The 9 most beautiful villages of Rioja Alavesa.

Meet the most beautiful villages of Rioja Alavesa, villages, behind which we find a great history, culture and wine tradition.

The most beautiful villages of Rioja Alavesa, share a series of characteristics that make them totally different from the rest of the villages that we find scattered throughout the rest of our geography. However, we have no doubt that some of the villages mentioned in this article are among the most beautiful villages of Euskadi. The villages of Rioja Alavesa are surrounded by a beautiful landscape dotted with vines and olive trees, which is joined by the peculiar charm of the Sierra de Cantabria, a huge natural wall that divides the Llanada Alavesa from the area of Araba that concerns us today. Rioja Alavesa is one of the areas of Euskadi that receives more visits during the summer season, not surprisingly, and is that, known as the land of wineries and wineries, Rioja Alavesa offers a place to relax mind and body in the countryside.

As you know, Araba is divided into different regions officially known as “Cuadrillas”. On this occasion, we are going to talk about the most beautiful villages that we find in the “Cuadrilla de Laguardia Rioja Alavesa”, one of the most charming rural areas of Araba. The very name of this Cuadrilla makes clear the importance that Laguardia, capital and most beautiful village of Rioja Alavesa, has on the region itself. A space of great interest, which brings together a series of attractions impossible to refuse: gastronomy, wine experiences, culture, history and many more. We are sure you know Laguardia, and even if you have not been there, who has not heard of this village located in a natural watchtower, protected by walls and surrounded by fields of crops? A village of film. But we do not only recommend you to visit the villages of this land, its roads, fields and heritage resources create impressive experiences to captivate the traveler. Would you like a wine therapy treatment? A 4×4 route through vineyards? Feel Rioja Alavesa with a 4D video? All this and much more is possible thanks to all the people who, involved and 100% committed to making their land known, accompany us on these types of adventures.

Imagine a quiet weekend among vineyards and olive trees, enjoying a good Rioja Alavesa wine accompanied by the best of the local gastronomy. In silence, with the singing of birds as the only sound in the background, under the protection of the Sierra de Cantabria. Simply breathtaking. 100% recommended. In addition, the proximity of the capital of Araba, Vitoria Gasteiz, offers the possibility of enjoying the route of the murals, the Bibat museum, the Old Cathedral, Artium, the green ring and much more at about 30 – 40 minutes from some of the most beautiful villages of Rioja Alavesa.

Strolling through the cobbled streets of the villages of Rioja Alavesa, among medieval fortresses and noble houses, is synonymous with tranquility and harmony. These sensations are heightened by the sight of the undulating silhouette and the changing colors of the surrounding fields.

The towns of Rioja Alavesa are geographically limited by Navarra and La Rioja, two areas with which they share much more than just the wine tradition. But beware, we must not underestimate the wine culture, because it is this sector, which is the strongest in this area of Euskadi. It is the driving force of the economy of the Rioja Alavesa. In our opinion, there are no ugly villages in the Rioja Alavesa, but so many of you have asked us for the most beautiful ones that we have been forced to make a selection, a sieve. Anyway, we are so sure that you will like more than 80% of the villages in this area of Euskadi that we dare to put the complete list of the villages that make up the Cuadrilla de Laguardia Rioja Alavesa:

21 villages among which we find the wine route or the route of the dolmens among others. We recommend you to make a small “road trip”, a road trip to know in person all the villages of this area of Euskal Herria. Many people tell us that on their trip to Rioja Alavesa they have only enjoyed visits to wineries. Given this type of statements, we want to share a secret with all of you, there is life behind the wineries, Rioja Alavesa is much more than just wineries. By the way, if you want to ignore our recommendations, if you are still overwhelmed by visiting only wineries, please, do not stay in the big ones, there are amazing family wineries nearby. We return to the subject at hand, the most beautiful villages of Rioja Alavesa. And, if we have to highlight the beauty of any of them, we are left with these 9. They are villages that leave no one indifferent, villages with a certain medieval style, full of history.

Laguardia: Guard in Basque. On a hill, as if it were a watchtower, stands the majestic Laguardia, capital of the Laguardia Rioja Alavesa region and one of the most beautiful villages in the Rioja Alavesa. Its cobbled streets, walls and churches make us travel back in time to the Middle Ages. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful villages in Euskadi. It is here, where we find the highest concentration of hotels, restaurants and services for the traveler. This town was founded in the tenth century as a fortress of the Kingdom of Navarra. In its interior, we find a great heritage as the church of San Juan Bautista, the church of Santa Maria de los Reyes or the Palace House of the Fabulist Samaniego. While on the outside we find places as amazing as the Poblado de la Hoya or the lagoons. It is advisable to visit Laguardia out of the summer season, and its beauty attracts thousands of people to this walled town.

Labastida: Bastida in Basque. Bordered by the Ebro River and Mount Toloño (1,271m), this beautiful village of Araba invites us to walk through the streets and squares of its historic center while we discover ancient subway cellars. In addition, annually, on December 7, they celebrate La Ronda, a festival, which between bonfires, zurracapote and chestnuts, encourages us to walk around the village in a great festive atmosphere. Music, food and free drinks, you can’t ask for more. In this small village, we recommend visiting the Gontes winery (Gonzalez Teso), a winery of a lifetime.

LanciegoLantziego in Basque. This village of noble houses surprises us with one of the most interesting historical centers of all Rioja Alavesa. We should also mention that at the beginning of the village, at the entrance, we find one of the most charming olive presses in the whole of Rioja Alavesa. It is here, where we got to know Arrolan oil, one of the many liquid jewels hidden in this magical land.

Elciego: Eltziego in Basque. Internationally known for hosting the hotel of the Marqués de Riscal winery, another of Frank Gehry’s buildings, the Canadian architect who built the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. But the reality is that, although this winery is well worth a visit, leaving this town without visiting its historic center is a real crime. The cobbled streets, the eguzkilores on the doors of the houses (typical thistles of Euskadi that are said to protect the houses from all dark phenomena) and the emblazoned buildings that we find along the route are a good argument to encourage you to walk through this beautiful Basque village.

Salinillas de Buradón: Buradon Gatzaga in Basque. This walled village invites us to walk through the small labyrinth created by its beautiful stone houses. A series of narrow and charming streets, which lead us to visit places as impressive as the access gates to the town center, the church or the palace. Although in the past this town produced salt, at present it does not have any exploitation of this type. More information: Salinillas de Buradón, what to see and do.

Samaniego: In this urban center, we find again a beautiful historic center, but it is not the only attraction that we find in it. The more than 10 wineries that we find in its jurisdiction or the balcony of Rioja Alavesa are other great protagonists of the place. If you decide to visit this area, we recommend you to visit the Alutiz Winery and its rural house, the Alutiz mansion.

Elvillar: Although the urban core of this village in Alava does not include large and spectacular buildings, the great rural landscape that we find in its vicinity, under the watchful eye of the Sierra de Cantabria and the dolmen known as the Chabola de la Hechicera, well worth a visit.

Lapuebla de labarca: The urban center of this village of Rioja Alavesa did not catch our attention, indeed, if it were not for the incredible scenery that gives us the balcony of the Ebro, we would not include it in our list. This space is located at the back of the town hall, which together with the church, represents another of the attractions of the area.

Navaridas: Small and coquettish, this peculiar village located on a hill, attracts the attention of everyone who passes by it. Its interior, consisting of just over 4 streets, offers a nice place to walk around. We recommend going up to the church, the views are worth it.

Most of these villages have a medieval touch. Thanks to its walls, streets, squares and views, Laguardia is considered by many as a must-see town on your trip to Rioja Alavesa. Did you like the most beautiful villages of Rioja Alavesa that we have presented? Would you include any other? Would you eliminate any of them? We look forward to hearing your opinions.

Rioja Alavesa is a land of vineyards. An area of great natural beauty that has a great winemaking tradition. That is why a visit to a winery in Rioja Alavesa is a must on any trip to the south of Araba. In our article on the best wineries in Rioja Alavesa we leave you some of the best options to enjoy this striking facet. In addition, in our reservation center you have the opportunity to book some of these experiences at the best price. We recommend you to check prices and availability here.

If you are looking for a rural house in Rioja Alavesa, we recommend you to consider the option of staying in the Casona de Alutiz, a very quiet and cozy accommodation located in the urban center of Samaniego. A village, surrounded by hectares and hectares of vineyards, protected by the always emblematic Sierra Cantabria, offers endless possibilities. The house has always been inhabited by farmers in the area until a few years ago it was converted into a rural house. This 18th century building built with ashlar stone offers a modern and elegant decoration. We recommend you to check prices and availability here.

The history and culture of a place is essential to know its true essence. Its way of being. So we are going to try to summarize the history that this land has kept for more than 4,000 years. The Chabola de la Hechicera de Elvillar, an ancient burial space that testifies to the existence of life at that time, is one of the best known historical witnesses of this area of our land. But next to it, we must emphasize the different dolmens that we find scattered in different villages, or the Poblado de la Hoya, one of the most important sites of the Bronze Age in Euskadi (1,500 BC). If we move to recent history, we must highlight the struggle between Navarrese and Castilians to take over the territory now known as Rioja Alavesa, an event that ended in 1461 with this territory in the hands of Castile.

If you like history, we recommend you to visit the Poblado de la Hoya and the Chabola de la Hechicera, two very important spaces in the development of the land we walk on. We are sure you will like them. By the way, both are totally free.

If you want to know what to see and what to do in Rioja alavesawe recommend you to read carefully each of the following words, they are not wasted. In addition to visiting all the villages mentioned above, today it is essential to enjoy 4 aspects that most of the villages of Rioja Alavesa share: Gastronomy, wine, oil and nature. Or what is the same, enjoy a good restaurant, visit a winery, visit a “trujal” and go along one of the many routes that run through this land.

Restaurants in Rioja Alavesa: Although we are in one of the most rural areas of Araba, its urban centers hide hundreds of restaurants where you can enjoy the local gastronomy. The gastronomy of each place cannot be understood without knowing the local products, so, in addition to the already known Rioja Alavesa Denomination of Origin wine and extra virgin olive oil of the Arroniz variety, we must add to the list the impressive potatoes and truffles of Araba. High quality local products that provide us with traditional and modern menus, according to the diner’s taste. But eating in a restaurant is not the only way to enjoy the gastronomy of Rioja Alavesa, and getting lost among a good bar of pintxos or among vineyards to enjoy a barbecue, are two other varieties that we recommend not to lose sight of. Among our favorites are 2 of the most famous and popular dishes of this area of Euskadi, potatoes with chorizo and lamb chops with vine shoots. They never fail. Our recommendations are very clear, Mesón Alai in Labastida and El Capricho de Baco in Labastida.

Wineries of the Rioja Alavesa: There are many villages that have among their most emblematic buildings a winery, the most famous case is that of Elciego, where the winery of Marqués de Riscal, the work of the great architect Frank Gehry, creator of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, attracts a good number of visitors. Although the attraction for many is the appearance of the winery itself, the buildings found on the outside, you should know that Rioja Alavesa is known for the large number of subway tunnels hidden beneath the surface. The fact is that the number of subway cellars or “calados” is so large that their extent is not really known. Many of them are privately owned, family wineries, where some of the best wines of Rioja Alavesa are produced in the traditional way.

Trujales de Rioja Alavesa: Although there is currently a grape monopoly, cereals and olives have always shared the limelight in the fields of this part of the Basque Country. Olive oil has always been present in Rioja Alavesa. Fortunately, some of the olive presses are still preserved today, and a few of them are still active. We recommend a visit to the trujal de Moreda and the trujal de Lanciego, where two great extra virgin olive oils are produced with the native Arroniz variety as the protagonist. One of the lesser known aspects of the most beautiful villages of Rioja Alavesa that we recommend you to discover in person. We are sure you will not regret it.

Routes of Rioja Alavesa: The Sierra de Cantabria and the Sierra de Toloño, offer beautiful routes to enjoy the stunning scenery of Rioja Alavesa. On the other hand, the thousands of trails that we find among vineyards, represent another of the great options to explore this land on foot.

The best views of Rioja Alavesa: The Balcony of Rioja Alavesa or the balcony of the Ebro are two truly spectacular places. But they are not the only ones, the views that we find from the top of the Sierra de Cantabria or Toloño are another of the great sights of Rioja Alavesa.

Museums of Rioja Alavesa: Although in this area of Euskadi we do not have a great number of museums, the existing ones have a great historical and cultural interest. Among all of them we highlight two, the previously mentioned Museo del Poblado de la Hoya and the Museo Villa Lucia.

Videos: If you liked everything we have mentioned in this article, we recommend you to subscribe to our YouTube channel, we upload videos about Euskadi almost every week. We leave you a couple of them to whet your appetite:

As you can see, the most beautiful villages of Rioja Alavesa are accompanied by multiple plans for any getaway to this wonderful area of southern Araba. We hope you like each and every one of the villages mentioned and that you dare to visit some of the few olive presses that exist for an oil tasting, one of the most unknown and underrated aspects of Rioja Alavesa.