The Stairs Above the Sea

The island is on the coast of Biscay, in the Spanish Basque County, and it is connected to mainland through a man-made bridge. The upper part of the islet “hosts” a beautiful monastery, which dates from the tenth century. Both visitors and residents can reach the church via a narrow path that consists of 237 steps. However, there are some sources that say the path has fewer stairs, such as 229 or 231. According to the legend, those who arrive at the church must ring the bell the find at the entrance three times and make a wish. It is believed that the small church belonged to the Templar Knights.After a few more decades, in 1593, Sir Francis Drake and his pirates attacked and robbed the monastery. On other several times, the small church was damaged by fires, and in 1978 it was destroyed in such a fire. Two years later, the hermitage was re-built and was open for the public. Currently, the church belongs to the parish of San Pelayo in Bakio.

On top of the island stands a hermitage (named Gaztelugatxeko Doniene in Basque; San Juan de Gaztelugatxe in Spanish), dedicated to John the Baptist, that dates from the 10th century, although discoveries indicate that the date might be the 9th century.

HBO filmed scenes for season 7 of Game of Thrones at the islet. Gaztelugatxe stood in for Dragonstone, with a digitally created castle on top of the islet.