Region & Cuisine

LA RIOJA

Although one of the smallest of Spain’s Autonomous Communities, Rioja – or La Rioja to give it its correct name – must surely be one of the best  known,  at least by name.  Essentially a rural region, the fertile land is cultivated with special care and produces excellent fruit and vegetables and, of course,  grapes for wine. But what makes the grapes so special? A major factor has to be the climate.

To the north of La Rioja lies the Basque Country and Navarra, whose proximity to the Cantabrian Sea is responsible for mild temperatures. To the east are Aragón and Catalonia, bringing warmth from the Mediterranean.  Add to this a harshness of climate from the south, from the centre of the Iberian Peninsula in the region of  Castilla y León, and the resulting mix is – judged by the results - clearly ideal for the purpose. Logically, the influence of the north is felt more in the north of the region, hence ‘Rioja Alta’ or Upper Rioja  while the Mediterranean influence is more evident in the south, in ‘Rioja Baja’or Lower Rioja.

The capital city of La Rioja is Logroño, on the River Ebro in the extreme north of the region and ‘en route’ to Santiago de Compostela for pilgrims travelling the Way of St James. Also on this route is the historic city of Santo Domingo de la Calzada which owes its name to a hermit who in the 11th century devoted his life to helping the pilgrims by building bridges, inns and by working miracles... The old Pilgrimage hospice, founded by the admirable St Dominic, is now the splendid  Parador, facing the celebrated Cathedral.

Less than 10 miles from Santo Domingo is the wine capital of La Rioja,  Haro -  not to be missed. An elegant town with several attractive mansions, the emphasis here is of course on the product itself with the Wine Museum and the presence of many of the best known names in the business sure to keep the visitor happy.

Riojan cuisine is famous for its healthy,  hearty country dishes. A few typical examples: ‘Menestra de Verduras’, best described as a ‘medley of vegetables’; ‘Patatas a la Riojana’, potatoes flavoured with chorizo; roast lamb or kid; stuffed peppers and, particularly in the north of the region, a  whole variety of stews. And to go with all this? What else but ‘vino tinto de Rioja’.

Please also check our full range of Special Offers, phone us on 020 7953 3020 or request a reservation online.

Please be aware of the following:

• The prices shown are for the total cost of accommodation including IVA (Tax)
• Please note that 'Special Offers' are subject to the availability of a number of rooms per night. Room types are normally shown on Room Only, Bed & Breakfast and Half-Board basis but some dates may be restricted to a certain board basis. 
• Availability under the 'Go As You Please' 5-Night Card offer is displayed here but reservations for this 5-night package must be made via our office on Tel: 020 7953 3020. Please note that this offer is generally on Room Only basis and that some supplements apply at specific Paradors - see offer details for information on these supplements. 
• Age restrictions apply to the 'Golden Days' Offer (for those aged 55 and over) and the 'Young Persons' Offer (for those aged between 18 and 35). All reservations made using these tariffs are checked upon your arrival at the Parador(s) booked to ensure that at least one person in a room qualifies for the restricted tariff. In the case that you do not qualify for the restricted tariff, the Parador will apply the standard rate without exception and you will be required to pay a supplement locally. However only one person (per room) needs to qualify for either of these two reductions.