Estuary of Bilbao facts for kids

The Estuary of Bilbao (in Spanish: Ría de Bilbao; in Basque: Bilboko Itsasadarra) is where several rivers meet the sea. These rivers are the Nervion, Ibaizabal, and Cadagua. They drain much of Biscay and parts of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain.

This estuary is like a mix of a river and a bay. It stretches about 16 kilometers (10 miles) inland into the city of Bilbao, starting from the Bilbao Abra bay. The port of Bilbao used to be along its entire length. However, parts of the estuary closer to the city have been cleaned up. They are now used for city improvements. The main port activities are moving to the coast at Santurtzi and Zierbena.

Downstream from Bilbao, the estuary divides the metropolitan area. It creates a left bank with towns like Barakaldo, Sestao, Portugalete, and Santurtzi. On the other side is the right bank with Erandio, Leioa, and Getxo.

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

Cleaning Up the Estuary

The Estuary of Bilbao, showing its urban setting.

The Estuary of Bilbao has always been very important to the city. Bilbao started over 700 years ago as a trading village. It grew along the Nervión river until it reached the sea.

Sadly, the river became very polluted. This happened because of all the factories and industries nearby in the last century. But in recent years, a lot of hard work has been done. People have worked to clean up the estuary. This effort has helped bring the river back to life.