You simply can’t come to La Rioja, Spain without spending a weekend in Haro. All the best bodegas and pinchos are right there in one of the quaintest towns this small region has to offer.
Several months ago (before the madness of the pandemic), I went to Haro with friend and fellow blogger Alex from East Coast Contessa. Since we both live nearby in Logroño, Haro was the perfect weekend escape. In this post, I’m going to go over all that you must see, do, eat and drink while in this magical town.
Where is Haro?
Unless you’re a big wine fanatic, you’re likely asking this question. Haro is a town in Northern Spain with a population just under 12,000. It’s the epicentre of wine in this region. The closest cities to Haro are Bilbao (one hour), Vitoria (37 minutes) and Burgos (one hour). Haro is about 3 and half hours from Madrid, and about two hours from Zaragoza.
Where to stay in Haro
If you are traveling on a budget, I have good news for you! There’s a hostel in Haro and it’s adorable. It’s called Tinto Dreams and beds go for 19€ a night! There are two dorm rooms with six beds each and a single room that sleeps two people.
We stayed here when we went to Haro and couldn’t have been more pleased. You can read all about our experience here.
If you’re looking for more of an upscale hotel, Hotel Los Agustinos is the place to visit. It’s located in this beautiful, old convent that is of course now a luxury hotel. Even if you’re not a hotel guest, you can enjoy a drink on their plush couches. Alex and I did that on our second afternoon in Haro.
This is the hotel lobby all lit-up for Christmas. I suppose my first trip to Haro was technically a day trip in December with my boyfriend. This trip in February, however, was when I really spent time experiencing Haro.
What to drink
When in Haro, the answer to “What should I drink?” is wine. This region is very well-known for their wineries. For a small price, you can tour one, two or as many as you want (although I wouldn’t recommend more than one a day).
We kicked off our weekend in Haro with a visit to Muga. It was an easy 10-15 minute walk from our hostel. We were led on a private tour with our guide Carmen. I had been on several bodega tours before, but I felt like the Muga tour was one of the most informative and through ones I’ve been on.
You can read all about my Muga experience here: Visiting a Classic La Rioja Winery
After a morning visit to Muga, we took a tour of Santalba. Santalba is actually a short drive from Haro in a town called Gimileo. It was a smaller bodega but the tour was very personalized. Our tour was given by Laura, one of the Santalba family members.
Check out my post about Santalba: Exploring a Family-Owned Winery
On our second day in Haro, we visited Gómez Cruzado. This bodega boasts being the oldest bodega in Haro. It’s a bit smaller than the others we visited, but nevertheless maintains that charm. Our tour guide David was fantastic and incredibly knowledgeable about wine.
You can read all about our experience at Gómez Cruzado here: A Spanish Winery you need to Visit
What to eat
Since Haro is in La Rioja, the pinchos are a must. Just like in Logroño, there is a part of the city called La Herradura. These two streets shaped like a horse shoe have all sorts of bars with pinchos (small plates of food). We explored this area both on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
Those are more or less the highlights of what to see, eat and drink in Haro. There are many bodegas, so of course you could visit a few more than we did depending on the amount of time you have.
Would you like to visit Haro, Spain?
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