Visiting La Rioja is always a great option. However, when we arrive at a place for the first time we like to soak up its essence and visit the most representative sites that help us to understand their history and way of life over time.
A mission that is not always easy, as we often make the mistake of wanting to visit more places than recommended for the time we have.
So the purpose of this article is to help you in this task and to collect top 10 places to see in La Rioja that will allow you to reach the most authentic corners of this region.
And for regular visitors to La Rioja... Do you have any of these places left to visit?
- 1. Tapas in Logroño at La Calle Laurel
- 2. Monasteries of Yuso and Suso in San Millán de la Cogolla
- 3. Cultural landscape of wine and vineyards in autumn from La Rioja Alta
- 4. The San Lorenzo Peak in Ezcaray
- 5. Monastery of Santa María La Real in Nájera
- 6. The Cave of the Hundred Pillars in Arnedo
- 7. The Sierra Cebollera, the natural park of La Rioja
- 8. Ichnite Sites in the La Rioja Mountains
- 9. Nature Reserve of the Sotos del Ebro in Alfaro
- 10. Contrebia Leucade a fascinating Celtiberian site in La Rioja
1. Tapas in Logroño at La Calle Laurel
Enjoying the gastronomy and Rioja wines is a must for anyone visiting La Rioja.
And for that, the most characteristic place in the whole region is La Calle Laurel in Logroño. It is a tapas area with dozens of places where you can enjoy the best tapas you can imagine accompanied by a good Rioja.
La Laurel is the place where tourists, travellers and Riojans meet and socialise while enjoy the delicacies of the earth.
2. Monasteries of Yuso and Suso in San Millán de la Cogolla
The Monasteries of Suso and Yuso have been declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1997, for historical, artistic, religious, linguistic and literary reasons.
The Monastery of Suso is the older of the two, built at the end of the 6th century from the cave where the the hermit Saint Millan died in 574.
It was in this monastery where a monk wrote the Emilian GlossesThe first annotations in the margins of the pages are written in Latin. These annotations were written in the Romance language and the first annotations written in Basque also appear, which is why they are considered to be in the Basque language. cradle of Castilian and Basque.
Gonzalo de Berceo, the first poet to be known in Castilian, also lived in this monastery.
In the "portaliello" of the Monastery of Suso, you can also find the sarcophagi of the Seven Infantes de Lara.
For its part, the Monastery of Yuso The larger one was ordered to be built in 1053 by King García Sánchez III of Navarre "the one from Nájera" when the oxen carrying the remains of San Millán refused to move on.
The present-day monastery of Yuso was built between the 16th and 18th centuries.
This group of monasteries is undoubtedly one of the main places to see in La Rioja.
3. Cultural landscape of wine and vineyards in autumn from La Rioja Alta
The typical Riojan landscape consists of a sea of vineyards which cover the entire Ebro valley and from which the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin wine is born.
This breathtaking landscape at any time of the year is full of colours in the middle of autumn when the leaves of the vines change colour and merge with the rest of the landscape: trees, poplar groves, crops... creating a unique canvas that you will never tire of looking at.
It is at this time of the year, after the harvestwhen the leaves of black grape vines turn reddish, while the leaves of white grape vines turn yellow.
An annual spectacle to see in La Rioja you won't want to miss.
4. The San Lorenzo Peak in Ezcaray
The Peak San Lorenzo is the highest in the whole region from which you can see La Rioja at an altitude of 2,271 metres above sea level, which in turn can be seen in the background from any point in La Rioja Alta.
To reach the top of this peak you can do so by undertaking a circular route of 8 km. from the ski resort car park which can be found at the foot of the hill, or if you prefer something lighter from the pass of the Tres Fuentes on a linear route of 4.5 km in total.
To get to the peak you have to go from the town of Ezcaray, which has one of the most important sets of popular architecture most interesting of La Rioja.
5. Monastery of Santa María La Real in Nájera
Historically, the Monastery of Santa María La Real of Nájera is, together with the monasteries of Yuso and Suso de San Millán de la Cogolla, the most important in the whole region, since Nájera was the capital of the Kingdom of Nájera between 923 and 1113. It was the cradle of the Kingdoms of Navarre, Aragon and Castile.
In 1044, the King of Navarre, García Sánchez III, while hunting for falconry, found a small chapel with the Virgin, a bouquet of lilies, a lamp and a bell. Due to the triumphs in successive wars, he ordered the construction of a new chapel. the primitive temple to the Virgin of the Cave which opens in 1052.
The present church was built between 1422 and 1453.
The cloister of the knights was built between 1517 and 1528.
The list of historical figures buried in the monastery more than thirty, most of them belonging to royalty.
In the same square of the monastery you will find Meraki Gastrobar a must for a taste of the local gastronomy.
6. The Cave of the Hundred Pillars in Arnedo
The Cave of the Hundred Pillars in Arnedo is currently the town's main tourist attraction as it is of great value. as a Rock Heritage Site.
It is located in the Cerro San Miguel and is believed to have been the location of the old monastery de San Miguel referred to in the will of Sancho Fortún, Lord of Arnedo, in the year 1063.
The guided tour departs from the tourist office of Arnedo and is priced at €7, so it is advisable to book early.
The visit begins with a brief explanation of the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle to continue walking to the Cave of the Hundred Pillars.
The first cave to visit is the Ethnographic Interpretation Centre of the Life in the Caves where you can discover the history of these curious constructions used as dwellings and for economic purposes where more than 200 families lived until the middle of the 20th century.
You can then access via a spiral staircase to what would have been the old monastery of San Miguel.
A visit that will not leave you indifferent.
7. The Sierra Cebollera, the natural park of La Rioja
The Cebollera mountain range is the only natural area in La Rioja that has been awarded the distinction of natural park. It is a landscape that has recovered, after centuries of intense transhumance activity, extensive natural forests of Scots pine, beech and oak, with outstanding ecological and scenic values in the course of mountain streams, with waterfalls and small waterfalls in a setting of riverside woodland.
The natural park covers an area of 23,640 hectares, but if we take into account the entire extension of the Sierra de Cebollera, its surface area is 106,934 hectares.
The Sierra de Cebollera is a privileged geological enclave within the Iberian System, due to the glacial formations, the "pits", at altitudes above 2,000 metres, such as the peak of Peña Cebollera.
A must to see in La Rioja and enjoy nature at its wildest.
In Villoslada de Cameros, you will find the Interpretation Centre of the natural park.
8. Ichnite Sites in the La Rioja Mountains
In La Rioja there are several places where you can see up to 10,000 dinosaur footprints belonging to the periods of Upper Jurassic (150 million years) and Lower Cretaceous (100 million years).
This is due to the fact that at that time this area of La Rioja was a muddy region which, over millions of years and covered by other sediments, eventually solidified into rocks.
In the mountains of La Rioja you can see these sites at Ajamil de Cameros, Hornillos de Cameros, Muro en Cameros, Soto en Cameros, Terroba, Aguilar de río Alhama, Cervera de río Alhama, Cornago and Igea..
Being in Igea on Paleontological Interpretation Centre of La Rioja and in Enciso El Barranco Perdido, a multi-adventure park with a palaeontology-themed museum, and the Dinosaur Route with a 6km route on the outskirts of the village.
9. Nature Reserve of the Sotos del Ebro in Alfaro
The Sotos de Alfaro are a privileged natural ecosystem from riverine forests poplars, poplars, willows, ashes and alders, and birds The stork predominates, but you can also see herons, cormorants, blackbirds, blackbirds, kites, hoopoes and kingfishers.
The Ebro River runs through this area creating meanders, islands and beaches from which to observe all the beauty of the place.
You can enjoy these spots by exploring their nooks and crannies and relaxing in their recreational area.
Our hosts in Alfaro are Ilurce Winery which offers tastings and guided tours of its family winery, and if you want to sample the local gastronomy visit Casa Javi in Rincón de Soto.
10. Contrebia Leucade a fascinating Celtiberian site in La Rioja
Contrebia Leucade is a Celtiberian city from the 3rd century BC, which has survived to the present day in an exceptional state of preservation, being one of the most important sites on the Peninsula.
It is a Celtiberian site of great historical value as, due to its strategic geographic location, it has been used for two thousand years by different cultures.
In Aguilar de Río Alhama is located the Contrebia Leucade Interpretation Centre where the visit begins, taking you into the way of life of its people more than 2,000 years ago in an original, fun and different way.
A 2.5 km from the village of Aguilar is the site where you must travel in your own vehicle to continue the visit in situ.
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These 10 places to see in La Rioja give you a global vision of this land and will make you enjoy all its gastronomic, cultural, historical and natural richness.
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