Live in Bilbao, Spain with a community of like-minded people.
Bilbao is where ancient Basque pride meets a bold, modern city that reinvented itself — and never looked back. Spend time in one of Spain's most culturally rich destinations: wandering the seven streets of the Casco Viejo, savoring pintxos at a neighborhood bar, and discovering why the Basque Country has become one of Europe's most celebrated culinary and cultural destinations. With The Good Life Abroad, you don't just visit Bilbao. You live it.
Centrally Located Exclusive Apartments
Community Activities and Events
In-Person Bilbao Support Staff
Optional Events & Tours
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As Seen On:
Live like a local and enjoy a variety of activities with like-minded people in Bilbao, Spain.
There's a reason Bilbao locals call themselves bilbaínos with such quiet pride. This is a city that has always known who it is — ancient, bold, fiercely itself. The Casco Viejo's cobblestoned siete calles have been alive with conversation and culture for centuries. The Guggenheim, rising titanium and light along the Nervión River, announced to the world that Bilbao was also a city of the future. And through all of it, the pintxos bars stayed full, the Txakoli wine kept flowing, and the Basque spirit remained exactly what it has always been: warm, proud, and deeply communal. With The Good Life Abroad, you settle into the Abando district like a neighbor, not a tourist — and Bilbao opens up in ways a hotel stay never could.
Live in Bilbao
Exclusive Apartments
Your home base is the Abando district — Bilbao's elegant, walkable heart — positioned between the historic Old Town and the modern Ensanche, with the Guggenheim, Gran Vía, and excellent public transit all within easy reach. These are newly renovated, fully equipped apartments designed for comfortable, independent living.
Local Community Manager
Your dedicated Community Manager is on the ground and in your corner — coordinating group meals and cultural outings, offering personal recommendations, and making sure navigating daily life in a new city feels easy and enjoyable from day one.
Cultural Experiences
Bilbao rewards curiosity at every turn. A guided tour of the Guggenheim. A pintxos walk through the Casco Viejo. A cooking class built around bacalao al pil pil. A few words learned in Euskera, the ancient Basque language that has survived for millennia. Every experience here feels earned and genuinely local.
Health & Wellness
Bilbao is a city made for walking — along the Nervión River, through green mountain foothills, across the elegant bridges of the Ensanche. The Mediterranean-influenced Basque diet, rich in fresh seafood, vegetables, and olive oil, is widely regarded as one of the healthiest in the world. The city's pace encourages lingering, strolling, and savoring.
Your Home in Bilbao
Bilbao's Abando district is one of those neighborhoods that immediately feels like somewhere worth staying. Broad, tree-lined avenues. A morning café on Gran Vía. The Guggenheim a short walk in one direction, the narrow streets of the Casco Viejo in the other. It's central without being crowded, sophisticated without being stuffy.
Your apartment has been newly renovated and fully equipped for a comfortable extended stay — think proper kitchen, reliable Wi-Fi, air conditioning, weekly cleaning, and a real bed rather than a hotel room that never quite feels like yours. Everything is in place so you can stop thinking about logistics and start thinking about where you want to eat tonight.
Guests are welcome to join you for part of your stay. They won't be included in the community activities, and a small additional fee applies in line with local regulations — your Community Manager can walk you through the details.
Authentic Bilbao Experiences
Immerse yourself in Bilbao's rich Basque culture through experiences that go beyond typical tourist attractions. Wander through local markets in the Old Town to discover the finest Basque ingredients — vivid peppers, salt cod, and cheeses you won't find anywhere else. Experience traditional Basque music and dance, tour the world-renowned Guggenheim Museum with expert guides, or take an architectural walking tour through the city's stunning mix of medieval lanes and bold contemporary buildings that tells the story of Bilbao's remarkable reinvention.
Bilbao is a paradise for food lovers, and our Tuesday Lunch Club will introduce you to the city's legendary pintxos culture — rotating through the best bars in the Casco Viejo, each one its own small education in Basque hospitality. Hands-on cooking classes go even further, teaching you to master authentic dishes like bacalao al pil pil alongside Idiazábal cheese tastings and glasses of excellent Txakoli wine poured straight from local vineyards. You'll leave knowing not just what Basque food tastes like, but why it matters.
Community activities may include:
Welcome reception & farewell party
Weekly Tuesday Lunch Club
Pintxos tasting and walking tour of Casco Viejo
Basque wine (Txakoli) and cider tastings
Cooking class: Traditional Basque cuisine
Introduction to Euskera (Basque language) basics
Guggenheim Museum guided tour
Excursion to the Basque Coast
Architectural walking tour (historic and modern Bilbao)
Weekly Happy (to be 55+) Hour
Community Manager
Asier P.
Born and raised in Bilbao, Asier is as local as it gets — and his enthusiasm for sharing his city is genuine and infectious. After studying Fine Arts in France, he built a career at the intersection of culture and hospitality, working with Michelin-starred restaurants, boutique hotels, and world-class destinations across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. A certified wine tourism specialist and devoted foodie, he brings rare depth to every meal, museum visit, and market wander. And as a native Basque speaker, Asier doesn't just know Bilbao's stories — he's lived them. He'll be your guide, your local contact, and the person who makes sure your month here feels like so much more than a trip.
Getaway with Day & Weekend Trips
Bilbao sits at the center of one of Europe's most remarkable regions. Within a short ride in almost any direction, the scenery and the history shift dramatically.
San Sebastián
Elegant, unhurried, and home to more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than anywhere else on earth. The Belle Époque seafront, the old quarter's pintxos bars, La Concha Bay — San Sebastián is the kind of place people fall in love with and immediately start planning a return visit. (~1.5 hours away)
Gaztelugatxe & Bermeo
The dramatic coastal hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe — hewn into the cliffside above the Bay of Biscay — is one of the most striking sights in Spain. Pair it with the nearby fishing port of Bermeo for a proper taste of the Basque coast. (~1 hour away)
Guernica
The name carries weight that no introduction can improve upon. Picasso's painting made it famous; its Peace Museum and well-preserved historic center make it essential. A profound, moving half-day. (~45 minutes away)
Vitoria-Gasteiz
The Basque Country's capital is one of Spain's best-kept secrets — a beautifully preserved medieval old town, excellent museums, and a quiet dignity that rewards slower exploration. (~1 hour away)
Your Month-Long Bilbao Experience
A month in Bilbao moves at exactly the right pace. The first days, you orient — finding your favorite café on Gran Vía, learning the rhythm of the Casco Viejo, discovering which pintxos bar will become your regular. By the end of week one, you're no longer consulting a map. By week two, you're making recommendations. It's more than a vacation, you'll immerse yourself in Spanish culture and experience firsthand the Spanish way of life.
Your Tailored Experience Includes:
Furnished Exclusive Apartment
Weekly ‘Tuesday Lunch Club’
Weekly Happy Hour
Weekly Walking Tour or Workshop
Travel Medical Insurance
Included Extras:
Pintxos tasting and walking tour of Casco Viejo
Basque wine (Txakoli) and cider tastings
Cooking class: Traditional Basque cuisine
Introduction to Euskera (Basque language) basics
Guggenheim Museum guided tour
Excursion to the Basque Coast
Architectural walking tour (historic and modern Bilbao)
Get your FREE catalog for The Good Life Abroad
Unlock valuable insights and make your next experience abroad even better by requesting your free digital catalog.
What Our Community is Saying
"I like Lisbon because it's a wonderful place to be solo and a wonderful place to connect with like-minded travelers who are either solo or with a couple—and it's fabulous."
From Philadelphia, PA
Experienced Lisbon, Portugal
Valencia offered Clyde and Linda the accessibility and ease they hadn’t found in past travels. Their time with The Good Life Abroad was both restful and enriching, striking the perfect balance between culture and comfort.
Experienced Valencia, Spain
“I loved the activities, they were really unique and different. We did belt making, a cooking class, and we went to a lunch that was clearly filled with people from Florence and not full of tourists.”
From New Jersey
Experienced Florence, Italy
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — guests are welcome to stay with you for part of your time in Bilbao. They won't be included in the community activities, and a small additional fee applies in line with local regulations. Passport information will be collected to comply with Spanish requirements. Your Community Manager can help coordinate the details.
Your program fee covers all scheduled community activities, your furnished apartment for the full month, utilities and Wi-Fi, weekly cleaning, weekly lunch and happy hour, support from your Community Manager, and travel medical insurance up to $100,000 and medical evacuation coverage up to $500,000.
Airfare, airport transfers, groceries, phone services, and any optional tours or activities you choose to add on.
Not at all. Bilbao is welcoming and navigable for English speakers, and your Community Manager is on hand to help whenever you need it. The Euskera introduction in the program is purely for fun — and locals absolutely appreciate the effort.
Your fellow members are adults 55 and older — people who are curious, active, and looking for genuine cultural immersion rather than a standard group tour. Groups are intentionally kept small to maintain an intimate, community feel.
Absolutely. Many of our members travel solo, and the program is specifically designed to make solo travel feel easy and socially rewarding. The built-in community means you're never navigating a new city alone unless you want to.
Your program includes travel medical insurance up to $100,000 and medical evacuation coverage up to $500,000. Bilbao has excellent public and private healthcare facilities, and your Community Manager can help you navigate the local system if needed.
Most activities involve walking through Bilbao's neighborhoods and cultural sites — all at a relaxed, social pace. The city itself is very walkable, and public transportation is reliable and easy to use. If you have specific mobility considerations, reach out before booking and we'll make sure the program works for you.
Bilbao has a mild, temperate climate — greener and cooler than southern Spain, with occasional rain year-round. Summers are warm and pleasant; spring and autumn are ideal for walking and exploring. Light layers and a compact umbrella are always good company.
With The Good Life Abroad, you're not moving from city to city on a schedule someone else set. You have your own apartment, your own routine, and the time to actually get to know one place — its neighborhoods, its people, its rhythms. The community activities are included and curated, but your days are your own.