Navalsaz – Dinosaur Footprints, Nature and Traditional Architecture

Navalsaz is home to a site with 138 large dinosaur footprints forming several trackways; they are approximately 63 cm long and come from several bipedal herbivorous dinosaurs. The site features one of the largest Iguanodon trackways in La Rioja and has explanatory information panels. A visit therefore offers several different thematic perspectives side by side: geological history, specific footprints and accessible information.

The size of the footprints, their arrangement in several trackways and their attribution to bipedal herbivorous dinosaurs give the site a clearly distinctive profile. Together with the Iguanodon trackway and the information panels, they create different perspectives on the same place: both individual impressions and their integration into longer movement sequences are visible.

Culture

Navalsaz is regarded as one of the clearest examples of the traditional architecture of these mountain ranges. In recent years, numerous houses and barns have been renovated while preserving the area's stone aesthetic. In the upper part of the hamlet of Navalsaz, which belongs to Enciso, stands the parish church of Santiago. The building dates from the 16th century, consists mainly of masonry and is reinforced with dressed stone at the corners. Here, the appearance of the village and the individual building represent two different levels of architecture side by side.

The combination of renovated houses and barns, the stone aesthetic and Santiago Church makes two scales legible in the village landscape: the preserved construction style of the hamlet and the individual historic building. In the case of the church, its location in the upper part of the hamlet, its construction date, the masonry and the reinforcement with dressed stone add further distinctive features. This makes it possible to consider the architectural character both in the context of the village and through a specific building.

Other places:Nalda, Jalón De Cameros, San Millán De La Cogolla, Castroviejo, Peciña, San Asensio, Fuenmayor and Clavijo.

Nature

The Área recreativa de Navalsaz recreational area lies next to the Barranco Vacirbe. It includes riverside vegetation with poplars, stands of broom, remnants of holm oak forests and beech forests. Animals found in the recreational area include badgers, hedgehogs, short-toed snake eagles, loggerhead shrikes, partridges, ocellated lizards and natterjack toads. The vegetation types and animal species give the natural area several specific facets that can be considered independently of one another.

The information about the recreational area connects the nearby Barranco Vacirbe with different habitats. The poplars and broom, the remnants of holm oak forests and the beech forests do not represent a single uniform type of vegetation. The animals mentioned also cover various groups, from badgers and hedgehogs to birds, reptiles and the natterjack toad.

Hiking

Stage 9 of the GR 93, which is 22.3 km long, connects Enciso and Cornago via the hamlets of El Villar, Poyales, Navalsaz, Ambasaguas and Valdeperillo. The GR-93 trail leaves Navalsaz beside the ruins of Santiago Church and follows a descending path towards the road. The specific stage length and the route described provide two different reference points for personal route planning.

To place this hike in context, the total length, the sequence of the five named hamlets and the section on the outskirts of the village can be considered separately. The route beside the ruins of Santiago Church marks a specific point in Navalsaz, while the downhill direction identifies the next described section of the trail.

For travel planning around Navalsaz, holiday apartments can be compared based on travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions. This keeps the selection aligned with individual requirements, while the features described in Navalsaz – dinosaur footprints, Santiago Church, natural surroundings and the GR 93 – can be considered separately.

For the broader travel overview: La Rioja.