How walkable is Bilbao?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Bilbao has a walkability score of 61 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it somewhat walkable: some errands can be done on foot. It is the least walkable of the 13 cities ranked in Spain.
What's within walking distance of the centre
3,481 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Bilbao. The nearest grocery is about 3 minutes away on foot. Every category earns full or nearly full points.
Groceries
- Covirán, 3 min
- Kresala, 4 min
Restaurants & bars
- Wok Boga, 3 min
- McDonald's, 3 min
Shopping
- KIS Espana, 2 min
- Farmacia Eguiraun, 3 min
Coffee
- McCafé, 3 min
- con B de bilbao, 3 min
Banks
- BBVA, 5 min
- Banco Mediolanum, 5 min
Parks
- Areatza parkea, 6 min
- Albia lorategia, 7 min
Schools
- IES Martin de Bertendona, 5 min
- Titulae, 6 min
Books & libraries
- La ilusa, 3 min
- Entrevías, 3 min
Culture & entertainment
- ABAO Bilbao Opera, 3 min
- Teatro Campos Elíseos Antzokia, 4 min
Measured from the centre at 43.2588, -2.9284, the point near Bilbao's middle with the most places in walking range. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the centre there are about 222 street intersections per km², and blocks average 66 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Bilbao's score of 61 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 99 within 1 km of the centre, 62 from 1 to 3 km out and 49 from 3 to 5 km out. 38 of the 91 points within 5 km fall on water or on land without streets, such as hillsides, forest or farmland, and are left out, so the score describes only the built-up part. 55% of the sampled area scores 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot. Walkability falls off steeply away from the centre, so check a specific address on the map.
- 90+
- 70–89
- 50–69
- 25–49
- 0–24
Each hexagon is the score at a point, 1 km from its neighbours, across the 5 km around central Bilbao. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 100 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 99 | 100% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 62 | 58% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 49 | 41% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Valladolid, Spain | 232 km | 71 |
| Zaragoza, Spain | 246 km | 74 |
| Madrid, Spain | 323 km | 92 |
| Toulouse, France | 355 km | 74 |
| Nantes, France | 453 km | 73 |
Questions about walking in Bilbao
Is Bilbao a walkable city?
Partly. Bilbao has a walkability score of 61 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it somewhat walkable: some errands can be done on foot. Its centre scores 100. The score covers about 80 km² around the busiest point rather than the whole city, and suburbs further out are usually less walkable, so check a specific address on the map. It ranks 13th of 13 cities in Spain and joint 439th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Spain?
Madrid is the most walkable of the 13 cities ranked in Spain, with a score of 92. Bilbao ranks 13th with 61.
How does Bilbao compare with nearby cities?
Bilbao is less walkable than its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 61, against Valladolid (71, 232 km away), Zaragoza (74, 246 km away) and Madrid (92, 323 km away).
Which part of Bilbao is most walkable?
Bilbao's most walkable area is its centre, the point near the middle of the city with the most places in walking range, which scores 100. Walkability averages 99 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the south-east (averaging 70) and falls most to the south (10).
How is Bilbao's walkability score calculated?
For Bilbao it is the average of 53 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 29 of them score 70 or more. Each point counts groceries, restaurants, shops, cafés, banks, parks, schools, libraries and cultural venues within a 30 minute walk, gives nearer places more weight, and loses up to 20% where streets are sparse or blocks are long, using open map data from Overture Maps (release 2026-09-23.1) and OpenStreetMap. It measures what is within a walk, not what the walk is like: pavements, traffic, safety, hills and heat are not part of the score.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. City position and population from GeoNames.
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