Las Arenas

Areeta (Las Arenas in Spanish) is a neighbourhood of Getxo (Biscay, Basque Country, Spain).

It is an affluent residential area that was built over the sands of a beach where the Gobela Creek died into a diffuse delta at the mouth of the Estuary of Bilbao in the early 20th century.

It is connected to Portugalete at the other side of the firth by the Vizcaya Bridge transporter bridge and offers a marina, a small beach that can unfortunately be polluted, and a monument to Evaristo Churruca, who planned and directed the channelization of the estuary.

It can be divided in three neighbourhoods: Sometimes the neighbouring district of Erromo is also included in Areeta but this is surely a misuse, as Erromo was built for the working classes and was separated by the suburban railroad until it was recycled by the Metro Bilbao in its subway system and by the canalized Gobela creek.

Vizcaya Bridge was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006 for being one of the most outstanding buildings made of iron during the Industrial Revolution.