La Rioja

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ELCIEGO, SPAIN - SEP 10: The modern hotel of Marques de Riscal on September 10, 2016 in Elciego, Basque Country, Spain. This hotel, designed by Frank Gehry, was built in 2007.

©Alberto Loyo/Shutterstock

Overview

Get out the copas (glasses) for La Rioja and some of the best red wines produced in the country. Wine goes well with the region’s ochre earth and vast blue skies, which seem far more Mediterranean than the Basque greens further north. In fact, it’s hard not to feel as if you’re in a different country altogether. The bulk of the vineyards line Río Ebro around the town of Haro, but some also extend into neighbouring Navarra and the Basque province of Álava. This diverse region offers more than just the pleasures of the grape, though, and a few days here can see you mixing it up in lively towns and quiet pilgrim churches, and even hunting for the remains of giant reptiles.

01 / Attractions

Must-see attractions

Museo de la Rioja
Logroño
Housed in a lovely 18th-century baroque building, this superb museum takes you on a wild romp through Riojan history and culture in both Spanish and…
Vivanco
La Rioja
A must for wine lovers, the high-tech Museum of the Culture of Wine delves into the history and culture of wine and the various processes that go into its…
Catedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada
La Rioja
The monumental cathedral and its attached museum glitter with the gold that attests to the great wealth the Camino has bestowed on otherwise backwater…
Catedral de Santa María de la Redonda
Logroño
The Catedral de Santa María de la Redonda sits on the site of a 12th-century oratory, and was built in varying styles between the 15th and 18th centuries…
Monasterio de Suso
La Rioja
Built above the caves where San Millán once lived, the Monasterio de Suso was consecrated in the 10th century. It’s believed that in the 13th century a…
Monasterio de Yuso
La Rioja
The 6th-century Monasterio de Yuso, sometimes called El Escorial de La Rioja, contains numerous treasures in its museum. You can only visit as part of a…
Iglesia de San Bartolomé
Logroño
The impressive main entrance of Logroño's oldest church (built between the 12th and 13th centuries) has a splendid portico of deeply receding borders and…
Monasterio de Santa María la Real
La Rioja
The Gothic Monasterio de Santa María la Real, with its fragile-looking, early-16th-century cloisters, is the town's main draw.