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Spain : Bilbao - January 2008

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With its dramatic location amid rugged mountains and green valleys, Bilbao is a city as visually striking as it is culturally diverse. As well as bags of style, great food and plenty of culture, Scott Adams discovers a town that really knows how to party – even in the cooler months

Getting around

Bilbao Airport, designed by Santiago Calatrava, is worth visiting for its architecture alone, and is situated 10km from the city centre.

Bus: The yellow BizkaiBus runs every 30 minutes from arrivals between 5.25am and 9.55pm. The trip into town takes 20 minutes and costs €1,10.
Taxi: Expect to pay about €18 for the journey to the city centre, which takes 15 minutes.
Tourist information: Tourist information: The main office is at 11 Plaza Ensanche (tel. , bilbao.net).

CASCO VIEJO

A maze of cobbled streets, the old quarter of Bilbao is great to get lost in by day, but even better at night.

Sleep soundly – With its comfortable rooms, restaurant, gym and intimate atmosphere, the Sirimiri Hotel (3 Plaza Encarnación, tel. , www.hotelsirimiri.es, rooms from €53) is hard to beat for the price.

Culture vultures – Housed in an attractive Baroque-style building, the Basque Museum (4 Plaza Miguel de Unamuno, euskal-museoa.org) offers a detailed insight into the local way of life and long-held Basque customs.

Must eat – With its emphasis on seafood, Mandoya Restaurant (3 Calle el Perro, tel. ) serves up fine Basque cuisine. Although most of the food is based on traditional dishes, most of it has an appealing modern twist.

Must drink – Popular for its monthly art exhibitions and good music, large bar K2 (10 Calle Somera) is a great place to start the night.

Shop til you drop – The mostly pedestrianised historic centre is packed with shops selling just about everything. Also, don’t miss Spain’s biggest covered market, the Mercado de la Ribera (Erribera Kalea) – it’s full of stalls offering the most delicious local food.

THE RIVER

A walk along the Nervión river is one of the best ways to discover this charming city, whose classic and ultramodern elements sit together in perfect harmony.

Sleep soundly – With views of the river, and the emblematic Guggenheim Museum just a short walk away, the sleek Hesperia Zubialde Hotel (34 Camino de la Ventosa, tel. , www.hesperia.com, rooms from €68) offers great value for money.

Culture vultures – With its space-age looks, the Guggenheim Museum (2 Avenida Abandoibarra, www.guggenheim-bilbao.es) is one of the world’s greatest buildings. Don’t miss the exhibition ‘Art in the USA: Three Hundred Years of Innovation’, which is on until April.

Dance the night away – Covering two levels, Conjunto Vacío (3 Muelle de la Merced) is a great place to move and groove, and plays host to the best international DJs and theme parties.

PLAZA MOYUA AND AROUND

Across the river from the old town, this 19th-century district is home to great shopping, restaurants and art.

Sleep soundly – For classic charm and luxury, it doesn’t get much better than the Hotel Carlton (2 Plaza Federico Moyúa, tel. , www.aranzazuhoteles.com, rooms from €90).

Culture vultures – With almost 900 years of artistic history, the Museo de Bellas Artes (2 Plaza del Museo, museobilbao.com) exhibits works by El Greco, Goya, Gauguin and Bacon, as well as many Basque artists.

Must eat – A favourite with the locals, Metro Moyúa (40 Gran Vía, tel. ) serves imaginative variations on classic regional dishes. Enormous windows allow for people-watching.

Shop til you drop – The backbone of the city’s fashionable shopping district is the wide Gran Vía, which runs from Plaza Moyúa down to the river.

SANTURTZI & THE PORT

Just a 15-minute train ride from central Bilbao, this port has a great maritime ambience.

Sleep soundly – The charming Hotel Palacio de Oriol (27 Avenida Cristóbal Murrieta, tel. , nh-hotels. com, rooms from €80) looks out over Abra Bay from its lovely waterside location. The palace, built in 1902, may be a national monument, but the decor is decidedly contemporary.

Culture vultures – Take a stroll around the port to soak up the atmosphere. The Paseo Reina Victoria is home to a large collection of modern sculptures.

Must eat – Right on the water’s edge at the port you’ll find the Restaurante Cofradía de Pescadores (in front of the statue of the Virgin of Carmen, tel. ), which serves great fish and seafood, including broiled sardines.

Compiled by Thomas Brisbane