Bermeo

Spain, Spain

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Bermeo is a historic fishing port town in Biscay province, Basque Country, northern Spain, founded in 1236 and renowned for its medieval heritage and maritime legacy as the region's most important fishing village until the rise of Bilbao.

Once named capital of Biscay by King Ferdinand II in 1476—a status it held until 1602—it boasts landmarks like the Gothic Santa Eufemia Church, the Gothic cloister of San Francisco Convent, the remaining San Juan medieval gate from its 14th-century walls, and the Fisherman's Museum in the Ercilla tower amid a picturesque old quarter of colorful fishermen's houses.

Despite devastating fires and conflicts like the 1596 French sacking, its economy thrived on North Atlantic fisheries reaching Newfoundland, preserving a vibrant cultural identity tied to the nearby UNESCO-listed Gaztelugatxe islet.