Laguardia and the Rioja Alavesa a walled town above wine caves

What the Rioja Alavesa is

The Rioja Alavesa is the part of Álava south of the Sierra de Cantabria, between the mountains and the Ebro. It is wine country in the Rioja DOCa: vineyards as far as the eye can see, stone villages on the heights and wineries from every era, from medieval caves to architect-designed buildings. The sierra acts as a wall to the north and leaves the comarca with a drier, sunnier climate than the rest of Álava.

Laguardia is its main town. It stands on an elongated hill, enclosed by a wall, with three parallel streets into which cars do not go. Beneath those streets there are more than 300 calados, caves dug to make and store wine; in some, wine is still made. Above, the church of Santa María de los Reyes holds a 14th-century Gothic portico that has kept its polychromy.

How to get there

Laguardia is 15 km from Logroño, on the other side of the Ebro: about 20 minutes along the A-124. From Vitoria-Gasteiz you get there crossing the sierra over the Herrera pass, in about 45 minutes, or along the motorway towards Logroño. We estimate, by road: from Bilbao, an hour and twenty; from Pamplona, an hour and a quarter; from Burgos, around an hour and a half; from San Sebastián, an hour and three-quarters; from Soria, nearly two hours. Haro is half an hour away along the Sonsierra road.

Without a car, Alavabus line 9 links Vitoria-Gasteiz and Logroño via Laguardia, with about ten departures a day in winter, also at weekends, and an hour's journey from Vitoria. From Logroño there are also lines 8, 10 and 11. The main stop is next to the Villa de Laguardia hotel, at the foot of the old town. Elciego and the dolmens are off the lines: for them you need a car or a taxi.

Where to park

The old town is pedestrian-only. Leave the car in the public car parks next to the wall or on Avenida de la Diputación, in the lower part, where a public lift takes you up to the old town. At harvest time and on long weekends they fill up early: arrive before mid-morning. In Elciego, park at the entrance to the village or at the winery if you have a visit.

How much time and when to go

Half a day is enough to walk the old town, see the portico of Santa María and go down to a winery. With a full day you add Marqués de Riscal in Elciego and a long lunch. With two, the lagoons, the Chabola de la Hechicera and the road along the foot of the sierra to Samaniego, Labastida and Haro.

The best time is autumn, from September to early November, when the grapes are harvested and the vineyards turn red and yellow. Spring is also good, with mild temperatures. In summer midday hits hard: do your visits in the morning and leave the afternoon for the wineries, which are cool. In winter the village is quiet and almost everything stays open. Bear in mind that many restaurants close one weekday: Amelibia, Tuesday and Wednesday; Héctor Oribe, Monday and Tuesday.

Wine, from the cave to titanium

In the old town itself you have three ways of going down into a calado. The tourist office shows one at 13:00 for €3, without a tasting. El Fabulista, beneath the Samaniego palace, has a guided visit every day with two wines for €14. And Mayor de Migueloa, on Calle Mayor, tastes five wines in its cellar from €25. Outside the old town, the Villa-Lucía museum explains wine with games for all the senses.

In Elciego, about ten minutes away, Marqués de Riscal is the big visit: a winery from 1858 with the hotel by Frank O. Gehry on top, open every day, with a three-wine tasting from €30. Always book: wineries work by appointment and in autumn they fill up.

Beyond wine

The portico of Santa María de los Reyes is under restoration, with scaffolding in front that, according to the tourist office, will last about two years; the guided visit continues. Next to the church, the Torre Abacial has a daily slot at a fixed time. At the foot of the village, the Laguardia lagoons are a wetland with a flat trail through the Prao de la Paúl, with more birds from September to March. And in the surrounding countryside, the comarca holds nine dolmens; the best known is the Chabola de la Hechicera, in Elvillar.