Villarroya – Landscape, Culture and Holiday Apartments

Villarroya is part of the La Rioja Biosphere Reserve. The Carrascal de Villarroya is a 264.4-hectare holm oak forest on the southern slope of the Sierra de Yerga. It is one of the few remaining examples of the former dehesas in La Rioja. Its mature forest structure includes standing and fallen deadwood as well as numerous microhabitats on the trunks of large trees; these conditions favor, among other things, the presence of the beetle Limoniscus violaceus, which is classified as endangered.

Nature and Landscape

Holm oaks and planted pine trees grow in the El Carrascal recreation area. The animal species listed there include the European hare, garden dormouse, weasel, red-legged partridge, ocellated lizard and marbled newt. The Encina de Villarroya o de Mario is included in the list of the 60 notable individual trees of La Rioja.

Trails and Sites

The El Carrascal recreation area can be reached via the road from Villarroya to Grávalos; at the end of the holm oak forest, turn right. The Ruta de la Encina de Villarroya is easy, 1.61 kilometers long and takes about 35 minutes on foot from the LR-123 road. The Ruta de las Neveras includes Villarroya's restored snow wells.

In the area around Villarroya lies the classic paleontological site Yacimiento de mamíferos del Cuaternario de Villarroya. Its diverse Villafranchian vertebrate fauna includes fossils from 11 carnivore species, 7 even-toed ungulate species and 2 odd-toed ungulate species. From Villarroya, the route leads south through the holm oak forest toward the gorge; there is no path to the site. No tourist or leisure activities should be carried out at the Yacimiento.

Culture and History

The Abejera de Villarroya is located in a cave in a rock face above a stream in the Carrascal. Coal was mined in Villarroya until 1968; that year, the last coal mines closed. The Paseo de las Bodegas was restored in 2009; former livestock shelters were converted into family wine cellars as part of the work.

Villarroya has traditional livestock shelters for goats and sheep, including enclosures dug into the rock. The parish church of San Juan Bautista is a tourist attraction in Villarroya.

Sky and Festivals

Villarroya is considered one of the suitable places in the La Rioja Biosphere Reserve area for observing the night sky. In July 2012, this area became the first Spanish destination in a protected area to be certified by the Fundación Starlight. Local festivals in Villarroya include San Juan Bautista on June 24 and Gracias on the third Sunday in September. Traditional beehives for honey production can be found in Villarroya; they are built from masonry, adobe bricks and plaster.

When comparing a holiday apartment in Villarroya, you can compare travel dates, room category and cancellation policies on the respective offer pages. Your personal priorities among the forest, paleontology, local history, festivals and night sky will determine which details you look at first.

More destinations

Las Ruedas De Ocón, Almarza De Cameros, Navalsaz, Pradillo, Cervera Del Río Alhama, Nalda, Valgañón, Alesanco

To the higher-level travel overview: La Rioja.