History of Lamiako floodplain
The boulevard along the river estuary from Erandio to Leioa will take you through the Lamiado municipal district. From the mid-20th century, this whole area underwent a spectacular urban transformation due to its proximity to the beaches.
The trader Máximo Aguirre was its driving force and planned the building of luxury housing in Las Arenas and Santa Ana, in Getxo, while the leisure, farming and industrial activities were in Leioa. Nowadays, Lamiako still has important remnants of that trail-blazing urban planning; it is one of the remarkable industrial landscapes of the whole of Bizkaia that can be enjoyed as you take your time walking or cycling along its spectacular waterfront overlooking the river estuary.
A bit of history
-
The historical and urban position of the municipality of Getxo underwent a profound transformation from the mid-19th century onwards. Its geographical location, surrounded by wide beaches and close to the city of Bilbao, helped to attract a seasonal population, the first tourists, who sought tranquillity, recreation and the chance to swim in the sea.
Along with tourism, economic expansion and the consequent enrichment of part of the social fabric attracted a significant group of Bilbao’s bourgeoisie to Getxo, eager to get away from the city’s problems and to differentiate themselves from the rest of the population.
As a result, the bourgeoisie in Bilbao soon began promoting the urban expansion of the city — such as the Ensanche projects of 1864 and 1876 — while choosing Getxo (specifically Las Arenas, Santa Ana and the Ereaga area) as the location for their second homes, inspired by the lifestyles that were becoming popular in the rest of Western Europe.
-
Opposite Portugalete and Sestao, a vast expanse of sand was known as “Las Junqueras de Ondiz”. Later, this area took the name of Lamiako due to the existence of the Lamiko farmhouse, which belonged to the Ugarte family.
-
In 1856, the State put up for auction all the land between the Getxo neighbourhood of Las Arenas and the mouth of the Udondo River, on the border with Erandio. This land was acquired in its entirety in 1859 by Mr Máximo Aguirre, who can be considered the first property developer in Bizkaia. He had a clear plan for the use of the 120 hectares: while he saw the land under the jurisdiction of Getxo as ideal for building, he divided up the land in Leioa for industrial activities, while the land in the fertile plain was dedicated to agricultural activities and became a large sports and recreation area for the summer residents of the Santa Ana and Las Arenas neighbourhoods.
-
At that time, the Lamiako marshland was protected and secured by the docks of the estuary, which were being expanded and paved to allow carriages to pass along the towpath, “turning what was once a rough road into a comfortable one”.
-
Along the quay as it passed through Lamiako, three relief ditches were planned to collect the marsh water contained by the quay itself, draining into the estuary via the Ocho Ojos and Udondo bridges and the Udondo dock.
During those years, work was also carried out to channel the Gobela River to its mouth in the estuary together with the Udondo River. Until then, the winding course of the Gobela River descended directly to the quays of the estuary through the current space of Mayor and Gobela streets in Las Arenas.
-
In 1863, after the death of Máximo Aguirre, the company “Viuda de Máximo Aguirre e Hijos” was created. Part of the land was sold in lots and the farm was converted into a sports and leisure complex in 1887, which housed a racecourse, opened in 1889, several football pitches, a pigeon shooting range, a polo field and a small aerodrome.
-
Also in 1887, the Bilbao-Las Arenas railway line was opened with the aim of attracting the Bilbao bourgeoisie to the Getxo coast. Today, this old line is one of the Bilbao Metro lines, which also has two stops in the vicinity of Vega de Lamiako, the stops of Leioa and Lamiako.