Rioja: Elciego & Laguardia

Right across the Ebro from Logrono is the Basque province of Alava, home of Rioja Alavesa, one of three Rioja wine regions (the other two, Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja/Oriental are in La Rioja). This took us quite a while to deduce.

Our approach to the wine region was to bypass tasting, walk from village to village, through vineyards and by bodegas. We first took a bus from Logrono to Elciego, home to a bodega with a hotel designed by the architect Frank Gehry, which makes two Gehrys in five months for us. The truth was the architecture was rather underwhelming. Then we went on to Navaridas and Paganos, and then by way of another modern bodega, we ended up in Laguardia. Laguardia is a walled hilltop village, rather atmospheric, overlooking surrounding vineyards. A quick bus ride, we were back in Logrono. We were rather satisfied with our tour of Rioja.

First vineyards of the day as seen from the bus window. Yep, we are in the middle of the Rioja wine region.

Our first stop is Elciego most known for the Marqués de Riscal Vineyard Hotel designed by Architect Frank Gehry.

But the town also has a quiet plaza and a solid church.



Here's the Gehry Hotel from another angle...

It sits at the edge of town, and although not especially tall, can be seen from miles around as we found out as we walked to Laguardia.







The walk to Laguardia turned out to be more pleasant than we imagined. The secondary paved roads turned into smooth, soft dirt roads, with vineyards in every direction and the church spires of nearby towns on the horizon.

Looking to Laguardia, our final destination.

We had not planned to walk through Navaridas but when we saw the church in the distance we made a slight detour.





We stopped and ate our lunch on the bench in front of this small, obviously loved church just outside Navaridas.

Back on a paved road to Laguardia.

More stone huts. One imagines that these huts have stood there since before the Romans came to Iberia.

That's not an old brick factory but Hotel Bodega Eguren Ugarte near Paganos.

Just outside of Laguardia Old Town is the striking (or is there a better word?) Bodegas Ysios (Ysios Winery) designed by Santiago Calatrava.



The museum and site for the pre-Roman La Hoya Settlement was closed. Bummer. We could only look at the signage.

But this nearby ancient Dolmen was "always open".

Finally we ascend the hill to Laguardia Old Town.

Up top, near the bus station, there is a mirador with a view back to Elciego and the Gehry building.

And at another spot, a view of Bodegas Ysios.

Walking in a small park above the city walls.

Monumento al fabulista Samaniego.

The narrow streets of the Old Town.