The weather throughout the year

Bizkaia has a temperate climate, with moderate rainfall and mild temperatures all year round. The coastal areas and Gran Bilbao, which is close to the sea, have a low annual temperature range. The year is divided into four seasons – spring, summer, autumn, winter – without clear boundaries or transitions between them.

Rain is quite common in Bizkaia, either in the form of drizzle or sirimiri, or as heavier rain. The bright green hues of the region are the result of this ever-present rain. Spring and summer, however, are good seasons for outdoor activities.

Local currency and shopping

Euskadi belongs to the Eurozone, which means the local currency is the euro. With a few euro, you can buy a slice of our land to take back home: Idiazabal cheese, txakoli wine, canned anchovies or tuna, traditional sweet treats from Bilbao like Carolinas, rice cakes or butter sweet rolls, San Antonio sweet rolls form Urkiola, sheep milk curd from Arraita or Durangaldea…

Ceramic or wood handicrafts also make good gifts to remember your trip to Euskadi by. And you can always buy a txapela or beret, available in any town or village in Bizkaia.

Time, customs and traditions

Bizkaia uses Central European Time (GMT+01:00) and Central European Summer Time (daylight saving time, GMT+02:00). People in Bizkaia like to have a mid-morning snack that they call hamaiketako, filling their bellies until lunch at 2 or 3pm. In general, they also tend to have a late dinner, at 9 or 10pm.

Basque people love bar-crawling – under the name poteo or txikiteo. They meet with friends and have a glass of beer, wine or txakoli in each bar. Pintxos were born as a side dish to the drinks. Now these small bites are a Basque culinary attraction in their own right.

Where to eat and stay

There are plenty of restaurants, grillrooms, cider houses and wineries where you can have traditional dishes. A grillroom or asador is the right place to eat charcoal-grilled meat or fish. For an experience in haute cuisine, Bizkaia is peppered with Michelin-starred restaurants.

If you are planning to stay in Bizkaia, find the rates that suit your budget, from luxury hotels to campsites, including hostels and lodges.