Haro: The Wine Capital of Rioja

This district by the old railway station holds the largest concentration of century-old wineries in the world, packed into a few walkable streets. Famous names like Muga, La Rioja Alta, López de Heredia, CVNE and Gómez Cruzado all sit here, most of them founded in the late 1800s when the railway arrived. You walk from cellar to cellar with a glass in hand, which is why locals call it the “golden mile” of Rioja wine. Most bodegas need a booking to visit.

The town’s main church stands at the highest point of the old town, so its tower is visible from the vineyards below. It was built between the 15th and 17th centuries and mixes late-Gothic and later styles, with a carved Plateresque side portal that is its finest feature. It was declared a national monument in 1931. Climb the streets up to it for the best view back over Haro’s rooftops.

The arcaded main square is the social heart of Haro, ringed with cafés, wine bars and the 18th-century town hall. Grab a table under the arches, order a glass of local red, and watch the town go by. It is also where the festival crowds gather, and where the wine-soaked walkers end up after the Batalla del Vino each summer.

La Herradura, “the horseshoe,” is the old-town tapas circuit — two parallel lanes, Calle Santo Tomás and Calle San Martín, that curve round like a horseshoe. They are lined with small bars, each known for a few things done well. In the evening, locals move from one to the next with a glass of Rioja, so this is where you eat and drink after dark.

In the Barrio de la Estación, the historic López de Heredia winery added a striking modern tasting pavilion designed by architect Zaha Hadid — a curved, ship-like structure grafted onto the 19th-century cellars. It is a sharp contrast: cutting-edge design wrapped around one of the oldest family bodegas in Rioja. The guided visit includes the old cellars and a tasting; book ahead through the winery.

This 18th-century church, down by the Vega gardens, is home to Haro’s patron saint, the Virgen de la Vega, honoured with a town festival each September. It is a quieter stop than Santo Tomás, built in a mix of stone, rubble and brick. Pair it with a slow walk through the adjoining Jardines de la Vega.

This is the reason most people come, and it is where a booking earns its keep. Several of the world’s most historic wineries sit side by side here, and a guided visit walks you through the vineyards, the underground cellars and a tasting flight — with someone who explains why a Rioja Reserva ages differently from a Crianza, and lets you taste the difference. Book each bodega directly and in advance; the big names fill up. A guide turns a row of closed cellar doors into the best afternoon of the trip.

The evening tapas crawl needs no booking and no plan. Start on Calle Santo Tomás, order one thing at each bar — grilled mushrooms, a skewer, a plate of jamón — and pair it with a small glass of Rioja, then follow the horseshoe round to Calle San Martín and the Plaza de la Paz. Go from about 8pm, when the locals come out and the bars put fresh pintxos on the counter.

Haro rewards a slow climb. From the Plaza de la Paz, wind up the stone lanes to the Iglesia de Santo Tomás at the top, where the church square opens out over the rooftops and the vineyards beyond. It is a free, self-guided loop that links most of the old-town sights, and it is best in the soft light of late afternoon before the tapas hour.

About 6 km from town, the Ermita de San Felices sits on the Bilibio crags above the Ebro, with one of the widest views in the area. It is the starting point of the Batalla del Vino wine fight each summer, but on any ordinary day it is a quiet, dramatic spot for a short walk and a look back over the valley. You need a car to reach it.