Side trip to Marqués de Riscal

[Margaret Butterworth]

Earlier this year there was some discussion about visiting the Marques de Riscal winery at Elciego, north of Logrono. I made this side trip in September and can now pass on this useful information. I left Logrono on a 10.00 am bus from the bus station. The fare was 1.6 Euros. I reached Elciego, after a wonderful scenic drive, in plenty of time for a tour of the winery in English at 12.00 pm which cost 12.00 Euros for 1.5 hours, including a film of their operations and views of the outside of the Gehry-designed hotel. We tasted 3 of their wines afterwards, but I still prefer their entry-level "Proximo" which I buy in Australia all the time! Next day, I walked to Laguardia - 6kms uphill - and stayed in this very interesting town, popular with tourists with cars. I took a bus back to Logrono the following morning at 10.20 am. There are more buses to and from Laguardia than Elciego. It was a very relaxing weekend away from the Camino.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thank you for your detailed report. Lots of good information, and especially gives those of us who repeat the same Camino something new to check out next time around!

 

[JillGat]

I had hoped to visit Marques de Riscal and also Campo Viejo in Logrono. However I walked into Logrono the day their yearly wine festival began. People from all over Spain were there. You are picturing people daintily tasting fine wines in bodegas? No, it was thousands of people in their 20s drinking wine mixed with Coca Cola, throwing up in the street and squatting to piss in the gutters. I got the very last bed (number 80) in the municipal albergue. I believe the private albergues were renting to tourists coming to the festival? Later I talked to pilgrims who tried taking a taxi to the next towns, but they were all booked up, too. Quite the party. I postponed my winery crawl till next Camino!

 

[Catahoula19]

If you want to do a side trip to La Rioja wineries I HIGHLY recommend the town of Haro and the Bodegas Lopez Heredia and Bodegas Muga. You won't regret it!