La Rioja, located in northern Spain, is best known for its wine, but the region offers much more than vineyard views. Its capital, Logroño, sits along the Camino de Santiago and has welcomed travelers for centuries. The city’s historic center is compact and lively, with narrow streets lined by centuries-old churches, pintxo bars, and quiet plazas. Calle Laurel is especially popular for its food culture where visitors hop from one bar to the next, sampling small bites like grilled mushrooms with garlic or slow-cooked pork cheeks.

Outside the city, the landscape shifts between rolling vineyards, medieval villages, and jagged mountains. Towns like Laguardia and Briones retain fortified walls and cobbled paths, while the nearby Sierra de la Demanda is home to prehistoric cave paintings and one of Spain’s oldest monasteries. San Millán de la Cogolla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains the Suso and Yuso monasteries, where the first written examples of the Spanish language were recorded nearly a thousand years ago.

La Rioja’s wineries range from family-run bodegas to bold architectural landmarks. The region is divided into three zones, Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Oriental, each producing distinct styles of wine due to differences in altitude and climate. Some wineries, like Marqués de Riscal and Bodegas Ysios, are known as much for their avant-garde design as for their vintages. Many offer tours that include tastings straight from the barrel, along with lessons in winemaking and blending.