Alesanco · La Rioja
Charming towns, wineries, trails and great food around your apartment.
BookThe area
Culture, wine and history within very few kilometres of Alesanco.
Yuso and Suso monasteries, birthplace of Spanish and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Learn more →Birthplace of the Spanish language. Its two monasteries — Suso (Visigothic-Mozarabic) and Yuso (the "Escorial of La Rioja") — have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1997. The first words ever written in Spanish (the Glosas Emilianenses) were penned here.
A Camino de Santiago village with the La Rioja Botanical Garden and a pilgrims' hostel.
Learn more →A village on the Camino de Santiago, a stone's throw from Alesanco. It is home to the La Rioja Botanical Garden (around 40,000 m², between Azofra and Hormilla), where you can even walk barefoot along grass paths. It keeps its pilgrim hospitality tradition with a modern hostel.
Monastery of Santa María la Real and old town by the Najerilla river.
Learn more →Former capital of the Kingdom of Nájera-Pamplona. Its jewel is the Monastery of Santa María la Real, a royal pantheon with a stunning Knights' Cloister. A lovely old town by the Najerilla river.
An essential Camino de Santiago stop and its famous rooster cathedral.
Learn more →An essential stop on the Camino de Santiago. Its cathedral famously keeps a live rooster and hen inside (the legend of the cock and hen). A beautifully preserved medieval centre, with a Parador in the former pilgrims' hospital.
The heart of Rioja wine: century-old wineries, tastings and tours.
Learn more →The capital of Rioja wine. Its Station District holds the world's largest concentration of century-old wineries, with tastings and guided tours. Home of the famous June Wine Battle.
One of La Rioja's prettiest villages and its ski resort in the Sierra de la Demanda.
Learn more →One of La Rioja's most charming villages, at the foot of the Sierra de la Demanda. In winter, the Valdezcaray ski resort (26 slopes); in summer, hiking and nature. Top-notch dining.
The capital and its legendary tapas street. A must for food lovers.
Learn more →The regional capital. Its Calle Laurel is a temple of "pinchos" (tapas) and wine — dozens of bars, each with its own speciality. Old town, the Concathedral of La Redonda and the Camino de Santiago.
Things to do
Wineries, trails and nature to fill your getaway.
Century-old wineries in Haro and the Vivanco wine museum in Briones.
Learn more →You're in the heart of La Rioja Alta. Haro's Station District holds legendary wineries (Muga, López de Heredia, CVNE, La Rioja Alta…) with tours and tastings. And in Briones, Bodegas Vivanco combines a winery with a spectacular Museum of Wine Culture.
A former railway turned walking and cycling trail, between Casalarreina and Ezcaray.
Learn more →About 28 flat, well-surfaced km along the old railway line, ideal for walking or cycling with the family. It crosses the Camino de Santiago at Santo Domingo de la Calzada and climbs up to Ezcaray.
The French Way passes right by: Nájera, Azofra, Cirueña and Santo Domingo.
Learn more →The French Way crosses the area. Soak up its atmosphere, walk or cycle a stage (Nájera to Santo Domingo is one of the prettiest) or simply explore the pilgrim villages around Alesanco.
Hiking in the Sierra de la Demanda in summer and skiing at Valdezcaray in winter.
Learn more →The Sierra de la Demanda, around Ezcaray, offers hiking trails (GR-93, GR-190) through forests and meadows. In winter, the Valdezcaray ski resort. Pure nature a short drive from home.
Gastronomy
Riojan cuisine to enjoy at leisure, in the village and around.