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San Millan de la Cogolla Rioja

Rioja

A pleasure tour through the vineyards

New tour
7 Days / 6 Nights
Medium
San Millan de la Cogolla Rioja

Located in the north of Spain, the region of La Rioja is situated between the Basque Country, Navarre, and Castile and León. Beyond the realms of mass tourism, this autonomous community is renowned for its eponymous wine and the significant vineyards, ranking among the most important in Europe. Thus, this bike tour is dedicated to enjoyment, inviting you to sample exquisite wines, explore historic cities with visits to wineries (Bodegas), and relish the flavors of Spanish cuisine on your taste buds.

Your cycling holiday begins in the provincial capital, Logroño. As you cycle towards "La Rioja Alavesa," you will travel a stretch along the Camino de Santiago, where you are likely to encounter many pilgrims along the way. Vineyards, surrounded by a wildly romantic mountain landscape, accompany you to Laguardia. On the way to Haro, you'll explore a winery known not only for its wine but also for its architecture: Bodegas Ysios, designed by the Valencian architect Calatrava.

 

On Day 4, consider paying a visit to the Wine Museum in Briones and savoring the atmosphere of the Camino de Santiago village, Santo Domingo de la Calzada. With a view of the mountains around Ezcaray, you will continue along the Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago) before once again reaching the distinctive vineyards. The final stage takes you from Nájera back to the capital, with the last kilometers of cycling along the Ebro River. A stop at Bodegas Marqués de Riscal near Elciego is worthwhile. The building of the oldest winery in the region is also renowned for its extraordinary architecture.

  • Tapas und wine: Tapas are small bites served in Spanish bars and bodegas, typically accompanying a glass of wine or beer. Served on small plates, they allow you to sample the culinary diversity of the country. Pair them with local wines, especially the Tempranillo varietal.
  • Wine storage in the Laguardia style: The village boasts a beautiful medieval center waiting to be explored. Beneath the surface lies an extensive system of caves and tunnels designed for wine storage – some of which are open for visits!
  • The San Millán Monastery: The complex, connecting two monasteries, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997. Various architectural styles, ranging from Visigothic to Baroque, characterize the structures. The monasteries are considered the cradle of the Spanish language, as the oldest written document in San Millán originated there.

Vineyards typically evoke hilly landscapes, and this is no exception in La Rioja. Despite short stages ranging from 30 to 35 kilometers, you still have ample time to fully savor the villages, towns, wineries, and places to stop along the way.

 

Almost year-round good weather and a landscape stretching from the mountains to the coast – explore Spain with our cycling tours and combine an active vacation with pure enjoyment!

Itinerary at a glance

In Rioja, you will experience unparalleled natural diversity in a very small area. Vineyards, wooded slopes, river landscapes and cultivated land alternate. Not forgetting the region's famous red wines.

Welcome to Logroño! A visit to the beautiful city center with its many cafés and tapas bars is a must!

On the first day, you cycle into the "La Rioja Alavesa" region. You leave Logroño via the Way of St. James and are accompanied by many pilgrims. After cycling through fields for a while, the landscape changes and you cross a mosaic of vineyards surrounded by high mountains. In Laguardia, one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Spain, you should definitely visit one of the bodegas. Below the village is a labyrinth of tunnels and caves that serve as bodegas.

Today you will get to know the Ysios Bodega, designed by the famous architect Calatrava and one of the most striking buildings in La Rioja. You cycle along quiet country roads and country lanes through the vineyards of La Rioja Alavesa and Euskadi. The beautiful landscape of vineyards, fields and mountains hides old villages where you cycle at a leisurely pace to the larger village of Haro, where the two most famous bodegas, Viña Tondonia and Muga, are located.

The first part of the route to the village of Briones is flat and the landscape is still dominated by vineyards. Briones is home to the wine museum, which you should definitely visit. The route continues through the lesser-known La Rioja. The vineyards give way to cereal fields and cornfields until you arrive in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a beautiful village with great significance in the history of the Camino de Santiago.

You cycle from Santo Domingo de la Calzada along with many other pilgrims on the famous Way of St. James. The first part of the route is a constant up and down through fields, always with the imposing Ezcaray mountains in the distance. You reach the mighty San Millán monastery, where the Spanish language was born. You then follow a breathtakingly beautiful path through old vineyards and with magnificent views over La Rioja until you arrive in Nájera.

Today you cycle leisurely past fields and reach the Alava region, with its countless vineyards. In Elciego you will come across the most famous bodega, designed by Frank Gueri Marqués de Riscal. From Elciego you follow the river Ebro to Logroño.

Day
07
Departure or Extension

Route Information

Medium

The daily stages are quite short, but in slightly hilly to undulating terrain. There are a few climbs on each stage. The route runs mainly on quiet country roads and country lanes, occasionally also on good gravel roads.

Prices & Dates

Category: 3***- and 4****-hotels

Prices per person in EUR

Services & Information

Further details about this tour

Included

  • Accommodation as already mentioned
  • Breakfast
  • Welcome briefing (English, Dutch)
  • Luggage transfer
  • Carefully elaborated route description
  • Detailed travel documents 1x per room (German, English, Dutch)
  • GPS-data
  • Service hotline (English)

 

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • Logroño train station
  • Madrid, Bilbao or Zaragoza airport

Things to note

  • Tourist tax, if due, is not included in the price!
  • Further important information according to the package travel law can be found here!
  • Minimum number of participants 2 people
  • This tour is a partner tour.
Sarah Salzlechner

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