Estuary of Bilbao

The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: Ría de Bilbao / Basque: Bilboko Itsasadarra) lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain.

The estuary and tidal river of Bilbao have always been a significant part of the city.

Bilbao was born 700 years ago on the banks of the Nervión river as a trading village.

Unfortunately the river reached high levels of contamination because of the industrial activities during the past century.

In recent years work has been undertaken to restore the condition of the estuary.

Map of the Estuary, to the west the Bay of Biscay and the port docks, to the east the city of Bilbao. To the north is the right bank and to the south the left bank.
The estuary of Bilbao.