Logroño & La Rioja

The capital of Rioja wine, famous for the pintxos of Calle del Laurel, surrounded by wineries and home to the World Heritage monasteries of San Millán.

Logroño is the capital of the region of La Rioja in Spain, on the south bank of the Ebro, about 130 km from Bilbao and 330 km from Madrid, and an important stop for pilgrims on the Camino Francés. Rioja is Spain's most prestigious wine region, renowned for aged reds made from Tempranillo, and spans La Rioja, the Basque Rioja Alavesa and southern Navarre. Sightseeing in town centres on the old town: from early evening, hop between the pintxos bars on Calle del Laurel and Calle San Juan; by day, visit the Co-Cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda, the Church of Santiago el Real, the Stone Bridge and the Museum of La Rioja. Three classic routes lead out of town. North is Rioja Alavesa, with the walled town of Laguardia, Bodegas Ysios and Marqués de Riscal in Elciego. Northwest are the century-old wineries of the Haro Station District and the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture in Briones. Southwest are the World Heritage monasteries of San Millán, Nájera and Santo Domingo de la Calzada, with Ezcaray further into the mountains. To the southeast are the dinosaur footprints of Enciso. The best time to visit is Sep–Oct, with the grape harvest, the San Mateo festival (around September 21) and hillsides of red leaves; spring is mild, Jul–Aug days are hot, and winters are grey and cold. Getting there: about 3.5 hours by train from Madrid or 2 hours by bus from Bilbao; public transport between wineries and villages is scarce, so drive or join a winery tour. Plan on 2–3 days. Almost all winery visits must be booked in advance, many sights close on Mondays, and never drink and drive after tastings.

Top sights

• Calle del Laurel – Dozens of pintxos bars line up in this old-town alley, each serving a signature bite with a glass of Rioja. It is one of Spain's best-known…
• Co-Cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda – A twin-towered Baroque co-cathedral on the old market square, known as the 'Twins of La Rioja', said to house a small Crucifixion painting…
• Marqués de Riscal (City of Wine), Elciego – Founded in 1858, this long-established winery has a hotel designed by Frank Gehry with titanium waves on its roof, making it one of La Rioj…
• Haro Station District – Seven century-old wineries stand side by side beside the railway station in Haro. It is said to be the densest concentration of wineries in…
• San Millán de Yuso and Suso Monasteries – A World Heritage monastery complex known as the 'Cradle of the Spanish Language', where the earliest written records of Castilian are found.
• Santo Domingo de la Calzada Cathedral – A cathedral in a Camino pilgrim town, where a pair of live white hens is kept inside to commemorate the legend of the roast chicken that ca…
• Vivanco Museum of the Culture of Wine – A large wine museum beside the village of Briones, covering 8,000 years of wine culture, a corkscrew collection and Picasso's ceramic wine…
• Stone Bridge, Logroño – A seven-arch stone bridge over the Ebro River, where Camino pilgrims from Navarre enter Logroño.
• Church of Santiago el Real, Logroño – A 16th-century church on the Camino, with an equestrian statue of St James the Moor-slayer on its front portal and a giant Game of the Goos…
• Church of San Bartolomé, Logroño – Logroño's oldest church. Its 13th- and 14th-century Gothic portal carvings of saints are among the finest medieval sculptures in La Rioja.
• Imperial Church of Santa María de Palacio – An old church in the northern part of the old town, whose pyramid-shaped Gothic spire is nicknamed 'the Needle' by locals. Inside is a fine…
• Museum of La Rioja – A free regional museum in the 18th-century Espartero Palace, telling the history and art of La Rioja from prehistory to the present day.
• Paseo del Espolón – A central park along the southern edge of the old town, lined with plane trees. Beneath the equestrian statue of General Espartero, locals…
• Muralla del Revellín – The only surviving 16th-century section of the old city walls and gate on the western side, a reminder of the defence against the French si…
• Monastery of Santa María la Real, Nájera – The royal burial place of the Kingdom of Navarre, a Gothic monastery beneath red sandstone cliffs, with finely carved stonework in its Knig…
• Ezcaray – A stone mountain village at the foot of the Sierra de la Demanda, known for its handmade blankets and Michelin-starred restaurant, and a sk…
• Enciso Dinosaur Tracks – One of Spain's richest dinosaur footprint sites, with Cretaceous tracks on hillside rock faces and life-size dinosaur models beside them.
• Castle of Clavijo – A hilltop castle ruin on the site where St James is said to have appeared to aid in battle, offering views over the Ebro valley and Logroño.
• Monastery of Valvanera – A Benedictine monastery deep in the mountains, home to Our Lady of Valvanera, patron of La Rioja, and surrounded by beech forest.

Where to eat

• Bar Soriano – The best-known mushroom bar on Calle del Laurel, serving one garlicky grilled mushroom skewer for decades; eat standing…
• Ikaro – A Michelin-starred restaurant where an Ecuadorian chef and a Basque chef couple combine Rioja ingredients with South Am…
• Bar Lorenzo (Tío Agus) – A family skewer bar on a side street off Calle del Laurel, famous for its Tío Agus grilled meat rolls and a secret fami…
• Tondeluna – A casual city-center restaurant run by celebrated chef Francis Paniego, with long communal tables; his mother's croquet…

Itineraries

• Basque & La Rioja Wine Country Loop – Starting and ending in Bilbao, this loop connects Vitoria-Gasteiz, Logroño, Haro wineries, and San Sebastián.
• Camino Francés: Roncesvalles to Logroño 9-Day Trek – Walk from Roncesvalles to Logroño, covering about 140 km of the Camino de Santiago across Navarre in six stages.