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

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:

Feb 19, 2026Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
Dec 10, 2025Castle of Rocca Calascio, Italy
Aug 1, 2024Floating fruit market, Kaptai Lake, Rangamati, Bangladesh
Jun 17, 2025Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States
Mar 12, 2025Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Nov 19, 2023Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
Jan 23, 2026Þorrablót, Icelandic midwinter festival
Jun 21, 2025Masai giraffes in the Serengeti
Oct 13, 2023Vieste, Apulia, Italy
Apr 2, 2025Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah, United States
Nov 9, 2025Lagoon Nebula, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope
Aug 31, 2023Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona, USA
Aug 29, 2023American bison
Sep 12, 2023North Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Germany
Oct 23, 2024Madame Sherri Forest, New Hampshire, United States
Feb 5, 2024Monarch butterflies
Mar 16, 2024Eurasian blue tit, United Kingdom
Dec 7, 2024Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
Jul 13, 2024Fairy chimneys and cave dwellings in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Mar 8, 2024Iguazú Falls, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Jan 6, 2026Nuuk, Greenland
Dec 15, 2025Spiegelgracht canal in Amsterdam
Jan 14, 2026Fortress of Palamidi, Nafplio, Greece
Jan 12, 2025Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Oct 23, 2023Corn maze in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
May 7, 2025Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Jul 27, 2025Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Dec 26, 2025Lakes of Covadonga, Asturias, Spain
Feb 22, 2025Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Feb 17, 2026Ochagavía, Navarre, Spain