Ezcaray Travel Guide

Ezcaray is a small, inviting town that combines history, culture, gastronomy, and style into a lively base for exploring the gorgeous Rioja wine region. Situated in the Oja Valley, the Rio Oja, which flows through the region, is generally credited with the origins of the name of the Rioja DO (appellation). It is a land of vines, of proud traditions, interspersed with modern approaches and attitudes—a diverse and fascinating culture meriting a closer investigation.

Historically, there was no mention of Ezcaray until the 10th century. Ancient man, living as hunter-gatherers, roamed these lands for many centuries until a Neolithic farming population drove them out. They asserted their dominance over this part of Spain around 5000 BC, which was held until powers from the Mediterranean decided to colonize Spain. Finally, in 218 BC, the Romans began their conquest of Hispania. They endowed the Iberian Peninsula with their legal system, administrative infrastructure, and many elegant buildings, including amphitheaters and aqueducts, some of which can be seen across Spain today.

However, in the 5th century AD, the Western Roman Empire collapsed. After that, a recurring theme in early Spanish history was the nation’s susceptibility to foreign invasion – empires that rose and fell on Spanish soil invariable came from elsewhere. In time, that pattern would transform into a struggle for the soul of Spain. For example, the Visigoths, a northern European civilization, made Toledo their capital in 542 and ruled over their Spanish territories for almost two centuries.

However, the Visigoths could not withstand the might of the Arab and Berber armies from North Africa, who began their conquest of Spain in 711. Encountering little resistance from the disorganized and soon-to-be-disposed rulers, Tariq ibn Ziyad’s troops, the Muslim governor of Tangier, swept across Spain. Finally, the Franks checked their advance into Europe at the Battle of Poitiers in 732.

The enlightened Islamic civilization that would control most of the Iberian Peninsula for centuries would be called Al-Andalus. However, resistance to their rule began almost immediately – the city of Pamplona fell to the Basques in 755. Indeed, many battles were fought between the Christian forces of Northern Spain and the Muslim armies over the next few centuries.

It is during this point in history that Ezcaray enters the playing field. The Navarrese kings founded the settlement in the 10th century to repopulate their expanding territories. The name comes from the Basque term “Haitz-Garai,” which means high rock, referring to “The pillory of San Torcuato,” a cliff about 200 meters high that rises above the valley’s entrance. By this period, Navarra had emerged as an independent Christian kingdom – Sancho I Garces became king of Pamplona. His successor, Sancho III the Great, distributed his kingdoms among his sons, and Ezcaray fell under the control of his heir, García Sánchez III.

Unfortunately, the settlement was annexed by the kingdom of Castile in 1076, when Alfonso VI captured the lands formerly belonging to the Navarrese kingdom. Yet, in the 14th century, the Castilian King Ferdinand IV granted an exclusive charter to the now-thriving town of Ezcaray, granting them certain self-determination rights. As a result, Ezcaray enjoyed an unparalleled period of growth and prosperity as part of the unified Christian kingdom, cemented by the marriage of the monarchs Fernando and Isabel in Valladolid in 1269. The last Moorish stronghold, Granada, fell in 1492. Spain was a unified country again.

The 17th century was a significant decade for the whole of Spain. The nation entered a golden age, which saw hitherto unknown artists and writers achieve widespread fame. Also, the Rioja region’s economy had become so inexorably linked to its vineyards that the Mayor of Logrono banned carriages from passing along roads near the wineries in 1635. Rioja’s first recorded commitment to quality dates back to this period; in 1650, official documents referred to quality control.

The 18th century was similarly a very prosperous time for the citizens of Ezcaray. King Ferdinand VI founded the Royal Cloth Factory this century, which remained profitable until the 1950s. Moreover, the Real Sociedad Economica de Cosecheros de Rioja (Royal Economic Society of Rioja Wine Producers) was established in Haro this century. Ezcaray was subsequently integrated into the society, along with other Rioja municipalities.

Ezcaray played a pivotal role in the Spanish War of Independence. In 1807, French forces poured into Spain, supposedly on the way to Portugal, but by 1808, this had become Spain’s French occupation. Ezcaray, due to its strategic position and textile industries, was an obvious target of Napoleon’s armies. In 1808, troops settled in Haro and demanded that Ezcaray supply them with livestock, textures, and money. However, in 1809, General Bartolomé Amor Pisa’s soldiers helped to push the French out of Ezcaray; they were finally driven out of Spain after the defeat at Vitoria in 1813.

But despite Spain’s victory against the French, the nation was bitterly divided and prone to civil and political unrest. Its initial foray into democracy in 1873 lasted only one year, consuming four presidents. In the 20th century, Spain would be split by the Spanish Civil War outbreak between the Nationalists, led by General Franco, and the official government of the Second Republic. Established in 1931, Franco rose against the legitimate Spanish government in 1936, finally achieving victory in 1939. However, this was a difficult period in history – Franco asserted total control over Spain’s social and political life but kept the nation out of the Two World Wars. Finally, in 1953, the Consejo Regulador (regulatory board) of Rioja was officially recognized by the Spanish government led by Franco.

Spain fully embraced democracy after the death of Franco, which it continues to defend today fiercely. Ezcaray has since prospered as a tourism destination and as a village nestled at the heart of Rioja wine production. Yet even newcomers to Spain’s signature wine style will find much to love in Ezcaray – the interlocking lanes and plazas of the compact Old Town are abuzz with shops, markets, cafes, and tapas bars. It’s a hedonistic paradise waiting to be explored.