Sitting 40 kilometres northeast of Bilbao, an easy hour on the Euskotren line, Mundaka occupies the mouth of the Urdaibai estuary. It is known globally for its barreling left-hand surf break and locally for its working harbour ringed by stone houses. Mundaka is worth visiting if you want to watch elite surfers, eat grilled hake at the docks, and walk the tidal estuary. Look elsewhere if you want late-night resort nightlife, vast sunbathing beaches, or rain-free summers.
Last updated 15 Sept 2026
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Life in Mundaka anchors on Puerto Chico and the Santa Katalina headland. Days follow the rhythm of the tides, with surfers watching the rivermouth sandbar and locals gathering over plates of grilled squid and glasses of txakoli along Calle Florentino Larrinaga. It suits independent travellers who enjoy coastal walking, honest Basque cooking, and watching the water without crowds.
Start with coffee and a gilda by the harbour before walking five minutes out to Santa Katalina hermitage. By midday, secure a table near Puerto Chico for grilled hake with garlic and txakoli wine. In the evening, walk up to Mirador de Portuondo to catch the low sun over the Oka sandbanks before an early dockside supper. Select 1 Day above to see it.
Cross the Oka estuary on the seasonal passenger ferry to spend the morning walking the dunes of Laida Beach. In the afternoon, catch the Euskotren south to Gernika to tour the Casa de Juntas and the Basque market hall, returning to Mundaka for marmitako tuna stew and a walk around the fourteenth-century church of Santa Maria. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.
Head west around the coast to Bermeo, six minutes by train, where tuna boats crowd the basin. Continue by local bus to the islet hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, then spend a quiet final afternoon kayaking the sheltered salt marshes of Urdaibai before a relaxed dinner of percebes and baked turbot.
Order grilled sea bream, marmitako tuna stew, and fresh percebes caught off the rocky coastline, served simply with local olive oil and sea salt.
Watch riders tackle the sandbar wave breaking over the rivermouth, best between September and April when Atlantic swells hit the Oka sandbanks.
Sip chilled Bizkaiko Txakolina made from Hondarrabi Zuri grapes at portside taverns, poured from height into flat tumblers to release its spritz.
Follow the path out to Santa Katalina hermitage for open views of the Bay of Biscay and across the channel to the golden sands of Laida.
Visit the fourteenth-century Santa Maria church perched right on the water, featuring Renaissance altarpieces and carved Gothic doorways.
Spot spoonbills, ospreys, and grey herons across the marshland channels of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve from the harbour jetty.
Take the five-minute passenger ferry across the inlet to Laida Beach, or ride the Euskotren twelve minutes south to Gernika's historic oak.
Explore the granite Puerto Chico harbour, built for sardine fleets and whaling crews whose families have worked these Bay of Biscay waters for centuries.
Stand at dockside bar counters for gildas of guindilla pepper, anchovy, and green olive alongside skewered morcilla and salted cod croquetas.
Rent a sea kayak or stand-up paddleboard near the boat slip to paddle through the calm, sheltered channels of the Oka river estuary at high tide.
Climb up to the Mirador de Portuondo above town to watch tidal currents sweep across the sandbanks toward the headland of Cabo Matxitxako.
Sit outside at Plaza Lehendakari Agirre in the late afternoon as fishermen unload gear and children play Basque pelota against the court wall.