Alava Cuadrillas
AYALA / AIARA
Abutted against the breathtaking spurs of the Salvada Mountain
Range and its natural prolongation, the Gibijo Mountain Range,
and divided gently by the Nervión, Izalde and Ibaizabal
valleys that link up the Castilian plateau with the seaport of
Bibao, the land of Ayala brings to mind ancient riches, deep-seated
traditions, a strong attachment to country living and nature.
Vested with its own charter since the Middle Ages, dozens of manor
houses and fortified towers attest to the importance of its noble
lineages and the zealousness with which it was defended.
ZUIA
A landscape that is always green, with cattle pastures, orchards
and forests alternating in smooth succession, dotted with farmsteads
and rural districts. It is the region of Álava where the
everyday use of the Basque language has been conserved the most,
and with it, a rich collection of legends and traditions. Restaurants
and cider bars offer us the typical Basque gastronomic art of
having the region’s most delectable products undergo a minimum
amount of transformation in order to enjoy the purity of their
flavour.
Dozens of trails cross over hillsides and through forests, including
the Natural Parks of Urkiola and Gorbeia, for those who enjoy
hiking, horseback riding or mountain-biking. Artificial lakes
also give visitors the chance to engage in a variety of water
sports.
AÑANA
The close-knit harmony of man with the rural environment is the
vestige left by the centuries on these lands whose landscapes
are of exceptional beauty. Here we find notable fortifications
dating back to every epoch, noble manor houses and popular architecture
of remarkable character. There are also important prehistorical
and Roman archaeological findings, samples of the finest Romanesque
art and the must-see salt works. Nature-lovers can enjoy themselves
in majestic Valderejo Natural Park and in the Educational Park
of the Ebro, in Sobrón. At the latter venue canoeing is
practised and outdoor sporting enthusiasts can also engage in
horseback riding, hiking and mountain-biking. Excellent garden-fresh
produce forms the basis of the high-quality culinary offerings
to be found here.
VITORIA-GASTEIZ
In the Cuadrilla of Vitoria-Gasteiz we will find such Romanesque
jewels as the Basilicas of Estíbaliz and San Prudencio,
the formidable Mendoza and Mártioda Tower-Dwellings, shady
beech forests in Zaldiaran and Ullíbarri de los Olleros,
caves of speleological interest such as Los Goros Cave in Hueto
Arriba, and such windows to the future as the Technological Park
of Miñano, which brings together companies that have their
sights set on the 21st century. Yet all of this recedes into the
background in the presence of the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, capital
of the Basque Country, full of historical, cultural, artistic,
sports and commercial attractions
SALVATIERRA
Egino, on the border with Navarre, is little more than a pass
between the Altzania Hills and the Entzia Mountain Range. As we
move westwards, the Iturrieta Hills to the south and the Urkilla
Range to the north gradually recede to give way to the Llanada
(Plain) of Álava, which is really a series of plains separated
by hillocks and rises, where the landscape alters imperceptibly
from each one to the next. A natural passage between France and
Castile, between the Valley of the Ebro and the Cantabrian Sea,
with a generous soil, the richness of this land is manifested
in its urban and artistic heritage.
CAMPEZO-MONTAÑA ALAVESA
Nature has imposed harsh living conditions on the Cuadrilla of
Campezo-Montaña Alavesa that have infused all of the manmade
structures built there with a rugged quality.
Located between the mountainous backbones of Iturrieta and Entzia
to the north, and Cantabria and Codes to the south, all with peaks
between 1,100 and 1,400 metres high, it boasts such natural spots
as Izki Natural Park, which is among the wildest and most beautiful
in all of Álava, a hiker’s paradise.
The majority of its villages are fortified or walled, proudly
distinguishing themselves from one another with local traditions.
They are crowned by hermitages nestled in idyllic settings that
are as inviting for worship as they are for recreation. And they
are always open to the world and its new developments: there are
two golf courses, agrotourism establishments, equestrian clubs.
LAGUARDIA
Gently lying along the Ebro riverbank and extending to the southern
slope of the Cantabria Mountain Range, which protects it from
the severe northern cold, the microclimate that its reddish-coloured
lands enjoy makes Rioja Alavesa a privileged region for producing
the wine that has earned it its well-deserved fame.
And not just wine: it also boasts such fruit and vegetable products
as asparagus, peppers, plums, peaches... Its prehistorical archaeological
findings, medieval towns and manor houses all constitute a historical
heritage that attests to the fact that mankind has reaped the
rewards of this rich soil since ancient times.
Alava guide