Bilbao Sightseeing 4 - Deusto

The final major sightseeing area of Bilbao is Deusto which contains the famous and beautiful university of the same name.  Deusto is at the opposite end of Bilbao from the Casco Viejo. You get there by crossing the Puente de Deusto another of Bilbao's famous bridges that in olden days used to open up to allow large ships into the port.

Deusto hosts a large student population and has a buzzing nightlife. Its main focus is around the Plaza San Pedro which teems
with life by day and by night. At the back of the Plaza, on the hill side, is Calle Ramon y Cajal which has dozens of little student bars well worth visiting to see and listen to the students and enjoy the pleasant aromas wafting from every bar.

The main avenue of Deusto is Avenida Lehendakari Aguirre. It contains many fine genteel cafes. Cafe Bar Artea, El Cafe de Deusto and the Casco Vasco are all worth a visit for their coffees and mouth watering confectionaries. Further up the avenue,
towards the metro stop is the Cafe al Ke y Dice which is great for an early breakfast and also does good value meals for students. Just a few doors up is the Bidart Shopping Centre which spans three floors. The top floor contains some great eating places, many with a South American flavour and some of the best value meals to be had in Bilbao.

The streets running parallel to the Avenue going down towards the river have lots of bars and at the weekends are full of life as the locals all come out to drink on the streets. The university itself is best entered by crossing the pedestrian bridge, Puente Pedro Arripe, which is further on up from the main Deusto Bridge before the Guggenheim.

You come off this bridge straight into the university itself. You can walk along its hallowed halls, enjoy the lovely little quads with their palm trees and sculptures. It is a private university of the Jesuit tradition. It is one of Spain's oldest and also has many international Erasmus students studying here giving it an eclectic mix. Its reputation was established on its historical and philosophical courses but now it offers all the courses required of a modern age.

Bilbao Sightseeing 1 >>  Take a Stroll Through the Casco Viejo.

Bilbao Sightseeing 2 >> Stroll Along the Gran Via, the heart of Bilbao.

Bilbao Sightseeing 3 >> Wander Along the River to the Guggenheim.

Bilbao Sightseeing 4  >> Cross the River to the Deusto University District (this page).