La Rioja

• A region of Spain few tourists ever see
• Mediaeval towns, sandstone villages, farming hamlets unchanged over the centuries
• Flamboyant Gothic churches, ancient monasteries, elegant neo-classical houses
• World-famous wines stored in age-old bodegas
• Stunningly beautiful backdrop of the Sierra de Cantabria

World-famous for it’s fine wines, yet largely undiscovered by the tourists, the region of La Rioja, in north eastern Spain, is one of the country’s best-kept secrets. The province is a glorious rolling carpet of vines and cornfields, jealously guarded from the outside world by towering mountains around its perimeter. The broad valley is bisected by the lazy Rio Ebro, which meanders gently past weeping willows, flanked by massed ranks of deep green vines and golden cornfields, giving it a look reminiscent of parts of Tuscany. High above on occasional hilltops, castles crumble and sandstone villages snooze peacefully in the sunshine, just waiting to be explored on a cycling tour of Spain.

In keeping with Spain’s rich and varied history, references to Riojan wines are mentioned in documents as far back as 1102, and traditional barricas (or barrels) were being exported to the richest houses in the known world in the 1500’s. An important religious legacy is also found here - the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela passes through the centre of the region. In the Middle Ages, Santiago was the third most important city of pilgrimage after Rome and Jerusalem for Christians, and you will pass many pilgrims still making the journey today

Walking

Cycling