Bilbao Sports & Outdoors

San Mames is the stadium of local football team Athletic de Bilbao. Is one of the oldest stadiums in Spain, and Athletic is one of the first teams founded, as well as a real symbol of the city and the Basque Country identity.

I went there for a summer match between the locals and the Olimpiakos (Piraeus, GR). Result: 0-0 (boring).

if you come over to Bilbao on a weekend and Athetic Club plays at home, g to Licenciado Poza street a while before the match starts (specially if it´s saturday evening) and go for a couple of drinks in the numerous bars surrounf¡ding San Mames Stadium (known as The Cathedral), you´ll mmeet the local people in their favourite passion: football&bars!!!!!

Get to see Athletic Bilbao play. San Mames Stadium is in the centre of town and the atmosphere for a match against Real Madrid is something else!

Ticket availability varies considerably, depending on opposition and the position of Athletic in the League.

In general
1) Games against Basque opposition (Osasuna, Alaves, Real Sociedad) are difficult to get into
2) Games against Barcelona and Real Madrid are hard to get into except when they are made "club days" (i.e. when Members have to pay for their tickets too.
3) Other games are noramlly available.

Tickets are available from BBK cashpoints with full qwerty keyboards. You do not have to be a member of BBK to use this option. Alternatively go to the ticket office at San Mames.

There are many beaches around Bilbao. Though the weather is not always inviting, when is hot it can be really nice, as the scenery around the beaches is green and beautiful.
Some of the best are Bakio, Las Arenas, Mundaka, Zarauz...

Near Bilbao there are a lot of good spots to do surf. Mundaka (in the photo) is the best one, it is the longest and best left wave in Europe. There are also a lot of good beaches like Bakio, Sopelana... and big waves spots like Meñakoz (only for profesionals).