Laguardia

Laguardia, in the south of Álava province, holds a special place in Rioja Alavesa. Its location, in the centre of a basin overlooking the valley, is a reflection of the warlike disposition of its founder and the defensive mission it held in the Kingdom of Navarre.

The town centre is located on a plateau that resembles the hull of a ship sailing northwards.

The surrounding area, as witnessed by the archaeological remains found on the site of La Hoya and the numerous dolmens, had been populated from time immemorial.

Laguardia maintains the typical urban style of mediaeval towns: three long and narrow main streets run from north to south, together with alleys and squares surrounded by monumental walls.

Renaissance and Baroque buildings with fine coats of arms make up the complex of noble houses of the town, and at each end its two churches stand: San Juan Bautista and Santa María de los Reyes.

If we had to highlight one emblematic building from Laguardia, it would clearly be the last-named, the church of Santa María de los Reyes, which boasts a late 14th-century portico that conserves its 17th-century colouring intact.

Laguardia is synonymous with wine. The townspeople have grown vines and made wine since the Middle Ages, and the ground under Laguardia is full of galleries with more than 232 underground wine cellars under the houses and streets. Some of them can be visited.

As well as traditional cellars, there are avant-garde wineries designed by famous architects and facilities dedicated to promoting the culture of wine, making Laguardia a top-level wine tourism destination.

Stroll through its pedestrianized streets, discover its squares, enjoy the surroundings, visit its wineries and taste their wines, savour the town’s exquisite gastronomy... Laguardia offers all this and much more.