Stage from Lezama to Bilbao

Information about stage 7: Stage from Lezama to Bilbao

Itinerary

• Km 0. Lezama (All services)

We are leaving Lezama in the same way we entered, next to the BI-637. Under the planes from the nearby Loiu airport we pass through the different neighborhoods of the town, such as Aretxalde , where the church of Santa María is located , a 16th-century Gothic church that preserves inside the table in the churchyard where the old communities of the municipality met . We also pass the detour to the stately tower of Lezama and after the baroque humilladero of Santo Cristo we pass to the La Cruz neighborhood . The close presence of the big city begins to draw a landscape where polygons, gas stations and canopies are mixed that bring us closer to Zamudio . At the height of theChurch of San Martín , in the Arteaga neighborhood, the itinerary turns 90 degrees to the left. Just behind the church is the tower of the Marquises of Malpica , where we can stop to read the information panels, which among other things describe the foods that were consumed during the Middle Ages.

• Km 3. Zamudio (All services)

After the turn we approach the Pinoa industrial estate , which we cross on a slope to later take a path that takes us over the Txorierri corridor , a road with three lanes in each direction on a section of the N-637 that surrounds the northern part and east of Greater Bilbao (Km 4.3) . We cross it by a bridge and turn right to soon take a beautiful path among deciduous trees that continues the ascent to the mountain. Later it connects with a paved track that runs through the dispersed neighborhood of San Antolín . We pass by the Amairu Aretxeta restaurantwhere a viewpoint allows you to see behind the meadows the Technological Park of Zamudio, Derio and Erandio. The Camino de Santiago then reaches the BI-3732 road (Km 6.7) . Continue for 60 meters to the left and cross to take a path that covers the last meters of ascent on the Zamudianos road , an old royal road from Bermeo. Thus we crown Mount Avril , also called Iturritxualde (the actual peak is slightly above the Camino, at an altitude of 382 metres). A park and a recreational area allow a visual rest and recover strength before entering the city.

• km 7.3. Mount Avril (Recreational Area)

After the residence of the Sacred Heart of Jesus we get another panoramic view of Bilbao and cross a pedestrian bridge over the BI-631 (Km 8.8) . We walk through the Begoña neighborhood through the streets of Camino de Atxeta, Grupo Arabella and Zabalbide before arriving at the Basilica of the Virgin of Begoña , a 16th-century work on an old hermitage that houses the patron saint of Bizkaia. A replica of the image made a pilgrimage throughout the province in 1949 and the original carving has walked around Bilbao on the occasion of catastrophes, epidemics and liturgical acts (Km 10) . We go down straight from the main entrance along Andra Mari street, marked with yellow and blue tiles and the drawing of the scallop that we will find in the urban itinerary, to Travesía de Mallona, where it is better to avoid the stairs along the road. Opposite number 5 is the headquarters of the Association of Friends of the Camino de Santiago de Bizkaia . The Mallona streets lead to the busy Miguel de Unamuno square. We go straight ahead through the streets of Cruz and Tendería and to one side stands the Gothic cathedral of Santiago . Its works began in the 14th century on the site of the old church and lasted for two more centuries.

• km 11.2. Bilbao (All services)

Difficulties

• Ascent to Mount Avril or Iturritxualde

  The stage overcomes a drop of 320 meters from Zamudio. It is not excessively hard compared to the climbs of previous days, although the stages are weighing.

• This stage is especially short, for those who do not like big cities, the stage can be extended without much problem to Portugalete.

Observations

• Arriving in Bilbao we pass by the Basilica of Our Lady of Begoña , from there we continue down to reach the old town of Bilbao where the Cathedral is located.
• In Bilbao there are an infinite number of services, as well as hostels, almost all oriented towards tourism, but they welcome pilgrims. It is necessary to book in advance to find out if it is open or to know availability and thus avoid surprises.
• Not all hostels are centrally located, and although the pilgrim is good to walk, it is good to know that Bilbao has a metro network that can take you wherever you are going to stay. To do this, when making the reservation, ask for the nearest metro station.
• Accredited pilgrims with credentials have a free guided visit to the Cathedral and the nearby church of San Antón , in both temples they seal the credential.

What to see, what to do

• BILBAO

  Bilbao is a great city. Its gastronomic, cultural and musical offer is noted throughout the city. From the old area to the recovered banks of the Ría, where the Guggenheim Museum , El Arenal , the 7 streets , the Gran Vía , the Deusto bridge … there are numerous places that deserve to be visited. It is also a very accessible city, with metro and tram, which is well worth a stop on the Camino. The closest Tourist Office to the Camino is the one located in Plaza Arriaga , on the ground floor of the Theatre. In addition to information, it offers guided tours . It can be contacted at 944 79 57 60.

  • Basilica of Begoña

    Gothic in style, whose Virgin, the “Amatxo”, enjoys great devotion among the people of Bilbao. The cover is Renaissance in style with a large triumphal arch.

  • Church of San Nicolás

    temple erected in honor of the patron saint of sailors, it is a building that enhances the urban environment of El Arenal . Made in the middle of the 18th century.

  • Bilbao Fine Arts Museum

    This Museum includes the original Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, founded in 1908, and the Modern Art Museum, inaugurated in 1924. Characterized by its chronological breadth and the diversity of artistic manifestations contained in the The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum collection currently brings together, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings and decorative arts, more than 6,000 works, with a chronology that spans from the 12th century to the present day.

  • Itsasmuseum Bilbao

    Itsasmuseum is located in the center of Bilbao, a city that, in recent years, has positioned itself internationally as a cultural tourist destination. A few minutes’ walk away are the Guggenheim Museum, the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, the Sala Rekalde and Azkuna Zentroa, among other interesting proposals. Strolling along the edge of the estuary you reach the Casco Viejo, origin and nerve center of the Villa. More information

  • Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. It is a sculptural building, with fragmented volumes – in some cases with regular shapes and in others with unusual curved silhouettes covered in titanium – arranged around a central space, its monumental atrium 50 meters high. It is the work of architect Frank
    Gehry.

  • Doña Casilda Park:

    With almost 100 years of history (its construction began in 1907), the Villa’s main park is a romantic-style work by the architect Ricardo Bastida and the engineer Juan de Eguiraun. Since it opened, it has been evolving and renewing itself, always preserving the charm that its majestic pond full of ducks and flanked by waffle irons confers on it, an indelible stamp in the memory of all Bilbaoans.