Labastida: Wine, History and Trails

Labastida brings together wine, local history and a distinctive landscape. If you are looking for a hotel in Labastida, you can first consider whether winery visits, the historic town centre or trails should be the focus of your stay.

Landscape between Toloño and the Ebro

The municipality of Labastida is sheltered to the north by the 1,271-metre-high Mount Toloño. To the south, the Ebro borders the municipality and forms a natural boundary between Álava and the region of La Rioja. The mountain and river thus provide the municipality with two distinct landscape landmarks: Toloño lies to the north, while the Ebro defines its southern side.

Wineries and visits

In Labastida, you can visit and explore wineries. They range from historic caves and old wine cellars to large modern bodegas. Several wineries offer tours and tastings; you must contact them and make a reservation in advance. Arrange your visit with the winery concerned and check availability before travelling. If you are planning a visit, you can also consider whether you are more interested in historic spaces or a modern bodega.

Buildings and the history of winemaking

The Chapel of Santo Cristo stands in the historic town centre and combines Romanesque and Gothic elements. The Toloño Arch served a different historic purpose: it was once a gateway into Labastida. Both buildings offer different insights into the town’s history—the chapel through its combination of two architectural styles, and the arch through its former role as an entrance.

The Casa de Manuel Quintano on Calle Mayor is associated with the introduction of French winemaking techniques from Bordeaux to Spain. Manuel Quintano introduced these techniques in the 18th century. The house therefore provides a specific historical link to the winemaking tradition in the town centre; the rock wine presses add older evidence of winemaking to this theme.

Labastida’s rock wine presses were used between the 12th and 15th centuries in areas without defensive walls. The necropolises, by contrast, are located in the surrounding area of Labastida. The surrounding area is also home to almost a thousand necropolises dating from the 9th and 10th centuries, on elevated rocks near watercourses. The two archaeological subjects also differ in age: the necropolises date from an earlier period than the use of the rock wine presses.

Routes and walks

The route to the Ermita San Ginés is 4.5 kilometres long; the Ruta del Ebro is 8 kilometres long. Both routes start in the town centre, are well signposted and easy to walk. Comparing their lengths gives you a practical point of reference when choosing: the route to the ermita is shorter than the Ruta del Ebro. Trail conditions and signage can change, so it is advisable to check them before setting out.

A walk through Machimbrado has its own cultural appeal: there, you can discover stones shaped into figures and symbols. While the lengths of the two routes mentioned above allow you to compare them, in Machimbrado the focus is on the carved stones.

Harvest festival in mid-November

Labastida holds a harvest festival in mid-November to celebrate the end of the grape harvest. Exact dates may vary. If you would like to include the festival in your stay, check the dates for your travel period.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Salinillas De Buradon, Caicedo-Sopeña, Pinedo, Izarra, Guinea, Villanañe, Páganos, Murga.

Go to the main travel overview: Alava.