With my 2nd tour of 2026 having been postponed, but already having plans and tickets to Bilbao, I decided to go anyway and explore a bit more of this fabulous city. It was also great catching up with Portuguese/Dutch Liz (who I met in South Africa).
After a night of wine and pintxos, (ahh pintxos, they sit on the bar looking innocent and enticing while you spend 40 minutes trying to choose. And once you've chosen, instantly want to try another and another - an endless chain of tasty snacks on sticks) we started the day with churros and chocolate.
The river was looking stunning as we made our way to the Artxanda Funicular and hopped on board. Now we could have walked up, but why when there is a perfectly cute mode of transport that makes you feel like you’re commuting and auditioning for a theme park ride at the same time.
You step into the little red carriage thinking, “Ah, a peaceful ascent.” Then it lurches forward with the confidence of a goat that’s been climbing mountains since birth. As you rise, Bilbao slowly spreads out beneath you like it’s it’s posing for a Basque tourism calendar saying, “Yes, admire me. I deserve this angle.” And it does.
Halfway up, another little red carriage appears on its way down and you briefly wander is this the moment they crash? But no, like a pair of perfectly synchronized swimmers they each swerve and continue on their way. There is a brief moment of thinking “If this thing lets go, I’m going to become a very scenic human snowball.”
At the top, you step out feeling like a victorious explorer who conquered a mighty peak, even though the funicular did all the work and you burned roughly three calories. But the view is worth it. Even the locals are taking photos whilst pointing our their neighbourhood, eating a bocadillo and complaining about the weather which is as much of a sport here as it is in the UK.
After a stroll around the top, it was time to head back down and after a ride along the river, continue the serious business of trying pintxos.
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