San Juan
Gaztelugatxe (from now on San Juan G) is situated just off the coast of the Bay
of Biscay a short drive away from Bermeo. I have seen photos of this little
island but nothing had prepared us for the real thing. This is probably the
most amazing thing I have seen in the Basque Country.
This tiny
island has a man-made bridge that connects it to the mainland. It can be
accessed by a narrow path that after crossing the stone bridge turns into a
long, long stairway up to the top. The opinions vary but it seems like the
number of stairs you have to climb to reach the top is between 229-237.
Obviously I started to count them but then got distracted by the view and
forgot to count a few steps so I gave up.
On the top
of the island there is a 9th century chapel dedicated to St. John
the Baptist and it is believed that he actually set foot on the island as well.
The hermitage was built on a great spot as it’s a bit away from civilization and
after making the strenuous climb you are rewarded with a coastal view that is
amongst the best I’ve seen in Spain.
The little
chapel is often closed so it’s better to check the times before your visit. It
houses many offerings from sailors who survived the sinking of their ships. For
me personally the place didn’t have the air of a chapel but rather a marine
toy shop. It is full of oars, bits taken from a boat and little wooden ships.
You can take photos for one euro.
There’s a
little shop set up in the church selling cold drinks, photos, postcards and
other gifts. I thought this would be a great place to buy my Basque souvenir
and I got a now familiar white-blue chequered scarf with San Juan G’s name on
it.
According to
the legend, when you climb up to the top you have to ring the church bell three
times and make a wish. I expected to hear the bell ring all day long but
obviously this legend is not known to many people as (thankfully) this was not
the case. I had a go at ringing the bell, just in case, although I was so taken
with the atmosphere of the place that I forgot to make a wish! It kind of felt
cheating trying to do it again.
The sea is
often rough around here with huge waves that constantly carve away the cliffs
of the coast. Due to this you can see the unadulterated, raw beauty of nature.
Around the island there are lots of caves and according to the rumours those
accused of witchcraft during the inquisition were locked away in them.
The history
of the island is full of action. There are burial remains from the 9th
century, the place was often burned by fire, there are legends of pirate
attacks and real stories of Sir Frances Drake ransacking the place in 1593, an
interesting read for everybody.
I thought
the festivities cannot reach such a secluded spot but while we were walking
away from the island we saw this group of guys singing and dancing on the road
going towards the church. The last guy was dragging a decorated donkey behind
him. It would’ve been interesting to see what they will do (sacrifice the
donkey?!) but we didn’t have time.
We were
there in August in the middle of high season around 11am and you can see from
the photos that the place is (understandably) very popular with tourists. If
you have the chance to come here very early and/or out of season you might get
an idea of just how alone those monks living here might have felt, away from
the troubles of the world.
About half
an hour drive away there’s another great viewpoint, Cabo Matxitxako. There’s a
lighthouse here (not sure if it’s still in use) and you can get a lovely view
over the island of San Juan G. This is also a great place for whale spotting if
you’re lucky enough to see one.
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