Bilbao Shopping

A shopping trip to El Corte Inglés is part of every typical trip to Spain. There is not much difference between El Corte Inglés and any department store in any other developed country (except things like prices and quality of service), but it is one of those typical Spanish experiences that every visitor should have.

What to buy: You can purchase pretty much anything here. If you are looking for regional goods, though, each Corte Inglés usually has a section with those sorts of products, usually where the food is. In Barcelona it was in the basement, and I think it was the same place in Bilbao.

What to pay: Standard retail prices

It´s a shopping center located just in Deusto bridge, between Deusto neightbourhood and Doña Casilda park.
Here you will find:
* Cinemas
* Fast Food: Mc Donalds, Burger King, Pan´s & Company, etc.
* Gift Shops.
* Sunglasses.
* A lot of clothing shops.
* Sportwear shops.

... and you won´t find:
* Supermarket.
* Farmacy.

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For what is a major city there's a wealth of small independent shops in the centre. As would be expected there's the upscale fashionista's but you'll also find several local fishmongers, charcuterias and bakers selling to the local residents.

There's almost a village feel to some of these and from what I noticed prices aren't particurly expensive, especially when you take the quality factor into account.

In Spain, specialty stores were once the cornerstone of every day life, but now are becoming rarer and rarer. They offer personal service and friendly advice, as well as an intriguing insight into the past.

Sombrerería Gorostiaga, one of these family-run specialty stores, is the oldest shop in Bilbao. It has been selling hats and all kinds of ornaments for the head for more than 150 years (it opened in 1857). His owner, Emilio Pirla, is the fourth generation of hat-makers and runs the business with professionalism, know-how, service quality and a great passion for the art of hat-making.

The shop is very small and cramped with piles of hats and berets. It is what Spaniards call a tienda de toda la vida, that is, a traditional business which seems to have existed forever and which has not been affected by time.

What to buy: All kinds of hats and headdresses, industrial or bespoke, but the speciality are the traditional Basque berets (txapelas), still worn by the older generations of Basques, and very fashionable lately among global trendy people. In Sombrerería Gorostiaga, you can find them in all the imaginable sizes and colours.

The market hall is on the riverside, close to old center.

What to buy: Ronkari is delicious cheese, made from the milk of lam. It's a little dry and hard, but just suitable for desserts with jamon, fruits and good wine.

What to pay: Price was 17€ per kilo (2007).

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It´s a little shopping center in Deusto which consists of three floors.
FLOOR -1:
Here you´ll find a sun glasses shop, a toy shop, a butcher, a surf shop, etc... but the most important is that there is bar here where you can have a coffee or a sandwhich.
FLOOR 0:
Books, music, T-shirts, skateboard outlet shop, Internet, shoes, etc.
FLOOR 1:
This floor is entirely dedicated to the food. You´ll find many options in a rasonable prize. Burger King, Pans and Company, Pizza, Chicken, Latin Food, etc...

It´s probablly one of the biggest shopping centers in Bizkai, if not the biggest one.
Here you can find anything, from fhasion cothing shops to restaurants.
The worst thing is far froma any Metro station, so you´ll have to go there by car. I think that there are buses too, but I don´t know where to take them.
Here you´ll find:
* Fashin clothing shops: Lacoste, Gables, Massimo Dutty...
* Farmacy
* Music stores.
* Sport Shops: Foot Locker, Forum...
* Surf shops: Styling, Rip Curl...
* Supermarket
* Bowling
* Restaurants: McDonalds, Pans&Company...
*

It is the last one to close in Bilbao: open until 22:00 - whereas "El Corte Ingles" closes at 21:00 and most of the shops between 19:30 and 20:00.

What to buy: International clothes shops such as Zara, Mango... some mobile telephones, gifts, cinemas and fast food.
It lacks personality: you could find these same shops in any other city.