Bakio (Basque: Bakio, Spanish: Baquio) is a city and a municipality in the province of Biscay, Basque Country, Spain.
A popular part of the Costa Vasca (Basque Coast) of the Atlantic resorts of Spain.
Main attractions
Religious
The Parish Church of Santa María, in the Gothic style (16th century), which is located in the Basigo neighborhood, should be highlighted. Also of interest are the hermitages of San Martín, Santa Úrsula, San Esteban, San Cristóbal and Santa Catalina, all located in rural areas and built in popular style.
Civil
As for civil architecture, Bakio has a set of interesting architectural elements, built from the 17th century, which can be seen through routes marked by the town hall. From the Baroque period, the stately mansions of Elexpuru and Ormaza stand out, rural palaces belonging to important local families, which reflect the transition between the rural and the residential styles.
With the beginning of the 20th century, new architectural forms were introduced in the town.
The rise of the coast as a place of vacation residence for Bilbao’s privileged classes mansions on the road that connects the church to the sea were built.
The fundamental characteristic of these residential mansions is the great variety of styles, which was intended to underline the economic and social position of their owners, through different aesthetic options.
The oldest were replicas of French models, such as Feliena and Quintatorre (1896). Others, later, took Baroque constructions as a reference, such as the Itxas-Ondo Palace, from 1930.
Later, other models were applied: neo-Cantabrian buildings, such as Rosario Enea, neo-Basque, such as Loraldia or Isabela, etc.
Beaches
The Bakio Beach has a long promenade that runs alongside the beach, offering an extraordinary view of the sea. Besides, all kind of services and leisure areas are available, as it is situated right in the town centre. The beach also offers the chance to do many sports, such as surfing, canoeing or beach volley.
It is ideal for surfers of all levels. It has waves practically throughout the whole year as it is a very open beach. It has a local club and two surf schools. It is surfable up to 7.5 / 9 ft , and holds important surfing events.
Cuisine
The region has a special microclimate, with abundant rainfall and a warm climate with barely any snow or frost, which favours the cultivation of grapevines and the production of a wine called Txacoli.
How to get to?
- From Vitoria-Gasteiz 1 hr 18 min (97.6 km) via AP-68
- From Bilbao 28 min (28.7 km) via BI-631
- From Madrid 4 hr 26 min (437 km) via A-1
The town is well connected to the regional capital, Bilbao, with regular Bizkaibus services.
Main information
Area: 16,12 km²
Coordinates: 43°25′40″N 2°48′41″W
Population: 2775
Languages: Spanish, Basque
Currency: Euro
Visa: Schengen
Time: Central European UTC +1
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