Timeless Villages, Natural Landscapes and a Dark Secret Hidden Underwater.

Good morning! Today you will start the day with a very pleasant walk to the González de Lacasa reservoir. It is a very easy walk, so if you are travelling with children or older people you can do it with the family without any problems.
It is best to leave your car parked next to the road, near the park area at the entrance to the village. From there walk along the Nieva road (LR-253) in the direction of the yacht club (that is, facing the village to the left). After passing the turning for La Mata street, you will see that a small path opens up parallel to the LR-253, this is the green path to follow that will take you to the reservoir. You will cross a small bridge over the San Mames stream.
After a very pleasant walk you will arrive at the car park of the yacht club, continue into the vicinity of the club until you reach the reservoir.
Here you have two options (as in Choose Your Own Adventure): If the weather is warm you can rent a pedal boat at the yacht club and enjoy a ride on the lake. If the weather is not suitable for such adventures, you can walk along the lake (keeping the lake on your right). Continue until you see a path opening up to the left. This is the path that will take you back to the village.

You can park here easily, there is another car park at the entrance of the village but that one is smaller. However, the caves are just passing the curve on the opposite side of the road.

These caves are beautiful, the guide explains the different formations that can be seen inside, making it even a more interesting experience. It's important to mention that, even though I visited them on a hot day, I was cold inside. It is advisable to bring something warm. The guides also recommend not to bring backpacks.
You must call to book a visit. You can call any day except Mondays, which is their day off. Guide: +34 662 08 6899 Town Hall: + 34 941 46 2001
Tickets are given out by the guides themselves at the ticket booths at the entrance, a few minutes before the tour begins. You must be there 15 minutes before the start of the visit to collect your tickets.
In this web you can see more information and the calendar of available dates.

This cheese factory is owned by a family of villagers who make cheese in the traditional way, have their own animals and produce it all with traditional processes, respecting the natural curing times of the cheese.
They are very friendly and explain everything with a lot of sympathy. Needless to say that the cheeses made with so much love and dedication are delicious!
The idea is to buy some cheeses because you are going to have a picnic next to a river, in a dreamlike natural setting.
So the cheeses are just a recommendation, but if you prefer to buy other things, take the opportunity to walk around the village, while you look for what you fancy the most.
This cheese dairy is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 to 20:00 h. and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (which are the days they produce the cheese in the mornings) from 17:00 to 20:00 h.
Anyway you can call them if you see that they are not open when you arrive, they are very nice and friendly: +34 620 99 27 17
Here is the website if you want to know more

Here I bought a mushroom pâté that was a delight!! If you don't know which one to choose, take into consideration that mushrooms are abundant in the sierras and there's an extraordinary variety.
The proposal here is also to stock up for the picnic with local delicacies. But as I said before, if you don't feel like it, you can take the opportunity to wander around the little streets or buy other things for the picnic.
This shop is open from Monday to Friday from 10:30 to 13:30 h.
If you want to see their products or other information here is their website

Time to get back to the car, a beautiful paradise awaits you.

You have arrived into the paradise! You can leave your car parked right there in the recreation area at the side of the road.
This place allows you to disconnect, I recommend that before you sit down to eat your picnic, first walk along the path along the river. Wander through this wilderness of peace and nature.
Now you've walked, it's time to recharge your batteries. There are tables with benches to sit on or maybe if you have blankets and you prefer so, you can sit on the floor, as I did. Eating here is a delight, whatever you eat, isn't it !?

If you haven't eaten at the picnic, or if that wasn't enough, I recommend this restaurant with its home-made food, in the style of grandma's cooking, very traditional and exquisite.
This place is a good excuse to stop, cross the bridge over the Iregua river and explore a little bit this beautiful village: Villoslada de Cameros.
The restaurant opens every day from 13:30 to 15:30 h. In the evenings they serve sandwiches and mixed dishes until 22:00 h. At weekends you have to call to make a reservation: +34 941 46 80 05.

A moor with a paradisiacal setting that hides a dark history beneath its waters. Before the creation of the reservoir, the prosperous old town of Mansilla was located where the water is now. At the time of the dictator Franco, it was decided to create this reservoir to supply irrigation to the orchards of La Rioja. The old town had a privileged location, where three rivers converged, and this is precisely what had made it prosperous and beautiful.
If you could travel back in time you would see it, I've seen pictures of how it was.... All its houses and streets were made entirely of rock, it had numerous bridges to save the confluence of the rivers, it had a palace, which housed the royalty in their passages through the area and a monumental church. All surrounded by an ideal landscape.
The landscape is still beautiful, but in the early 60's, unfortunately, these villagers had to leave their beloved village at musket point, forced by the local police and with the water up to their ankles.... They received very little compensation for their beautiful houses and had to move to a new, half-built village, without electricity or running water, where the houses cost them 4 times more than what they received in compensation.
Despite this dark chapter, the Mansilla reservoir is a place of absolute beauty, a paradisiacal environment between green mountains.
An interesting fact: If you visit it between September and October, the water level drops considerably and you can see what remains of the splendid old town of Mansilla. I was there in August and I could see a little bit of the ruins emerging.

I suggest you leave your car as soon as you cross the bridge into the town, there is a parking area on the right hand side and if not you can also find parking on the outskirts of the old town.
Covarrubias is another town with a very special charm, I like to visit it because it is authentic, it is not a town that is sold as old, but perfectly prepared to be seen as such by tourists. It is authentically old and therein lies its beauty. I love to photograph textures and details of houses or wooden windows with their flowers and handmade curtains. Here I made a nice collection of photos.
If you like cities with a bohemian and timeless touch, this place will fascinate you as much as it did me.

This bar has a very nice terrace overlooking the square where you can sit and relax for a while.
It's open daily from 9:30 to 00:00 hs. Meals are served from 13:30 to 16:00 h. and from 21:00 to 23:00 h.
For more information here is the website or you can call them: +34 947 40 64 20

You can park next to the church, there is usually empty places.
I was amazed by this church the first time I saw it, I simply thought it was beautiful, its Romanesque style and the portico at the entrance is extraordinary.
The only bad thing is that it has very limited visiting hours, in fact I've been there twice and I haven't been able to get in yet.
It is open to the public on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00.
I suggest that after seeing the church in detail (look at the capitals and the different decorations with so many different scenes), you walk around the village, which is small and has very picturesque corners.

This restaurant has a very cosy dining room, inside a very well preserved old mansion. The service and attention are excellent.
I was there at midday, it was open and there was no need to book because it was a weekday. But for dinner or if it is a weekend, they only serve with previous reservations: +34 654 291 689.
Well, this is the last stop of the route, I hope you have had a good time during these two days. I've loved sharing my favourite places and experiences with you. See you in some other route!