Hiking San Juan de Gaztelugatxe Spain

One of my favorite hikes I’ve ever done and one of my favorite experiences in Spain was hiking San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (pronounced Gaz-te-lu-ge-che; try saying that three times fast) outside of Bilbao, Spain. It’s a beautiful hike past farms along the northern coast and then up steps to the top of the small peninsula sticking out into the water. For all you Game of Thrones fans, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe also has the added bonus of being the filming location for Dragonstone in more recent seasons!

Views of the northern Spanish coast on the walk to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe from the Bakio bus stop.

If you’re traveling to northern Spain at all, and especially the Basque Country, hiking here is an absolute must! It’s easy to visit from Bilbao. In Plaza Moyúa, which is in a fairly central part of the city, you can take the A3518 to Bakio. The bus runs every hour at 30 minutes after the hour and is about a 40 minute ride. Each way cost 2.45 euros, at least when I went in the fall of 2015.

More views on the way to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe from the Bakio bus stop.

After you arrive in Bakio, you’ll have about a 3 mile walk (it took me an hour or so) to get to the steps of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, but the walk is incredible! You’ll walk past fields of livestock on one side and breathtaking coastal views on the other. You’ll also be walking in the middle of a road, but it’s so low traveled, I didn’t have any issues and loved the walk!

The 241 steps to get to the top of are quite a hike, so be prepared!

Once you make it, you’ll walk downhill and down some stairs to the edge of the coast before hiking the 241 steps up to the top of the hermitage on the rock sticking out into the water. When you get to the top, ring the bell three times and make a wish.

Luckily, there is a pretty nice restaurant by the entrance/exit to the area, so it’s a great place to use the restroom and enjoy a Coke and a snack before hiking all the way back to the bus.

I do want to note that it’s best to hike San Juan de Gaztelugatxe in the spring or fall to get the best experience since it can get pretty crowded in the summer. I visited on a Friday in November and only saw a few people on my whole hike. Someone in my hostel, however, said that they went in August and had to wait in lines for quite a long time because the hike is so popular at that time of year.

Have you been to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe? What tips do you have? What was your favorite part? Please share in the comments below!

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