The Rioja monasteries were true learning centres and relevant sources for knowledge; it was in the monastery of San Millan de la Cogolla in the upper Rioja that the first written texts in Castilian were found. The Pilgrim's road to Santiago passes through very important historical villages and monasteries of great beauty such as: Calahorra, Arnedo, San Millan de la Cogolla, Santo Domingo de la Calzada and Logroño, city founded by the Romans and the capital city of the Rioja autonomous community today.

Modern times were quite tumultuous for this region, being towards the end of the nineteenth century when the wine industry finally took off. The wine industry shares authentic ancient roots in this area and the city of Haro in the upper Rioja has been for years the most important wine centre in Spain, in fact it was the first city in Spain to enjoy street lights. Its "Battle of Wine" yearly ritual is considered to be one of the most original and important festivities in the region.

The Rioja, despite of its territorial size enjoys a very diverse animal life and important colonies of birds of pray. The Hunting National Reserve of the Cameros has been declared a specially protected Zone. The natural resources in this area offer the visitor a wide selection of leisure activities to enjoy, such as: nature trail walking, mountain climbing, and related sports, fishing, hunting, water sports in the mountain lake of Gonzalez Lasaca, and winter sports such as skiing in the Valdezcaray ski resort or cross country skiing in the Hoyos de Iregua and the Collado de Sancho Leza areas.

A must-see when traveling through the Rioja is the lands of the Cameros, rich in history and breathtaking with its beautiful sights; here you will find famed caves, homes dug out of the live rock and mountain style stone architectural buildings from the past.

The Rioja's wine reputation carries a lot of weight in its gastronomical heritage; its Denomination of origin classification is first and unique in Spain and it only approves for elaboration of its wines seven varieties of indigenous grapes, four of the red variety and three of the white variety; we must also emphasize its very interesting and delicious cuisine, traditionally touched by a bit of paprika, pointing out its vegetables such as the famous and delicious Red Peppers (Pimiento del Piquillo). Regarding meats, lamb is the star and potatoes cooked with traditional recipes are second to none. Its vegetable, fruit and crop gardens offer excellent fruits, highlighting its peaches. Its traditional deserts are varied, pointing out the famous "Mazapanes" and cheeses of the Mountain range of the Cameros.