxo, alongside queso y jamon, and some beautiful views.
Up Next: Adventures Beyond Euskadi
Summer in Euskadi is very short. [There were less than two months between the days that the weather here warranted wearing a sweater and jeans.] Almost as soon as September arrived, so did the near constant rains. Unfortunately, this means we won’t be doing as much exploration of/hiking in the region over the next few months.
However, we do have trips planned to Menorca [in the Balearic Islands, one of the five remaining Autonomous Communities that we haven’t visited] as well as stops in Ireland and Germany on our way to/from the States at Thanksgiving. Check back soon for overviews of these adventures!
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