San Juan de Gaztelugatxe WALKING TOUR 🚶‍♂️⛰️ | El paseo MÁS ÉPICO del norte de ESPAÑA 🇪🇸🔥

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe WALKING TOUR 🚶‍♂️⛰️ | El paseo MÁS ÉPICO del norte de ESPAÑA 🇪🇸🔥

Hello all dear friends! Welcome to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, one of the most magical and unmissable corners of Bizkaia! As it is such a visited place, its access is currently regulated to protect its natural environment. We enter! Right now it is low season and there is no one at the entrance, but if you come in summer, you must book in advance! Entry is free, but reservations are required well before you come! You should know that San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is an islet located on the coast of the Basque Country, in Spain. This islet is located 35 km east of Bilbao, in the coastal town of Bermeo. It is a destination that challenges the traveler, where each step is a test that brings you closer to the greatness and epicness of this place. If you look closely, you will see that the people climbing are extremely tired and you will soon understand why! 🥵 From the parking lot to the top where the hermitage is located there is 1.5 km, where the steepest sections reach a 30% inclination. The descent may seem easy, but the return climb is demanding, especially for those who are not used to hikes of this type. Here nature and history merge into the sublime! If you like nature and immensity, this destination is worth seeing once in a lifetime! 💖 At this moment, there are 2 paths before us, one is towards the viewpoint and the other towards the hermitage . Since we are here, we will first see the viewpoint that will show us the way to our destination! And it is also the best location so you can take the most spectacular photo of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe! This viewpoint offers bird’s eye views of the Cantabrian coast, the cliffs and, of course, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe itself. Although you can no longer use the drone, as in almost all places, sadly…❌ Friends, that is our destination, the hermitage with the orange roof, in a few moments we will be up there! 😍 And there we see Aketze Island, a small rocky islet that contributes to the natural charm of the area. You really get magical photos from here! And now we must continue down this entire mountain! I assure you that you will love the way to the top, don’t miss it because you would regret not visiting a place like this! Today’s walk is to relax and enjoy nature without stress, without rushing, savoring the sounds that life gives us! Now we will take the other path that will take us to the top! Come on! ✨ Don’t be left behind! Subscribe to this channel and enjoy exclusive content for travel lovers. 🚀👍 Right now you may be wondering what this place is and why such a challenging location was chosen to install it… The name Gaztelugatxe comes from Basque, the language of the Basque Country and means rocky castle (gaztelu = castle, gatxe = difficult or rocky). Although its exact origin is uncertain, the first written records of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe date from the 11th century, when the existence of a hermitage dedicated to San Juan Bautista is mentioned. Legend has it that Saint John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, arrived at this island, and, upon coming down from the sea, left his footprints marked on the rocks. Since that legendary event, Gaztelugatxe became one of the most important pilgrimage destinations on the Basque Coast. It is believed that the hermitage may have been built by the Templars or by monks who were looking for a place of retreat and meditation. Basque sailors also went to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe to ask for protection before setting sail to sea. Masses and rituals were celebrated to bless fishermen and sailors, since the Cantabrian Sea was dangerous and shipwrecks were frequent. In front of the rock, first, a friar baptized the new boats by throwing holy water over the rooms and then the boat had to make 3 circles in the sea. 💧 Then a bouquet of San Juan was set on fire on a frying pan and the bouquet of plants and the frying pan were thrown overboard.🔥 And finally, one of those present would throw coins into the sea to bring good luck to the ship. 💰 Although San Juan de Gaztelugatxe was not only a religious place, but also a strategic military point due to its location on the coast. During the 16th and 17th centuries, corsairs and pirates attacked the hermitage and its surroundings on several occasions. 🏴‍☠️🦜 It is said that the famous English pirate Francis Drake plundered the place in 1593, destroying the hermitage and its treasure. 👑 This event happened several times since, due to its isolation, it was used as a hiding place for treasures throughout the centuries. By the way, in ancient times, some sailors believed that Aketze Island was inhabited by magical and mysterious beings. 👽 During the Napoleonic occupation, Gaztelugatxe served as a surveillance point against French troops and also served in Spain’s own civil wars. 👀 By the way! The best of the video is yet to come, they say that good things take a long time to come, but if you are very anxious, you can skip to minute 28 where we start to climb, although… Now I will tell you something super curious that was done in the hermitage! The hermitage was a medical-credential center that has always been visited to heal bodies and purify souls. 💊🩺⚕ Infertile women brought a baby item to the sanctuary, and the children they managed to conceive were baptized and sponsored at random by the first man and woman to arrive at the sanctuary. At that time, we could have arrived up there and, suddenly, been the godparents of a baby!😮 Children who suffered from sleep disorders such as sleepwalking, night terrors or nightmares, were taken 3 Fridays in a row to San Juan where they prayed a rosary and left an alms.😴💤 Those who suffered severe headaches rang the bell of the hermitage in three series and deposited something related to the head in the hermitage like a beret or a hairpin.🎩👒 Promises were also made to return to the sanctuary if the requested wish was obtained, which could be of any type: family, health, business, love… The beliefs around souls in pain deserve a special mention… People who in life did not fulfill the promise of returning to the sanctuary and who in their death need a friend or family member to fulfill the promise for them and going up to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. This place is special and not only because of what I just told you… 🤩 This is the interior of the hermitage to which we will now go up. And this is the marine fauna that lives in the Cantabrian Sea. Right here!💙🌊 These rock formations, which surround the island and the hermitage, are not only a visual spectacle, but also have great geological and historical value. They are flysch rocks, large folds of rock composed of sediments and fossils more than 60 million years old, also called Book of the Earth. And if you have seen the famous series Game of Thrones, you will have already realized that we are on dragon rock. In the HBO series, Dragonstone is the home of Daenerys Targaryen and her dynasty, one of the most powerful houses in the Seven Kingdoms and a key location in the plot. 🐉🐉🐉 Sites like this make reality surpass fiction! 💚 The time has come to climb to the top! 🦶🤩✨ After its appearance in the series, it has become an even more popular tourist destination, attracting thousands of Game of Thrones fans from around the world. 🌍 Unfortunately the hermitage that we see today is not the original.😮 Over the centuries the church has suffered various battles and fires and has had to be rebuilt on several occasions. In 1978 the hermitage suffered a devastating fire that completely destroyed it, but it was rebuilt in 1980, with the structure that we will see today. If you are a follower of this channel you know that we always bring our dogs on all walks. Now they are not there because they walked through Bilbao this morning and are resting… 💖🐾 Although you should know that in high season access with pets is not allowed. 😥💔 In case you are wondering, this bridge transforms into a narrow path that goes from one side to the other with exactly 241 steps! The bridge and the road that connects the islet with the coast total more than 600 meters in length. And the hermitage is located 150 meters above sea level! What do you think? Would you feel able to complete this entire journey on foot? This island is approximately 270 meters long and 80 meters wide. Don’t you think it’s impressive that humans have been able to build this in such a complicated place without technology? The first mention of the hermitage dates back to the 9th or 10th century, making it a place more than a thousand years old! It’s crazy! Friends, we have become accustomed to immediacy and not stopping to appreciate the true value of things. When we visit a special place, sometimes we just take a photo and move on without taking the time to observe its history, the sounds, the smells, the texture of the ground under our feet… Beauty is in the details, but to see it you have to stop, observe, breathe deeply and let the moment envelop us. If you take the time to look at the sea, feel the wind and touch the centuries-worn stones, then the experience becomes truly magical. Feel the immensity of this planet! 💚💙 Friends, we have been walking from the top of the mountain in front of us! Things worth doing take effort! We’re almost there, we’re up! 🥳🏆 Welcome to the top, the hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe! Inside the hermitage there is an image of Saint John the Baptist, and it is the reference point for the prayers of visitors who climb to the top. Inside the hermitage there are also some of the sailors’ offerings, such as ship models, letters, photographs and navigation elements. Unfortunately, it is not open right now because it is not high season… If you want to come see it in the summer, the check-in time is from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ✅ But… It will be a harder climb due to the heat and there will be many more people! 🥵🔥 You can also ring its famous bell! 🔔 One of the most famous rituals of Gaztelugatxe is to ring the bell three times, according to tradition, when doing so you have to make a wish. 🍀 Do you already know what you would order? 💖🍀💰 This house seems like a small refuge to rest and take refuge from the weather. It’s quite nice after climbing to find such a resting place! The waves can exceed 10 meters high in winter, hitting the bridge and stairs hard.🌊 It must be an impressive natural spectacle! And now, we will see the last corner we have left to explore of this peak! 🤓💖 After this, all you have to do is come see it with your own eyes! I guarantee you will really enjoy this landscape! 💙 And from here, we begin to say goodbye dear friends! 💖🤗💖 You already know that a like is greatly appreciated! 💖👍🥰 We thank you as big as the sea!🌊💙 See you on another walk friends!🐾💖🤗 Until then, take care of yourself, see you soon! 🍀🥰🚀👒🎩👽🐉🦶

🔥🐉¿Reconoces esta Localización icónica de JUEGO DE TRONOS? 🤩
¿Estas listo para descubrir el lugar MÁS impresionante del País Vasco? 🌿⛪ En este walking tour te llevamos por la espectacular ruta de San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, una joya oculta en la costa del Cantábrico que combina naturaleza, historia y aventura. 🏰🌊

🔥 ¿Qué verás en este video? 🔥
✅ La impresionante escalera de 241 escalones que lleva hasta la ermita de San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. 🏞️👣
✅ Vistas panorámicas del Mar Cantábrico, con sus aguas salvajes y acantilados de infarto. 🌊⚡
✅ Datos históricos y leyendas sobre este icónico lugar del norte de España. 📖⛪
✅ Una experiencia inmersiva para que sientas la magia de este destino. ✨
✅ El escenario real de Rocadragón en Juego de Tronos 🐉🔥, donde Daenerys Targaryen pisa tierra firme en Westeros.

🌟 ¿Por qué visitar San Juan de Gaztelugatxe? 🌟
🔹 Considerado uno de los lugares más hermosos del País Vasco y de toda España. 🇪🇸💙
🔹 Forma parte de la espectacular Reserva de la Biosfera de Urdaibai. 🌿🐦
🔹 Se dice que tocar la campana tres veces trae buena suerte. 🔔🍀
🔹 Localización icónica de Juego de Tronos, ¡vive la experiencia de Rocadragón en la vida real! 🏰🐉

🎥 No te pierdas este walking tour y acompáñanos en una de las experiencias más épicas del norte de España. Dale LIKE 👍, suscríbete y activa la campanita 🔔 para más aventuras increíbles. 🚀✨

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