Sitting out in the Bay of Biscay, surrounded by rolling, powerful waves is the small, beautiful, and rocky islet of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Made famous by the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, it has become a popular tourist destination. The Basque word “gaztelugatxe” is believed to have two complementary meanings – “rock castle” or “inaccessible castle” – both of which perfectly capture the essence of this location. Atop the rocky island stands a monastery dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, with evidence suggesting it may date as far back as the 9th century. Of all the places we visited on our 2025 European adventure, I would confidently rank San Juan de Gaztelugatxe among the top three.
Its inaccessibility is part of the allure of visiting San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Located 45 minutes from the nearest major city, Bilbao, Spain, just getting there requires some effort. Then there is the hike. Our guide said that around 50% of his tours, typically groups of 6 to 7 people, don’t even attempt the hike once they see the distance involved. He said that of those who do start it, roughly 90% don’t finish it. In most cases, only 1 to 3 people within a group make it to the top, with the rest turning back halfway. In fact, we passed a few people in other tour groups from the same company who had turned around halfway through.
The challenge isn’t just the distance, an approximately 2-mile (3 km) round-trip hike that takes 1 to 2 hours, but the terrain. The path begins with a steep descent down a smooth rock trail before transitioning halfway through to uneven rocks. It then shifts to a dirt path for a short period before you reach the man-made stone bridge that connects the mainland to the islet. From there, it’s 241 steps to get to the monastery. And, of course, the return journey involves hiking back up those same steep, uneven paths. Online photos do not accurately portray either the distance or the difficulty. It’s a physically demanding but incredibly rewarding experience.
I’m proud to say that our entire group of seven – including myself in jeans, my 8-year-old daughter, my mother with double knee replacements, my stepfather using a cane, and two of our fellow cruise passengers, one of whom was carrying a large baby on her back – completed the hike. Our guide said that’s highly unusual (go us!). So, if we could do it, you could too. The view from the top and the incredible sense of accomplishment knowing you’ve done what 90% of visitors don’t is well worth the effort. Along the staircase, there are 13 crosses; our guide encouraged us to count them as we climbed. The more crosses you pass, the closer you are to the top!
While we made it to the top, we could not go inside the small, ancient monastery. It’s closed to the public and only opened a few times a year for local residents during specific religious holidays. According to our guide, locals make the grueling 1.89-mile hike and climb the 241 steps dressed in traditional religious garments, carrying offerings and food. Legend has it that if you reach the top and ring the bell three times, you may make a wish that will come true. However, as the site’s popularity grew, the bell rang almost constantly, causing damage to both the bell and the church and becoming a nuisance to all nearby. As a result, the bell was dismantled, and visitors are no longer allowed to ring it (bummer).
While you can no longer ring the bell, there are still two chances to summon good luck. Along the steps, you’ll find two footprints, allegedly those of Saint John the Baptist, engraved into the concrete. Legend says that stepping into them will bring you good fortune. Just be careful not to miss them; they aren’t marked or advertised and can be easy to miss when you are focused on not dying of fatigue trying to make it to the top.
So, while getting there requires determination and grit, and you’re not allowed inside, visiting the monastery is still a cool experience. Rising 262 feet (80 meters) above sea level, the small church dates back to the 10th century. In 1053, it was donated by Don Íñigo López, the Lord of Biscay, to the Royal Monastery of San Juan de la Peña. The site stood for over 540 years before being attacked and sacked by Sir Francis Drake and later damaged by multiple fires, with the most recent in 1978, which destroyed much of the structure. Fortunately, it was restored and reopened just two years later, in 1980. Today, the monastery houses various offerings from sailors who survived shipwrecks and numerous medieval burials dating from the 9th to the 12th centuries.
During its seventh season, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe gained additional fame as a filming location for the hugely popular HBO series Game of Thrones. It represented “Dragonstone,” the westernmost outpost of the ancient Freehold of Valyria in the show’s universe. However, the castle atop the cliffs was digitally added in post-production and does not reflect the real-life monastery on the site.
One thing that slightly dampened our visit to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe was the overwhelming number of people. Unfortunately, we visited at the same time as a large group of Spanish high school students, around 100+ of them. We had to make room for them to pass us along the trail and up the staircase, and once at the top, they filled every crevice of the monastery to eat their packed lunches. This made it nearly impossible for anyone else to find a place to sit and rest after the demanding hike up the 241 steps. You had to search for a spot to sit like Christopher Columbus searched for Asia. They were loud, obnoxious, and sadly ruined the peaceful ambiance of the monastery. Our guide stated that we were unlucky and that while large tour groups occasionally visit, they do not come daily. Without the suffocating mass of students, the number of visitors would have been minimal.
Overall, despite the swarm of loud high schoolers and the difficulty of reaching it, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe was an excellent stop. The stunning views and rich history filled my history-loving heart with joy. Since I’m not a fan of Game of Thrones (I’ve only seen the first three episodes), its connection to the show didn’t mean much to me personally, but GoT fans will no doubt be thrilled to visit such an iconic filming location. The hike is demanding, but the difficulty made reaching the top feel like a true accomplishment. If you ever find yourself in the seaside city of Bilbao, Spain, a day trip to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe should be at the top of your list.
