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Festivals, events, adventure, open air… Summer is synonymous with freedom. It means having more time to travel, to meet friends, to be with your partner… in a word, to live life. And you know what? our members of the Rioja Alta Wine Route are experts in making it happen for you.
If you are thinking of coming to Rioja Alta this summer, we recommend that you take a look at our events calendar first, as you will find some very attractive events here: tastings in special places, such as a castle, a wine cellar or under the stars; concerts and festivals in wineries, such as the popular MUWI; internationally renowned festivals and traditions, such as the Haro Wine Battle or the Clarete Wine Battle in San Asensio, are just some of them.
But there is even more, because the Rioja Alta Wine Route is also a destination for learning with the family. For example, to discover the world of beekeeping in a “Bee Sanctuary” dressed as a real beekeeper, to decipher the night skies in stargazing in wineries, to investigate pottery and ceramics in a landmark town like Navarrete or to discover the Romanesque Rioja on a route at the foot of the Obarenes Mountains through Territorio Tarón.
And what about spiritual tourism? In summer, the Rioja Alta Wine Route receives hundreds of visitors on their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. There are those who take advantage of the Camino to discover the artistic and cultural heritage they pass through on their way; others stop to admire the peculiarities of the natural landscape and many others choose to delight in the local gastronomy. Whatever your pilgrim profile, here you can find the answers.
Summer and bicycles also go hand in hand. Whatever age you are, getting on one and pedalling, enjoying the freedom that this means of transport offers you, feeling the air, the speed, mixing with the environment… Doing the route on your own is a good idea, but doing it along one of our Wine Trails is much better, because they have been designed so that, as you go along, you can see vineyards, towns and places of interest.
A two-day getaway is going to be too short for you because there is still so much more. We haven’t yet mentioned our museums in Rioja Alta, some of which are internationally renowned, such as the Vivanco Foundation’s Museum of Wine Culture in Briones, considered one of the best in the world. Five permanent exhibition halls that house the collections that the Vivanco family has acquired over the years: from vases from centuries ago, presses, great works of art (Picasso, Sorolla, Juan Gris, Chillida, Barceló, Genovés, etc.) or audiovisuals where you can discover everything about the history and future of wine. A visit not to be missed.
Have you already decided to stay one more day? Then extend your agenda because there are still some of the most exciting things to do in Rioja Alta, such as a hot-air balloon ride over the seas of vineyards, a kayak descent on the river Ebro or a quad or 4×4 route through our mountains.
Now that you’ve got your teeth set on edge, the only thing left to do is to plan your trip. Sleeping and enjoying the gastronomy of La Rioja will not be a problem, although you will have to book in advance. Our establishments stand out for their quality, and that goes against the last-minute rush.
Finally, the best and free of charge plan: a good conversation in the cool of a summer evening. Don’t worry, “outsiders” are welcome here.
