Gaztelugatxe islet at sunset, Basque Country, Spain Apr 5, 2025

Gaztelugatxe islet at sunset, Basque Country, Spain

Gaztelugatxe is a stunning islet located on the coast of Biscay in the Basque Country, Spain. It"s famous for its dramatic scenery and the small hermitage, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, dedicated to John the Baptist at its peak. The hermitage, which dates back to the 10th century, has been rebuilt several times due to damage from battles and fire. Today"s building is perched atop the islet and is accessible by a narrow path that includes 241 steps. It"s a popular pilgrimage site and visitors often ring the church bell three times and make a wish. According to legend, John the Baptist himself set foot on the islet. The views from the top offer panoramic vistas of the rugged coastline and the Cantabrian Sea. Gaztelugatxe gained international fame as a filming location for the TV series "Game of Thrones", where it served as Dragonstone, the ancestral seat of House Targaryen.

© Eloi_Omella/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Apr 5, 2024The Bahamas

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 3, 2024Three Natural Bridges, Wulong National Park, China
Oct 17, 2024Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Nov 22, 2023Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
Nov 8, 2025Bandon Beach in Bandon, Oregon, United States
Jun 19, 2024Water tower in Cuxhaven, Germany
Aug 3, 2025Sunflowers
May 30, 2024Everglades National Park, Florida, USA
Feb 16, 2025Humpback whale mother and calf
Oct 20, 2024Three-toed sloth in Costa Rica
Feb 17, 2025Coll dAres, Catalan Pyrenees
Dec 15, 2024Lake Misurina, Dolomites, Italy
Nov 1, 2025Bison, Yellowstone National Park
Feb 15, 2025Icicles of Misotsuchi, Chichibu, Japan
Dec 26, 2024Christmas lights at Mousehole harbour, Cornwall, England
May 7, 2024Duckling in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
Aug 29, 2024Castellfollit de la Roca, Catalonia, Spain
Oct 23, 2024Madame Sherri Forest, New Hampshire, United States
Aug 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Sep 7, 2025Gdańsk, Poland
Oct 31, 2024Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, United Kingdom
Feb 14, 2025Magellanic penguins
Dec 26, 2023Dedham, Colchester, England
Nov 4, 2024Grasmere, Lake District, Cumbria, England
Oct 2, 2024Wind River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, USA
Mar 15, 2024Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA
Jan 12, 2025Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Feb 1, 2024Sassnitz lighthouse, Germany
Aug 10, 2025Lioness in Kenya
Jun 28, 2025Mannheim Water Tower, Germany
Feb 28, 2025Taktsang Palphug Monastery, Bhutan