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Guernica - Bilbao

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Duntrune said:
Only if you really have to. Might be better to stop in Lezama. Then you can do the short stage to Bilbao the next day and have more of the day to sightsee.
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My first time on the Norte I walked from Gernika to Lezama. I had to wait a couple of hours for the albergue to open. The next day I realized that I probably could have walked to Bilbao. I didn't stay in Bilbao that year - I walked to Portugalete from Lezama.

This year I only planned to walk to Larrabetzu from Gernika since the albergue in Lezama didn't open until June. I thought that I could get a little extra sleep and have a late start. Big mistake, as the temperature got over 30C, and there are lots of climbs on that stretch. It ended up being one of the most exhausting days for me this year.
 
It’s a tough stretch with a lot of elevation change ending in a huge amount of downhill walking (and endless stairs!) into central Bilbao. It’s not so much the distance as it is the terrain.
 
I agree with the above posts- it all depends on the weather and how much strength and stamina you have by the end of the day. I left Guernica at around midday ( wanted to spend time at the peace museum). As it had rained every day previously the ground was thick with mud. The path upwards out of Guernica was a mini waterfall over rocks, stones and mud. I stumbled into Lezama around 6pm exhausted. The next day walk from Lezama to Bilbao was bright and sunny and took me only around 3 hours. Had I left Guernica early morning and had the weather been dry ( but not hot!) I may have made it all the way to Bilbao ( but happy I didn’t have to try)
 
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Very doable with an enjoyable and picturesque descent into Bilbao !
 
In Sept 2022 I walked from Guernica to the interesting Basque town of Larabetzu, I was a fit 81 year old and found the day quite hard and with the following day to Bilbao and the climb over the ridge and down to sea level hard and would have been impossible for me to have done it all in one day. Munisipal Albergue in Larabetzu very modern, full and donativo, well worth the visit.
 
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