What you can see on the Bakio webcams
One camera looks along the beach to a sculpture of sails on the sea wall and the cliffs towards Gaztelugatxe, with the surf rolling in across the bay. The other, at the eastern end, looks back along the whole beach in long exposures that turn the sea into mist but show clearly where the waves break. Both play as time-lapses of the day.
Bakio beach, the sail sculpture and Gaztelugatxe
This camera looks north-east along Bakio beach from the western half of the bay. The sand fills the foreground, with rocks at the water's edge on the left; on the right the sea wall ends in a rocky point topped by a tall sculpture of crossed sails. Across the middle of the picture the surf rolls in from the open Bay of Biscay, and beyond it the coast climbs in steep cliffs towards San Juan de Gaztelugatxe: on a clear day the hermitage on top of its islet is a tiny speck at the end of the headland. Surfers can count the lines of waves, walkers can see how far the tide has come up the beach, and anyone heading for Gaztelugatxe can check whether the headland is in cloud. It plays here as a time-lapse of the day.
The whole of Bakio beach in a long exposure
Published on Windy from a coastal station of the SIRENA network, this camera stands at the eastern end of Bakio beach and looks west along the whole sweep of sand to the tall white apartment block and the cliffs at the far end. It records long exposures rather than ordinary snapshots, so the moving sea blurs into a soft white mist and people on the sand barely show. What it does show well is the shape of the beach: the bands of white mark exactly where the waves break over the sandbars, and the dark wet sand shows how far up the beach the tide has reached. Rocks dot the sand in the foreground. It plays here as a time-lapse of the day.
Surf, txakoli and Gaztelugatxe
Bakio's beach faces north into the Bay of Biscay and is a popular surf spot, especially in autumn and winter, when the Atlantic swell arrives. The valley behind the town is one of the homes of txakoli, the light, slightly sparkling white wine of the Basque coast, made here by several local wineries. A short drive east, a stone bridge and 241 steps lead up to the hermitage of San Juan on the islet of Gaztelugatxe, which stood in for Dragonstone in Game of Thrones.
When to watch Bakio
Bakio is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland. The tide makes a big difference here: at low water the beach is wide and flat, at high tide the sand narrows to a strip. Swell is usually biggest from autumn to spring, and summer brings the calmer days for swimming. The light is soft all day on this north-facing coast, with long summer evenings.
Around Bakio
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is about 3 miles (4 km) away, and the fishing town of Bermeo a little further on. Bilbao and the Guggenheim are about 18 miles (29 km) to the south.
Getting to Bakio
Bilbao airport, with regular flights from the UK and Ireland, is about 15 miles (24 km) away by road. Brittany Ferries sails to Bilbao from Portsmouth and Rosslare. In busy periods visits to Gaztelugatxe may need to be booked in advance, so check before you go.
