Portugalete

Portugalete is a municipality in the province of Bizkaia in the Basque Country, situated on the left bank of the Nervión estuary at the point where the river opens into the Bay of Biscay. The town has a historic medieval centre with the basilica of Santa María and the 14th-century tower of Don Diego López de Salcedo.

The defining landmark is the Puente Colgante or Vizcaya Bridge, a transporter bridge completed in 1893 that connects Portugalete on the left bank with Getxo on the right, carrying a suspended gondola across the river mouth. Designed by Alberto de Palacio with input from Gustave Eiffel’s workshop, it was the first of its type ever built and remains in operation. The bridge was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006.

For pilgrims on the Camino del Norte, Portugalete is the crossing point from the left bank to the right bank of the Nervión, with the gondola ferry providing a unique and memorable river passage.