Portugalete is a town lying to the west of Bilbao

Bilbao

Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...

 in the province of Biscay

Biscay

Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...

 in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country

Basque Country (autonomous community)

The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....

, northern Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

.

The town has 51,066 inhabitants (2001 census) and is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area

Gran Bilbao

Greater Bilbao is an administrative division of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven comarcas of Biscay and the most populated one...

. It is located at the mouth of the Estuary of Bilbao

Estuary of Bilbao

The Estuary of Bilbao lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, that drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. It is a large estuary long that extends from Bilbao to the Bilbao Abra bay, a widening that makes the final transition between...

, on the left bank

Left Bank (Biscay)

The left bank of the Estuary of Bilbao is a part of the Greater Bilbao region, its main towns are Barakaldo, Sestao, Santurtzi and Portugalete and in addition to the iron mines , was the heart of the intense industrialisation of Biscay...

. Its land area is only 3.21 km², resulting in a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 15,908.4 persons/km², the fifth-most densely populated municipality in Spain (following Mislata

Mislata

Mislata is a municipality in the Valencian Community, in Spain. It has borders with the city of Valencia and Quart de Poblet in the west and Xirivella in the south.-Population:...

, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat or briefly L'Hospitalet is a city to the immediate southwest of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain, and the second largest in Catalonia by population...

, Benetússer

Benetússer

Benetússer is a municipality in the comarca of Horta Sud in the Valencian Community, Spain. At the 2001 census the municipality had a population of 13,425 inhabitants and a land area of only 0.78 km²...

, and Santa Coloma de Gramenet

Santa Coloma de Gramenet

Santa Coloma de Gramenet is a city in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the south-east side of the Litoral range, with the Puig Castellar...

).

In 1300 Portugalete became the main competitor port for Bilbao, but it lost its predominant position in 1511 when the trade privileges were granted to the Port of Bilbao

Port of Bilbao

The Port of Bilbao is located on the Bilbao Abra bay, and along the Estuary of Bilbao, in Biscay . The main facilities are in the Santurtzi and Zierbena municipalities, approximately 15 km west of Bilbao...

 instead of Portugalete.

The transporter bridge

The city is famously known for the Vizcaya Bridge, a transporter bridge

Transporter bridge

A transporter bridge is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been used to cross navigable rivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be...

. The car ferry is suspended from a frame by wires attached to wheels on tracks above the cabin and moves from one side of the River Nervión to the other (Getxo

Getxo

Getxo is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain.It is part of the metropolitan area of Bilbao , and has about 83,000 inhabitants...

) via a traction

Traction

- Engineering :*Forces:** Traction , adhesive friction or force in the context of vehicle** Traction vector, in mechanics, the force per unit area on a surface, including normal and shear components...

 system.

This bridge was declared a World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

on July 13, 2006.

San Roque Festivals - 16 August

They officially last four days, from August 14 until August 17, the main festivities occurring on August 15 and August 16, "San Roque" day. "La Diana Portugaluja" is the song that is sung in the morning August 15, eve of "San Roque" day. "Los Portugalujos", the people of Portugalete meet up in the Town Hall square singing the song, in order to liven up the festival.

Other monuments

Other important monuments in Portugalete include the 15th century Basílica of Santa María, Salazar's Tower, and the town hall in addition to the old medieval arches and streets in the older part of the city.

External links

• Official website (in Basque and Spanish)
• PORTUGALETE in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa)