Reasons to visit La Rioja

La Rioja is home to some of Spain's, and indeed the world's, finest red wines so if you are a lover of wine, this is the place to visit, as it offers plenty of opportunities to sample the product along the way. It is a small province, its capital Logroño, lying on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela; but it is Haro which is the centre of the wine-growing district. During fiestas, enthusiastic locals dowse each other with wine in what has become known as "the battle of the wine". Also worth visiting are numerous monasteries, churches and other historic monuments.