What to do in La Rioja

La Rioja packs 73 activities into a region where Ebro valley vineyards meet the snowy peaks of the Sierra de la Demanda. Pico San Lorenzo at 2,271 m is the highest point and the starting mark for long-distance hiking routes crossing beech forests with trees over 200 years old. The GR-93 footpath crosses the sierra north to south in 4 stages, connecting Romanesque monasteries with medieval villages of fewer than 50 inhabitants. The Leza river canyon is La Rioja's deepest gorge: 12 kilometres of limestone cliffs up to 200 metres high with griffon vultures nesting on the walls. Its riverside path winds between freshwater pools and medieval mill turbines, crossing three suspension bridges over the current. Difficulty is low and the return walk takes four hours. The French Way of St James enters La Rioja at Navarrete and runs 70 kilometres to Burgos through centuries-old cellars of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. The Ruta del Vino by bicycle follows the same corridor with variants visiting 38 affiliated wineries and three wine museums, with daily stages of 20–40 km between Haro, Logroño and Alfaro.