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After a long hiatus, Paul rejoined us on a Skedaddle tour in the French Alps to conquer classic climbs, including cycling Mont Ventoux. Discover his highlights of this epic road cycling trip below. If there was a prize for the longest gap between Saddle Skedaddle holidays, I might just walk away with it. In the ...
Rioja’s popularity amongst Brits has certainly sky-rocketed with over a third of all exports of the yummy Spanish wine going to the UK in recent years. Never one to miss a wine tasting opportunity, we set out to explore the very best of this sun-kissed region, with wine-tasting and sunshine cycling firmly in mind. Here’s the lowdown on why we think you’ll love Rioja and cycling in Spain.
Located in Northern Spain, the Rioja area boasts over 500 wineries and our cycling holidays in Rioja are ideally placed to make the most of these world famous vines! A diverse combination of Mediterranean, Atlantic and continental climates has allowed the vineyards here to flourish and produce the crowd pleasing Rioja wine we know and love today. In Spain, the cellars and vineyards are known locally as ‘bodegas’ and during your stay here you’ll have plenty of opportunities to visit these historic estates, as well as sampling a few of their goods (well, it would be rude not too.)
Notes on the vino…
Rioja is best known for its red oak-aged wines characterised by fruity flavours similar to Cabernet Sauvignon. White Rioja wine is also delicious. A refreshing and versatile wine, it is comprised mostly from the Viura grape. For those less acquainted, all you need to know is that Rioja wine makes the perfect accompaniment to your post-ride feast.
Beyond the vineyards
There is lots to see and do, away from the heavily laden vines. Here are our holiday highlights from this spectacular region…
Yuso monastery – 16th century baroque
This UNESCO World Heritage site is famous in Spain as the birthplace of the first written words in the Spanish language. Don’t miss the opportunity to check out its impressive historic library!
Camino de Santiago
Riding along sections of the world-famous Camino de Santiago is a wonderful start to your cycling adventure in Rioja. For centuries pilgrims and travellers have made their way on a vast network of routes across Europe, to reach the shrine of St James at the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. If you like the idea of completing your own Camino de Santiago cycling pilgrimage by road, gravel, leisure or mountain bike then make sure you check out our Camino de Santiago cycling tours.
The Village of Laguardia
Sitting high on a rock foundation, the village is located within pristine fortress walls and has hardly changed since the 13th century. Below the village is a honeycomb of tunnels built to store food and provide refuge to residents when under siege; today these cellars are used to store wine and you can explore the historical bodega as you go on a wine tasting tour.
Why our Skedaddle Espana team love La Rioja
We caught up with Skedaddle Espana head honcho and guide Dan Hirst to find out why you should enjoy the Rioja region from two wheels:
The wine of La Rioja needs no introduction. The ancient vineyards, first planted by the Romans and industrialised by the French, produce some one the world’s most fantastic reds and whites.
As I arrived in La Rioja for the first time, crossing the mountains of la Sierra de la Demanda, I was shocked to see snow on the peaks and quickly learnt that you can ski here! The landscape is beautiful. The Ebro river is the snaking ‘lifeblood’ of this region through the lush rolling vineyards that are hemmed in by dramatic sierras to the north and south.
The fun loving city of Logrono has to be home to one of Spain’s most atmospheric streets to take in a tapas crawl before heading out through sleepy medieval villages dripping with unpretentious wine folklore.
Haro is home to some of the oldest and most famous Riojan bodegas. The town hosts the Batalla del Vino ( battle of wine) festival every June, where everyone and everything turns bright crimson!
In the hillside village of El Ciego the architect Frank Gehry, famed for the Guggenheim in Bilbao, has created a piece of modern art celebrating the wines of the area which sits in stark contrast to the ancient tradition of wine making.
Our Cycling Holidays in La Rioja
Whether you’re looking for a relaxed ride or road cycling tour, self-guided or guided, we’ve got you covered with our cycling holidays in La Rioja:
- Taste of Rioja – self-guided leisure cycling holiday
- La Rioja – Ruta del Vino – guided road cycling holiday
- La Rioja – Ruta del Vino – self-guided road cycling holiday
