PLACE: Bermeo (Bizkaia)

Bermeo is without a doubt one of the marine towns par excellence in Bizkaia. Sheltered by the Sollube Mountain and the Matxitxako Cape, its title of historical town dates back to 1214, accrediting it as the first marine historical town in Bizkaia, in hard opposition to Bilbao for centuries for the supremacy of maritime commerce.

Fishing has always been the main activity in Bermeo, and hence the whale that is found on its coat of arms and which reminds us of days gone by in which the inhabitants of Bermeo made their living fishing for these cetaceans. Nowadays, Bermeo has the main fishing fleet of the Cantabrian Sea, and it is quite a spectacle to see the colourful boats moored at the port, the hustle and bustle of the unloading of the fish and its selling in the Fishermen's Market. The sea is a way of life in Bermeo, and you can breathe this in the atmosphere, the sea air everywhere you go.

Bermeo is one of the historical towns on the Juradera Route (The Sworn Route). The Castilian Kings had to swear the Vizcayan Charters in its Santa Eufemia Church to be able to rule as the Lords of these lands. Similarly, Bermeo is part of the coastal route to Santiago that runs along the Cantabrian Coast. These communication links favoured the development of the town, and today one can observe its huge historical and artistic heritage, such as the Ercilla Tower, which houses the current Fisherman's Museum; the San Francisco Church with its beautiful cloisters, which are sometimes used as a market; the Santa María or Santa Eufemia (Charter Swearing Church) Churches; the casino or the old port, with its ancient fishermen's houses painted in bright colours.