There are at least 3 La Rioja Monasteries Worth Visiting. What if I told you that one of these La Rioja Monasteries was where the first written words in Spanish were discovered? What if one of the others is where famous people are buried? What if the third one was simply a nice escape in the middle of the mountains? Each of these monasteries has their own unique charm and are definitely worth the visit.
Where is La Rioja?
Since La Rioja is perhaps not as well known outside of Spain (unless you’re a wine connoisseur), you might just now be hearing about it. If you know, feel free to just keep scrolling.
La Rioja is the smallest autonomous region of Spain. It’s located in the North bordering regions such as the Basque Country, Castilla y León and Navarra.
The closest airports to this region are in Vitoria, Bilbao and Zaragoza. Logroño is the capital city and you can find many hotels and airbnbs there. If you’re looking to catch a train, check out Renfe. If you’re looking to catch a bus, check out PLM if you’re coming from Madrid, Araba if you’re coming from Vitoria or Bilbao, and Jiménez if you’re coming from Zaragoza.
Anyway, back to monasteries …
1. Monasterio de Valvanera
This one is the perfect escape for a night or two. It’s situated in the mountains and there really is nothing else around it. It has a hotel, a restaurant and a bar. There are also amazing hiking trails nearby.
I stayed here when I went on a 3-day hiking trip. Let’s just say I was beyond excited to check in after having hiked all day. If you’re interested in checking out their on-site hotel, click here. They have rooms that sleep up to four people.
This hotel would be rather difficult to get to without a car. Fortunately you can find many rental cars in Logroño.
2. San Millan de La Cogolla
This monastery is where the first written words in Spanish and Euskera (the language spoken in the Basque Country) were found. Apart from that, it has absolutely breathtaking architecture and decorations.
This monastery is divided up into Suso and Yuso, Suso meaning upper and Yuso meaning lower. When we went, we were only able to visit Yuso because Suso was booked. So if you’d like to visit both on the same day, you might want to call and make a reservation (click here for their website). Also Suso was a bit cold when we visited, so bring a warm coat unless it’s warm outside.
Yuso sits up on a hill and is said to be built where San Millán lived. One interesting fact that I learned was that the monasteries were named after San Millán after he died. A Benedictine community (a Catholic order) formed there even though San Millán had never been one since it didn’t exist when he was alive.
3. Santa María la Real
This monastery is perhaps the most accessible of them all. It is in the center of Nájera, a town just 30 minutes outside of Logroño that you can easily access by a Jiménez bus. It costs only 4€ to enter as well.
I spent a year living in Nájera, so I had the opportunity to visit this place several times. This monastery plays an important part in the history of this region. Nájera used to be the capital of the kingdom of Navarra (a region that borders La Rioja). So this monastery was ordered to be built by King García Sánchez III. After this kingdom disappeared, it became a monastery.
If you’d like to explore more La Rioja monasteries, here are a few others you can check out:
Have you traveled to Northern Spain? As always if you have questions about La Rioja or Spain, feel free to leave a comment below!
Love it? Pin it!
