Discover Almarza De Cameros

Almarza De Cameros brings together historic buildings and recurring festivities with trails and natural landscapes. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can plan your trip around the patron saint festivities in September, or take time to explore its religious heritage, the Cañada Real and Ribavellosa.

Festivities and religious traditions

The patron saint festivities take place on 14 and 15 September in honour of Santa Cruz and Nuestra Señora del Valle. During the September procession, the Virgin is carried from the parish church to the chapel, accompanied by the local sword dance. On San Juan, the route is followed in the opposite direction. The festivities and procession therefore take place at different points in the annual calendar. If you are planning your trip around one of these occasions, the exact dates are a useful starting point for arranging your hotel stay.

Churches, museum and archaeological heritage

The Iglesia de la Virgen del Campillo is a 16th-century building. It is constructed of masonry and dressed stone, and has a porch with round arches and a paved floor. The church also contains a Romanesque baptismal font. An altarpiece from the late 16th century, created by Simeón de Cambray, depicts scenes from the life of Jesus—from the Annunciation to Mary through to the Passion. The architecture, baptismal font and altarpiece each offer a distinct perspective on the town’s sacred art history.

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Valle is an 18th-century chapel dedicated to the Virgin Nuestra Señora del Valle. It offers wide views of the municipality’s mountains. The Museo Escuela provides a different window into the past: it is housed in the former school building in Almarza. The residents assembled the collection in 1996; it presents school life in these villages. The Hoyuela tumulus is also among the town’s archaeological features. The oval mound is about 14 metres long and around 9 metres wide, and stands approximately 1.70 metres high.

Cañada Real and nature trails

The Cañada Real can be walked from Clavijo to Puerto de Piqueras, but it is not signposted. This lack of signage is an important practical consideration when including the route in your travel plans. From Almarza, the Cañada Real leads to Prado Admuel, where there is a spring and views of Alto Iregua. Historically, the route was used to drive livestock from the Cameros area between Viguera and Extremadura. Alongside the landscape, the route’s former use and its role as a drovers’ road are therefore also central to the experience.

Ribavellosa is a destination in its own right. This wooded nature and recreation area covers 200 hectares and has eight marked trails of varying lengths and difficulty. It also has 12 kilometres of publicly accessible paths through beech, holm oak and Portuguese oak woodland. Visitors can use picnic areas, sports facilities, a children’s area and toilets. As some facilities may change, check their status before your visit. Also check access regulations before travelling.

Planning your journey and stay

By road, the route follows the N-111, with the LR 345 branching off at Puerto de La Rasa. Check driving conditions before setting out. Regional bus route LR 4.1 connects Logroño and Ajamil via Almarza De Cameros. As service conditions may change, it is worth checking the timetable before your trip. When planning your hotel stay, first decide whether the September festivities, historic buildings, or trails and landscapes will be the main focus of your visit. Then align your travel dates with that focus and check availability for the specific offer.

Discover more destinations:

Haro, Treviana, Ojacastro, Grávalos, Tricio, Panzares, Sajazarra, Ventosa

For the main travel overview: La Rioja.