Logbook · 8 places

What to see and do in Portugalete

What to see and do in Portugalete (Bilbo Handia / Gran Bilbao, Bizkaia): 8 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 1 Curiosities · 4 Historical milestones

How far each place is from the centre of Portugalete

Towns near Portugalete

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What to see in Ortuella 3.2 km · 2 places
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Spain › Basque Country › Bizkaia › Bilbo Handia / Gran Bilbao › Portugalete

What to see and do in Portugalete

Portugalete
Village
Villa founded in 1322 by María Díaz de Haro "la Buena" (the Good), with a charter confirmed in 1432 by privilege of John II of Castile. Isabella the Catholic visited it in 1483. It has 44,843 inhabitants (INE, 2025) in barely 3.21 km², one of the highest population densities in Spain.
Basílica de Santa María (Portugalete)
Monument
Church whose construction began in 1492; its tower was rebuilt after 1874, following damage suffered during the Carlist sieges.
Convento de Santa Clara (Portugalete)
Monument
Convent built in 1614, today converted into a cultural center.
Primer sitio carlista de Portugalete
Historical milestone
The town was besieged in 1833-1836 during the First Carlist War, as part of the sieges suffered by the Bilbao estuary.
La fundación de Portugalete en 1322
Historical milestone
Portugalete was founded as a villa (town) in 1322 by María Díaz de Haro, lady of Biscay.
La visita de Isabel la Católica
Historical milestone
In 1483 Queen Isabel la Católica visited Portugalete on a trip aimed at promoting peace between the warring factions of the lordship.
El tercer sitio carlista de Portugalete
Historical milestone
During the Third Carlist War, Portugalete endured a ten-month siege between 1873 and 1874.
El gentilicio "jarrillero"
Curiosity
The people of Portugalete are known by the demonym "jarrilleros", from the nineteenth-century tavern custom of serving chacolí (a local wine) in small jugs called jarrillas.