On the waterfront, this interactive maritime museum brings the watery depths of Bilbao and Basque maritime history to life. Start with a 10-minute video for an overview of Bilbao history from the 1300s to the present before wandering through the two floors of displays, which show old shipbuilding techniques, harrowing shipwrecks (and innovative coastal rescue strategies), pirate threats and intricate models – including a full-scale recreation of the 1511 Consulate Barge. Outdoors, you can clamber about a range of boats.
The 60m-high fire engine–red 'Carola' crane (1957) was used to build ships on the slipways here.
Don't miss the Skin of Light, an audiovisual installation that shows the profound changes Bilbao underwent from the mid-1980s to 2010.
It's worth downloading the free multilingual app, which provides insightful commentary on many exhibits in the museum.
