Palacio Arriluce Hotel

Worth getting out of bed for

The hotel’s concierge team can hook culture hounds up with a VIP visit to Bilbão’s ABAO opera, backstage access, interval bubbly and all. Or embark on an enlightening boat trip along the Nervión River, cruising the history-rich coast into Bilbão and culminating in a tour of the Guggenheim Museum. Roll through postcard-pretty valleys on a chauffeur-driven jaunt to Loizaga Tower, a centuries-old heritage hotspot set in eye-candy countryside – or at least that’s how petrol heads among you will sell it, as they slink off to ogle the resident Rolls Royce collection. And make inroads on your World Heritage site hitlist with a guided walk or bike ride to the Hanging Bridge, puttering along the seaside path and pausing for pintxo and Txakoli pit stops along the way. And now for the one the oenophiles have been waiting for – rock up to trailblazing Rioja winery Marqués de Murrieta, where you’ll have a guided tour and a private lunch and wine pairing.

If the Cantabrian Sea is calling to you, Ereaga Beach is a sandy, swim-friendly stretch just a five-minute stroll from the hotel. And venturing into Bilbão, the Casco Viejo is a colourful criss-cross of mediaeval streets, indie boutiques and Wes Anderson-worthy facades.

Local restaurants

At Tamarises Izarra, down by Ereaga Beach, Javier Izarra is joining the star-spangled ranks of Basque chefs serious about fresh, seasonal produce and traditional local flavours. Hake is a speciality here – pan-fried and paired with charcoal-roasted peppers, it makes for a hearty seaside feast.

For simple but special Japanese cuisine in walking distance, head to Iwasaki in Algorta, Getxo’s pretty old-port neighbourhood. Watch through the kitchen’s glass wall as chef Tatsuya Iwasaki’s crafts meticulously plated morsels, so finely tuned and packed with flavour they’ve scored a Michelin Guide mention.

Local cafés

For the best pintxos in the neighbourhood, head to Bar La Estacion De Neguri. Steps from the hotel, this local hangout has pretty, nautical interiors and a next level potato and olive oil omelette. Plus, it’s a cultural hub, with regular gigs and exhibitions from homegrown rising stars.

Go pre-Guggenheim to Cokooncafé for a selection of elevated brunch staples – Greek yoghurt with house-made granola and fresh blueberry compote, perhaps, or pillowy toast topped with avocado, tomato and pretty nasturtium petals. They’re serious about speciality espresso too, and operate on a “more coffee, more cookies” basis – now that’s a credo we can get behind.

Local bars

For craft cocktails and quality wine in Getxo,the hotel’s Bar Kupka is hard to top. But if you’re burning the midnight oil in Bilbão, Gin Fizz is a funky, city-centre spot with a menu of imaginative cocktails as long as your arm, each masterfully concocted by mixologist dream duo Diego and Esti. There’s a whole raft of rejigged classics and in-house inventions – your inner child will go wild for Charlie’s Kiss, a Wonka-worthy confection of chocolate-infused rum, vanilla liqueur, Seville orange marmalade and ginger ale – but for pure refreshment factor, the namesake fruit-infused fizzes are hard to beat.