On Saturday, taking advantage of a very rare spell of overcast-yet-rain-free skies, my friend Katie and I caught a bus to the coastal city of Bakio, about 45 minutes from Bilbao. From there we hiked an hour through beautiful green countryside to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (gas-teh-loo-gotch-eh, and you wonder why I’m not picking up Basque/Euskera quickly here), an old hermitage built atop a small islet in the Atlantic. San Juan was built in the 9th or 10th century. In later years it served as a refuge for tired pilgrims. And here’s a fun fact that I read: in 1593 the hermitage was attacked and sacked by Sir Francis Drake, none other than my high school namesake and mascot. Good thing we honor the truly noble!

You climb between 229 and 231 steps to the top (accounts vary), and then are supposed to ring the church bell three times, though I didn’t properly research this beforehand, so I missed out at my chance for extra luck. That must explain why I saw about 20 giant slugs on the return trip. 

And here’s the added bonus, the perk after a hard days climb: Perched atop a cliff, with sweeping views of the coast, is the coziest cafe I’ve come across yet in Basque Country, called Eneperi restaurant. On a cold and damp November morning, Eneperi saved the day with its quaint wooden architecture, wood-burning stoves, vast array of pintxos, and piping hot cafes con leche. San Juan de Gaztelugatxe was the star of the trip, but Eneperi was a great supporting actor. Needless to say, we stopped there once before descending to the hermitage, and once upon return.

The coastal gem of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe needs to be on every tourists’ itinerary if they find themselves in the beautiful Basque Country. It’s feasible to do in a half a day, even if you don’t have a car, and some of the most fashion-conscious visitors were making the climb in leather boots–proof that you don’t even need to own a good pair of shoes. So nothing’s stopping you! (Except, perhaps, a crippling fear of slugs.)

About The Author

Jenny

Jenny Marshall studied Language, Culture, and Society at the University of California Santa Barbara, and now teaches English in Spain. Here she writes about the intersection of language and culture, and lives a life translated by travel.