Driving in The Rioja and The Pyrenees
 

In March, planning a May trip, I posted a question about driving in the Pyrenees and I received several helpful responses. We had to postpone that trip until this month: September, 2013.

I would like to receive comments and suggestions for the following very stripped-down outline of a proposed driving itinerary:

*Madrid to Logrono
*Logrono to Pamplona via Olite and Ujue
*Pamplona to Jaca via Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Oloron-Sainte-Marie
*Jaca to Zaragoza via Castillo de Loarre
*Zaragoza to Vielha via Ainsa and Campo
*Vielha to Llafranc via La Seu d’Urgell, Puigcerda, and Ripoli
*Llafranc to Barcelona
*Barcelona to Valencia
*Valencia to Alicante
*Valencia to Toledo and Madrid

We have been to Spain several times. On this trip our purpose is to visit friends in Madrid and Alicante, and to explore two regions we have not previously visited in depth: the Rioja and the Pyrenees.

HTtY

How long do you have for this trip?
September is a wonderful time to visit La Rioja! Make sure you have reservations in advance to visit the bodegas.

Interesting route, but rather long unless you have a few weeks to spare. It would be easy to spend a week to ten days in the Pays Basque/Béarn region after at least the same amount of time in the Rioja/Navarra region during the harvest season.

Thanks Robert. You gave me some great help last time. What would you say are the two or three top things to see in each of these regions.

HTtY

Picking the top two or three things to see in each location in the Pays Basque/Béarn, Rioja and Navarra is difficult, but in the Rioja you have to visit the medieval bastide village of Laguardia. And this month, the village of Villabuena de Álava, where they are holding the 20th Rioja Alavesa Wine Harvest Festival. Pamplona is a must, without a doubt, but you should also see Olite, Estella (where the Kings of Spain resided from time to time), and the nearly fully restored medieval village of Artonja (www.artajona.net). There are also several Roman ruins in the area and don't forget the Baztan, Salazar and Roncal Valleys.

Biarritz in September is beautiful, as is the rest of the coast of the Pays Basque. Inland there are a dozen beautiful villages (two and three flower villages) to wander through. The Fêtes de Sare runs through the 11th.

The western part of Béarn is much like the Pays Basque, very pastoral. Navarrenx is interesting, as is the wine region south of Pau.

Overall, there are celebrations going on throughout September in the Rioja (Alta and Alavesa), Navarra and the Pays Basque, too many to mention. Some last only one day, other an entire week.

Thanks, Robert. This kind of specific information is difficult to find.

Now I would like to know if there is one town in the Pyrenees that is best suited as a base for taking scenic drives. We are active walkers, but our hiking days are behind us. We like driving on winding mountain roads.

HTtY

Burgete (Auritz) in the Navarran Pyrenees would be a start. It's where Hemingway used to go trout fishing. It's also on the main route of the Camino de Santiago, Saint James Way.

Jaca (Huesca) in the Aragon Pyrenees would also make a good base for this part of the Pyrenees. The Pyrenees mountains are the highest in this area and usually snow covered year around.

Tramacastilla de Tena is a little further east, on the main route into France on the A-136. The Hotel El Privilegio is highly recommendable (http://elprivilegio.com).

Beyond that is the Val d'Aran (Lérida), one of the most beautiful valleys in Spain, in the middle of the Pyrenees. We've stayed up there in the spring, summer and fall, but even winter is beautiful.

You'll find a lot of winding mountain roads running east and west on the Spanish side, and nearly as many on the French side.