Seven places you can’t miss when visiting La Rioja

Have you ever been to La Rioja? If not, what are you waiting for? Keep reading and we will show you some of the greatest places you can go to if you ever come to this wonderful region, one of the best-kept-secrets in Spain. We decided to choose seven (there are more, for sure) because seven is a magic number, like the Seven Wonders of the World and the seven rivers of La Rioja. Rioja is a charming place that will cast a spell on you. Are you ready to fall in love?  

Calle Laurel, famous for the pintxo crawl

The best known street in Logroño, the capital of La Rioja, is Calle Laurel. If you ask anybody, they will show you the way with no hesitation. Calle Laurel is a tiny street where you can find many bars and restaurants that offer the best local food, including the wonderful pintxos. What exactly is a pintxo? It is like a tapa, but the food is held together on a piece of bread with a wooden skewer (this skewer is called a pintxo in Spanish). Each bar is famous for a certain type of pintxo therefore people normally change from one bar to the next. Calle Laurel is without doubt a fantastic place for lunch or dinner and has the best atmosphere in the city. Of course all pintxos must be enjoyed with a glass of local wine, the perfect combination! 

The monasteries of San Millán de Suso and San Millán de Yuso

These two monasteries are located in the village of San Millán de la Cogolla, in La Rioja. They mean the “upper” and the “lower” in archaic Castilian, respectively. They have been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Suso, built in the 6^th century, is known as the origin of the first writings in the Spanish and Basque languages and is believed to be built on the old hermitage where Saint Emilian (San Millán in Spanish) lived. Yuso Cathedral was built in the 11^th century to house the remains of Saint Emilian.

Wine tourism in Rioja wineries

Wine tourism, also known as ‘enoturismo’ in Spanish, is one of the most fashionable trends in recent years. Every day more people are becoming more interested in wine and wanting to spend a part of their holidays visiting a winery and tasting good wine. La Rioja is probably one of the most famous regions in Spain that offers this type of tourism. Our vineyards and quality wines with our stunning landscapes and great diversity of cultural activities make La Rioja the perfect place for wine enthusiasts. 

Concathedral of Santa María de la Redonda

The Concathedral of Santa María de la Redonda is the main church in Logroño, built in the 16th century on the ruins of an ancient Roman temple. The church houses the pantheon of General Espartero and his wife Doña Jacinta and if you like art you should look out for a Michelangelo which shows the Crucifixion of Christ, a painting that measures 1.5 by 1 foot. Michelangelo made several sketches of this painting that are now in the British Museum and the Louvre, but the original is here in Logroño. Don’t miss it!  

La Rioja Museum

Very close to Calle Laurel, with free entrance, you can find the superb La Rioja Museum. Come through the entrance, situated in Espartero Palace, and enjoy a journey from the prehistoric age through to the 20^th century with archaelogical collection items from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque. There is also a space dedicated to ethnography, with information about agriculture, home life and vineyards.

And after enjoying the culture, food and wine, let’s go wild and experience adventure through the stunning landscapes of La Rioja. 

Tierra rapaz, for nature lovers

If you are in love with nature and animals, you shouldn’t miss this animal theme park. Here you can learn more about birds of prey and see them as you have never seen before. Ideal for families with small children, you can attend bird exhibitions, take pictures with the animals and discover more than 50 species of birds from many different regions in the world.  

Nature and rural tourism

Seven rivers are born in La Rioja, decorating the landscapes of the region, and making it a mosaic of different landscapes. Depending on where you go, you can enjoy vineyards, Mediterranean forests, lunar landscapes, valleys and high mountains, all worth seeing. The Sierra de Cebollera Nature Reserve and the Arnedillo Biophere Reserve are a must! Don’t leave the camera at home, you’ll want to take photographs of everything

Do you need more reasons to come to La Rioja? Well Beronia is also here! Why don’t you come and visit us? We look forward to meeting you.