Free walking tours in San Asensio and what to see

Must-sees

San Asensio is a village in La Rioja Alta surrounded by vineyards, about 30 kilometres from Logroño, and calls itself the cradle of clarete wine. Its old centre keeps houses with grilles, coats of arms and coffered ceilings. In the centre stands the church of La Ascensión, with a façade mixing Romanesque and Gothic features and an interior with 17th and 18th-century painting and sculpture.

The Barrio de las Bodegas is the most unusual stop: hundreds of caves dug into the hillside to make and store wine, many now disused. On the outskirts, the sanctuary of Santa María de la Estrella keeps a Gothic cloister from the old Hieronymite monastery. On a hill by the Ebro stand the remains of Davalillo castle, with its keep, and nearby the hermitage of the Virgen de Davalillo.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no regular free walking tours in San Asensio. The usual approach is to book a visit with tasting directly at one of the village wineries open to the public, some with cellars cut into the rock and a walk through the vineyard. For more variety of guided visits and wine routes, nearby Haro and Logroño have a much bigger choice and outings covering several villages of La Rioja Alta.

How long to spend

The village can be seen in two or three hours: the old centre, the church and a stroll through the cellar quarter. If you add a visit with tasting and the sanctuary of La Estrella, allow a long half day or a full day. With two days you can combine it with Briones, Haro or Nájera, all a short drive away. In summer, the Clarete Battle festival fills the cellar quarter with people.

Where to stay

Accommodation in San Asensio itself is small, with a few rural houses and apartments in the old centre, from where everything is on foot. Sleeping here is a good idea if you are going wine tasting, as you will not need the car to get back. If you cannot find a room, Haro, Nájera and Logroño have much more choice, and Briones or Cenicero are quiet alternatives among the vineyards.