Badarán on the Río Cárdenas: Trails, Wine and History

Badarán lies on the left bank of the Río Cárdenas, a tributary of the Najerilla. Numerous poplar groves along the river invite you to enjoy long walks.

For a holiday apartment in Badarán, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies on the listings page. You can tailor your travel planning to your preferred focus, whether hiking trails, history, pilgrimage, wine or regional cuisine.

Nature and Trails

The hiking trail to Tobía is approximately seven kilometres long and is classified as moderate because of its significant ascents. The route passes through areas of exceptional scenic appeal.

The route to Vado de la Reina runs along Calle Real in Badarán and follows a historic royal road. There are also marked hiking routes from Badarán to the Cueva del Santo and Pico de San Lorenzo.

The route length, gradient, historical course and designated destinations provide you with various criteria for personal planning.

Culture and History

The Church of the Expectation combines Renaissance and Baroque elements. The church contains the chapel of Esteban Torrecilla y Manso, with a cenotaph and two praying statues. The church altarpiece was created between 1701 and 1705.

Badarán Town Hall houses an exhibition room displaying most of the prehistoric and archaeological remains found in the surrounding area. The archaeological exhibition includes remains from several prehistoric periods and from Roman times. It documents human presence at the end of the Lower Palaeolithic and during the Middle Palaeolithic, approximately 250,000 years ago.

Pilgrimage

The Badarán-Valvanera Brotherhood was founded in 1888 to revive the former importance of pilgrimages. In Badarán, the pilgrimage to the Virgen de Valvanera on Whit Sunday has been documented.

During the pilgrimage to the Virgen de Valvanera, the route passes through the beech forest of Tobía and over the Cuesta Reniega; it then descends to Valvanera along the slopes of Pico de La Rioja. A chapel outside Badarán, set amid vineyards, serves as a place of pilgrimage and meeting point during local festivities.

You can also find Daroca De Rioja, Alcanadre, Baños de Río Tobía, Lagunilla del Jubera, Grañón, Panzares, Zorraquín and Torremontalbo.

Wine and Cuisine

At the Eno-Tienda, Bodegas Martínez Alesanco offers visitors a wine tasting accompanied by a Riojan appetiser and commentary from a family member. It also offers a free tasting of five wines with regional snacks, as well as an optional visit to the winery.

In Badarán, Patatas a la riojana are among the recommended dishes for visitors. At Restaurante Cantinflas2, Caparrones have long been one of the house specialities.

For the main travel overview: La Rioja.