Laguardia – Basque Country Walks

From the vineyard lands in Oyón to the port of Bermeo, the GR 38 Wine and Fish Route crosses the Basque Country from south to north. Beginning in the 13th century, muleteers set out from the ports of the Cantabrian Sea with fresh and salted fish. They returned with wheat, salt, vinegar and wine.

Logroño

Wednesday 31 May 2023

From the end of the Camino del Cid walk in Calatayud, we took the train to Logroño where we’ve been at least 4 times before (here). We headed straight to our favorite tapas bars; same bars, same tapas.

Oyón (Oion) to Laguardia

Thursday 01 June 2023

Distance: 20.8 km Time: 5:20 Ascent: 370m Descent: 180m – Wikiloc

The Wine and Fish Route starts in Oyón, about 8 km north of Logroño. We took a taxi there. The first stage is well signposted and a pleasure to walk among the vineyards. It is a mostly on the road, although there is hardly any traffic. We took a diversion to see the ruins of a beautiful 2nd century Roman Bridge which added a couple of kilometers.

18th century Baroque tower of Church of Santa María de la Asunción in Oyón, the starting point for the Wine and Fish Route

We had to divert a couple of km off track to see the remains of the 2nd century Roman Bridge of Mantible which crossed the Ebro river between La Rioja and the Basque Country

Not pruning, these vineyard workers tuck the grape vine tendrils into the trellises

A *guardaviña* (vineyard guard) from the 19th century where guard was kept over the vines to prevent theft of grapes – many remain around Laguardia

Tempranillo grapes growing in the Rioja Alavesa region

Grapes are starting to bud
We’ll be back here in a month so we’ll see the growth

Laguardia, Cantabrian Mountains behind, dry Laguna de Carravalseca in front

13th century Saint John’s Gate had a belfry added in the 16th century

Laguardia

Friday 02 June 2023 & Saturday 03 June 2023

Due to accommodation availability further north we needed to spend 3 nights in Laguardia which was fine. Basque Country is another world; the bars stay open all afternoon, no siesta, and pinchos are available before 8pm! Plus it’s one of the most beautiful villages in Spain.

Laguardia had human settlement from the Iron Age, 12th century BC. The fortified town on a hill top dates back to the 10th century as a castle for the Kingdom of Navarre and it retains much of its medieval character.

3 times a day dancers dressed in the typical attire of Laguardia appear in the town clock and dance to traditional music – click **here** for a video

Coat of Arms on former Convent of the Capuchinos which became a prison, then a school, then a court and now a medical centre

Laguardia Street in the rain; no cars are allowed in the old town

Beneath Laguardia is a maze of tunnels 6 to 8 meters deep which were built for protection and later used to make wine – good place for a wine tasting!

Five pinchos from Bar Biazteri is plenty for lunch for both of us Basque pinchos, traditionally attached to the bread with a toothpick, are larger than Spanish tapas

Portico of Santa María de los Reyes
Stone carved at the end of the 14th century, but polychromy is from the 17th century – it hasn’t faded as it’s inside and not exposed to the sun

Romanesque 12th century Torre Abacial, a defensive tower-castle located in the Plaza of Santa María and was connected to the Church by a bridge until the end of the last century

*Danzas de Laguardia* perform traditional dance of Laguardia but we were told it only happens once every three years

To see the dances in the main plaza: click **here** for a video

Australian artist Guido Van Helten painted this “Wine Cathedral” in Bodegas Solar de Samaniego in 2016

He used winery workers as the models, this one of Marta our guide

We’ve admired his **silo art** in Australia and had to see this, the accompanying wine was very nice too

There are 8 dolmens, dating back 6,000 years, within a 7 km radius of Laguardia. What is a dolmen? Click here. We walked to 2 of them, an 11 km round trip in about 3 hours – Wikiloc.