Discover Ezcaray: Trails, Nature and Culture

Ezcaray offers a natural setting for hiking and outdoor sports, while also providing numerous trails, paths and descents for mountain biking. Along the local walking paths and routes, a diverse flora can be seen, including fruit trees, poplars, alders, beech forests and pine trees.

Nature

The municipality of Ezcaray features diverse habitats with beech forests, extensive pine forests, oak woodlands and meadows where numerous mushroom species can be found. The landscapes and trail options mentioned can be considered as different focal points when planning a day. When assessing the natural environment, the plants mentioned along the paths and the habitats within the municipality can be considered separately.

Trails and Routes

Ezcaray has seven marked short hiking trails through the valley. They differ in route, distance and level of difficulty. The GR-93 (Sierras Riojanas) passes through Ezcaray; the GR-190 (Altos Valles Ibéricos) also runs through the town.

The developed section of the Vía Verde del Oja follows the former railway line from Ezcaray to Casalarreina. The Ruta Verde del Ciloria connects Ezcaray with Zorraquín and Valgañón and has rest areas. The Camino de la Herradura begins in Ezcaray, ends in Posadas and runs through the Oja Valley. It is considered an easy route with more than ten kilometres each way.

For day planning, the explicitly stated differences in route, distance and level of difficulty provide concrete points of comparison. The named trails can thus be considered side by side according to their respective characteristics, without combining them into a single type of route.

Culture and History

The Ermita de la Virgen de Allende in Ezcaray houses a 14th-century Gothic image of the Virgen de Allende, the town’s patron saint. The church of Santa María la Mayor dates from the 12th to the 14th century and is classified as a historic-artistic monument.

Santa María la Mayor also features a unique Aragonese Gothic style in La Rioja. Ezcaray preserves a network of old streets with heraldic palaces and manor houses. Well-preserved architecture and covered arcades remain in the town centre.

Jazz festivals are held in Ezcaray. The Real Fábrica de Santa Bárbara was founded in 1752. Religious buildings, local architecture, events and industrial history thus provide different cultural highlights within the town. The cultural sites and events offer different perspectives on religious art, local architecture, music and industrial history.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Ezcaray, travel dates, room category and cancellation policies can be considered separately. This practical perspective complements the topics described concerning nature, trails and culture when planning your own trip. These details can also be weighted independently of whether the focus is on the landscape, routes or local history.

For further research, the local pages for Santo Domingo De La Calzada, Grañón, Arenzana De Abajo, Castañares De Rioja, Munilla, Tirgo, Lagunilla del Jubera and Castroviejo are also available.

Ezcaray’s municipal tourist information office provides tourist, cultural and gastronomic information about Ezcaray and La Rioja.

For the overarching travel overview: La Rioja.