Camping in Álava: Rioja Alavesa, the plain and Atlantic mountains
Álava is the inland Basque province, the largest and the least known to coastal tourism, but those who visit discover a diversity of landscapes ranging from the golden vineyards of the Rioja Alavesa to the Atlantic beech woods of the north, by way of the broad Alavese plain where the capital sits. This geographical variety translates into camping surrounded by quiet nature, far from the summer crowds of the Cantabrian coast.
The Rioja Alavesa is the most distinctive destination in the province: a landscape of vineyards and wineries lying south of the Sierra de Cantabria, with walled medieval villages such as Laguardia, Elciego and Labastida that preserve their medieval street layout intact. Alongside these historic centres are wineries of signature architecture that have made the district a benchmark for wine tourism, with the chance to combine tastings, visits and hiking among the vines during the summer months and, above all, during the grape harvest in September and October. Txakoli is not the wine here: in Álava the aged reds, Tempranillo and the native varieties rule.
Vitoria-Gasteiz deserves some of your time. Its medieval centre is one of the best preserved in northern Spain, with the cathedral of Santa María (open to guided visits during its restoration) and the ensemble of churches and palaces on the founding hill. The green belt around the city, a network of parks and urban natural areas that includes the Salburua wetland with its deer and waterbirds, makes it possible to go on bike or walking excursions without leaving the centre far behind. The city also has an active cultural and food scene, with a pintxos culture of its own that is by no means inferior to that of its sister capitals.
Towards the north of the province, the Alavese mountains and the Valderejo Natural Park offer hiking among Atlantic forests, waterfalls and almost deserted limestone canyons. The Izki beech wood, one of the most extensive in the Basque Country, reaches its peak splendour in autumn. The Montaña Alavesa holds stone villages, mills and a rural calm that invites you to switch off. Camping in Álava is the choice of those seeking nature without crowds, combined with the chance to sample Alavese cuisine: patatas a la riojana, pochas with chorizo, lamb chops grilled over vine cuttings and the local wines as the perfect pairing.
