Bilbao Sports & Outdoors

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...

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.

Athletic is more than a football team. It represent the unit of all Basques. Players of Nafarroa, Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, Araba and Iparralde are menbers of Athletic. There are no foreigners in the team.
The teams that go to San Mames don´t play against a football team; they play against a Nation.

The Basque Country has his own sports. Some of them are also played in other places of the world. I´m going to quote them, and then I´ll explain them individually.
* Harrijasotzaileak: Stone lifters.
* Haizkolariak: Woodcutters.
* Cesta Punta a.k.a Jai Alai: ''Fronton'' play with a basquet.
* Eskupilota: ''Fronton'' play with the hand.
* Txinga Erute: Resistance play bringing weigth.
* Idi Probak: A resistance game with bulls. The bulls drag a huge stone.
* Gizon Probak: A resistance game. A man drags a huge stone.
* Soka Tira: Two teams pull in a rope.
* Estropadak: Ship races.
* Segalariak: Grass cutting.

It´s very tipical to bet big amounts of money in them, it´s part of the sport culture.

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As we had done a “Double-Day” the day before and as Marianne had just joined me and also it was Stevies last day we decided to take the day off and explore Castro Urdales. This turned out to be an excellent day with Lots to do, One of the highlights being visiting The Gothic Church of Santa Maria de la Asuncion (Built in 1208) which overlooks the harbour.
As Perigrino’s are only allowed to stay in the Refugio for one night we moved to The Pension La Mar which I can recommend.

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San Mamés Stadium, home to Athletic Club Bilbao. It is an all seater ground with a capaicity of 39,750.

It is built rather like an English Premier League ground, with the crowd being very close to the pitch. Easy to get into and the locals are as frindly as they come.

The team colours of red and white stripes also come from England, Southampton to be exact.

The team roots come from English ex-pat shipyard workers and Basque students.

Traineras are these long boats that compete mostly in local festivities. There are teams of rowers and they organize races along the Nervion River.
The pic was taken during the Aste Nagusia feast in Bilbao in 2004.

A pair of bulls has to drag a huge stone for haf an hour. They has to cover an specific
distance as meny times as posible in this time.
The origin of this sport is realy old. The basque farmers didn´t use horses or donkeys in their agriculture works, so they used bulls.
Is one of the most popular basque sports and big amounts of money are betten.