Logbook · 15 places

What to see and do in Bermeo

What to see and do in Bermeo (Gernika-Bermeo, Bizkaia): 15 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 6 Monuments · 2 Nature · 3 Activities · 3 Historical milestones

When to go to Bermeo: festival calendar

June: Romería de San Juan en Gaztelugatxe (24 de junio (anual))
July: Romería de la Magdalena (July 22)
September: Fiestas de Andramaris (7 al 16 de septiembre)

How far each place is from the centre of Bermeo

Towns near Bermeo

What to see in Mundaka 2.4 km · 5 places
What to see in Sukarrieta 3.5 km · 5 places
What to see in Busturia 4.7 km · 7 places
What to see in Elantxobe 6.9 km · 7 places
What to see in Bakio 7.3 km · 6 places
What to see in Ibarrangelu 8.1 km · 4 places
What to see in Gautegiz Arteaga 8.1 km · 6 places
What to see in Murueta 8.3 km · 4 places

Spain › Basque Country › Bizkaia › Gernika-Bermeo › Bermeo

What to see and do in Bermeo

Bermeo
Village
Town founded under the charter of Logroño granted by Lope Díaz II de Haro, Lord of Vizcaya, in 1236. It has historically been the main inshore fishing port of Bizkaia: a document from 1269 already mentions its port facilities, and in the 16th century it had the largest fishing fleet on the Spanish mainland coast. It has 17,038 inhabitants (INE, 2025).
Iglesia de Santa Eufemia
Monument
13th-century oath-taking church (iglesia juradera) where, according to foral tradition, the Lords of Vizcaya swore to uphold the fueros (charters). It is one of the oldest historic churches in the town.
Casa consistorial de Bermeo
Monument
1732 building declared a Monumento Histórico-Artístico, seat of the town's city hall.
Torre Ercilla
Monument
15th-century defensive tower preserved in the town of Bermeo, a surviving example of the fortified tower-houses of Bizkaian noble lineages.
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
Nature
Islet connected to the mainland by a bridge and a path of 241 steps, with the hermitage of San Juan Bautista at the top, documented since 1053 (a donation by Íñigo López to the monastery of San Juan de la Peña), with elements that may date back to the 9th-10th centuries. Popular tradition calls for ringing the hermitage bell three times after the climb. In 2021, under Decree 125/2021 of April 13, the Basque Government declared it a Bien Cultural Calificado (a Bien Cultural de Especial Protección) in the Paisaje Cultural (Cultural Landscape) category, the Basque foral heritage-protection figure. Its international fame grew after it served as the setting for Dragonstone in the seventh season of Game of Thrones (2017).
Romería de San Juan en Gaztelugatxe
Activity
Annual pilgrimage-festival held on June 24, the feast of San Juan, with a popular climb to the hermitage on the islet of Gaztelugatxe.
Iglesia de Santa María de la Asunción de Bermeo
Monument
19th-century neoclassical church designed by Silvestre Pérez, with a Greek-cross floor plan topped by a large octagonal dome; it was opened in 1866.
Convento e Iglesia de San Francisco de Bermeo
Monument
Franciscan convent established outside the town walls since 1357, with a square 16th-century cloister with pointed arches; recently acquired by the town council.
Isla de Ízaro
Nature
Island at the mouth of the Urdaibai estuary that housed a Franciscan convent until the 13th century, of which ruins survive alongside a chapel dedicated to Santa María Magdalena.
Puerta de San Juan
Monument
The only surviving gateway of the seven medieval gates of Bermeo's town wall, dating from the 14th century.
Fundación de la villa de Bermeo
Historical milestone
Bermeo was founded as a town in 1236 by Lope Díaz II de Haro, lord of Vizcaya.
Bermeo, Cabeza de Vizcaya
Historical milestone
Between 1476 and 1602, Bermeo held the title of "Cabeza de Vizcaya" (Head of Vizcaya), and from the 15th century it was the region's leading inshore fishing port, with a significant whaling fleet.
Fiestas de Andramaris
Activity
Patron saint festival of Bermeo, with regattas, cooking competitions, rural sports, concerts and drum parades.
Romería de la Magdalena
Activity
Maritime procession from Bermeo towards Elantxobe and Mundaka.
Alonso de Ercilla y el linaje bermeano
Historical milestone
Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga, author of the epic poem "La Araucana", came from the Bermeo lineage of the Ercilla family; his 15th-century tower house is preserved as the Fisherman's Museum.