Laguardia in 30 seconds
About 1,500 inhabitants (1,478 in 2024), south of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The main town of Rioja Alavesa, the Álava part of the DOCa Rioja wine designation. A medieval village with well-preserved walls; cars park outside the ramparts.
An exceptional viewpoint: Laguardia is perched between the Sierra de Cantabria (to the north) and the Ebro valley (to the south). Vineyards stretch as far as the eye can see.
A little history
1164: King Sancho VI the Wise of Navarre grants Laguardia its fuero (charter).
13th century: the walls are built on the orders of Sancho VII the Strong.
Today: Rioja Alavesa is home to wineries designed by star architects. Frank Gehry (Marqués de Riscal, in Elciego), Santiago Calatrava (Ysios, in Laguardia)... architecture meets wine.
What to see
The Casco Medieval
A walled enclosure. Five gateways: Puerta de Páganos, Puerta de San Juan, Puerta de Santa Engracia, Puerta de Mercadal, Puerta de Carnicerías. Pedestrianised streets; cars stay in the car parks outside the walls.
Don’t miss:
- Iglesia de Santa María de los Reyes — an exceptional polychrome Gothic portal from the late 14th century, painted in the 17th century by Juan Francisco de Rivera
- Iglesia de San Juan — begun in the Romanesque style and finished in Gothic; its high altarpiece is a spectacular Baroque piece
- Casa de la Primicia — 14th century, the oldest civil building in the village
- Casa natal de Samaniego — the birthplace of the fabulist Félix María Samaniego, who is also commemorated by a monument
The calados (underground cellars)
Beneath the village houses runs a network of underground cellars dug into the hill. You can visit them at, among other places, Bodega El Fabulista, on Plaza San Juan, whose cellars go down seven metres beneath an 18th-century palace where Samaniego lived; the theatrical tours combine wine tasting with the poet’s fables.
Lagunas de Laguardia
A protected biotope at the foot of the village: the Carralogroño, Carravalseca and Musco lagoons and the small Prao de la Paul reservoir. Near the village there is also a Celtiberian pool, along with Neolithic and Bronze Age remains. When the water evaporates, the dissolved salts leave whitish patches behind.
The must-visit wineries nearby
Marqués de Riscal (Elciego)
A hotel designed by Frank Gehry, next to the bodega of the Marqués de Riscal house (founded in 1858, according to the company). Hotel, bodega and four restaurants, including the fine-dining restaurant of chef Francis Paniego.
Ysios (Laguardia)
Architecture by Santiago Calatrava, at the foot of the Sierra de Cantabria, honoured for its design at the World Travel Awards.
Villa Lucía
Laguardia’s wine interpretation centre.
Where to eat
- Marqués de Riscal (Elciego) — fine-dining restaurant led by chef Francis Paniego, from Ezcaray (La Rioja), winner of Spain’s National Gastronomy Award in 2012
Specialities
- DOCa Rioja wine — mostly tempranillo
- Chuletillas al sarmiento — lamb cutlets grilled over vine prunings
- Patatas a la riojana — potatoes with chorizo
- Perretxikos (wild mushrooms) in season (spring)
Where to stay
- Hotel Marqués de Riscal (Elciego) — Frank Gehry’s hotel
Getting there
- By car: from Vitoria-Gasteiz or Logroño
- By bus: Álava Bus line 9 from Vitoria-Gasteiz (under an hour)
Ideal weekend itinerary
Saturday
- Morning: arrive, walk round the ramparts + Iglesia Santa María de los Reyes
- Afternoon: visit Marqués de Riscal (Elciego)
- Evening: back to the village for pintxos
Sunday
- Morning: Ysios bodega (tour)
- Afternoon: visit a calado (El Fabulista), then a walk to the Lagunas de Laguardia
My favourite photo
Laguardia from the vineyards in October — the fortified village perched above, the grape harvest in full swing, the Sierra de Cantabria as a backdrop. Or the Marqués de Riscal building at golden hour.
Sources
- Turismo Euskadi (Basque Government) — Laguardia (in French)
- Ruta del Vino de Rioja Alavesa — El Fabulista (in Spanish)
- Marqués de Riscal — Restaurants; Bodegas Ysios
- Wikipedia (es): Laguardia (INE 2024 population), Elciego
Ongi etorri Guardiara — Welcome to Laguardia.