San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
The Northern Way and the special San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
With Frederik Schindler
El Camino de Santiago is known to be the crown jewel of Spanish walking trails. One thousand years ago, pilgrims began to visit The Cathedral of Santiago as an act of faith to visit the sacred tomb of Saint James.
To this day, the popularity of this walk is still relevant. El Camino continues to draw spiritual seekers worldwide looking to enjoy the beauty of the green rolling hills and small hamlets of northwestern Spain.
The Northern Way offers some of the most unique views. It takes hikers all the way from the Basque Country, across Cantabria, Asturias and on to Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia. Discovering fascinating cities, fishing villages or swimming in beautiful sandy beaches is certainly one of the best parts of this trail.
On your way through the Basque Country you will discover this amazing site. San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, meaning “castle rock” in Basque, is an islet on the coast of Biscay being connected to the mainland by a man-made bridge. The bridge transitions into a narrow path that contains 241 steps and zigzags its way back and forth to the top.
Climbing to the San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is a small adventure in itself. The ocean can be particularly rough, crashing against the rocks of the island and making it all look even more dramatic.
On the top, you will find a hermitage dedicated to John the Baptist. However, the current structure is by no means the original. Although discoveries indicate that the church dates from the 10th century, over the centuries the church has burned down and been rebuilt several times.
Because of its picturesque scenery and unique charisma, HBO filmed scenes for season 7 of its fantasy series Game of Thrones at the islet. Gaztelugatxe stood in for Dragonstone, with a digitally created castle on top of the islet. Can you remember that scene?
