Ezcaray

Ezcaray, a lovely village on the Oja River, is located at the threshold of the Upper Rioja. The village, very lively and charming, is the perfect place to start a route into the upper valley of the river and into the vineyards, even though I must say that what seduced me the most is the Echaurren Restaurant, the best restaurant in La Rioja and one of the most famous in Spain.

Founded in the 10th century by the kings of Navarra, Ezcaray served as a Basque redoubt until the 14th century. Afterwards, it remained isolated for some centuries until tourism made it famous again at the end of the 20th century, mainly because of Valdezcaray, the only ski resort in La Rioja and very close to Ezcaray.

This was a great discovery. Each time I go to La Rioja I fall in love with this land so famous for its wine.

There are villages that have a special charm that you can’t explain in words so I recommend going there at least once in your life and getting lost in the streets, learning about the history, enjoying the food, staying in the nice hotels and, why not, going skiing in Valdezcaray.

It's definitely on my list of charming villages.

Ezcaray is probably one of the most famous villages of the entire Rioja. And the ski resort is the main reason for this. Many people of La Rioja have a house there, and there are many people coming from the neighboring regions like the Basque Country. Even though the high season is winter, it is also very charming in the summer and there are quite a lot of activities, apart from enjoying the great local gastronomy.

Fantastica poblacion, muy bonito y agradable.
Buena comida, buen vino, unos días fantásticos seguro que repetimos.