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Alava Hotels
Hotels in Alava
Customer Rating
4/5
Customer Rating
4/5
Customer Rating
4/5
Hotels in Alava at the Lowest Price Guaranteed We have 15 Hotels in Alava Province Offers of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 star hotels in Alava Province
- Laguardia Hotels (1)
- Rivabellosa Hotels (1)
- Urduña Hotels (1)
- Vitoria Gasteiz Hotels (12)
The province of Alava is located in the heart of the Basque Country in central northern Spain. Despite its landlocked and ostensibly feature-free location, Alava is actually a firm favourite with a wide variety of visitors, thanks largely to its beautiful scenery and good road access to and from all areas of the country.
With vast swathes of countryside, Alava is one of Spain's least urban provinces, with the majority of its inhabitants clustered around the capital city of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Aside from this relatively large conurbation, Alava is a fertile wilderness of natural frontiers that is sure to appeal to outdoors types. The province's verdant lowlands are dotted with green-fringed lakes and streams, creating a perfectly picturesque backdrop, while the highlands have been dubbed 'little Switzerland' thanks to the juxtaposition of steep peaks, plunging valleys and dense woodland.
There are a wealth of natural parks in Alava, each delivering exceptional beauty and a variety of landscapes and vistas. The ‘Salt Valley’ that is Salinas de Ananas is a unique and thoroughly striking tract of land, consisting of traditionally-built salt pans that are cut into terraces on the side of the valley. Their purpose for centuries was to extract salt from the evaporating waters of the River Muera each summer, although only 150 of the 5,000+ are still operational today.
For windswept beauty, head to the Gorbeia Natural Park, where the 1,482 metre summit is a favourite with mountaineers, while the surrounding foothills are blanketed by forests of oak, yew and beech, and inhabited by a wide variety of animals, including wild boar, pine marten, otters and wild cats.
While visitors enjoy the terrain, the climate does its best to ensure everybody feels comfortable, delivering hot - but not stifling - summers, and cool winters, where snowfall is common over higher ground. Rainfall is rather heavy, with Vitoria-Gasteiz regarded as one of the wettest places in Spain, receiving more than 60 inches of rain each year, although more than double that amount has been known on numerous occasions.
You can soak up year-round sun on Spain’s Canary Islands; enjoy the glamorous beach resorts of the Costa del Sol; immerse yourself in the rich culture and history of the country’s largest cities; and even ski in Sierra Nevada and numerous Pyrenees locations. On the face of it, Alava may appear to be somewhere you could easily overlook when travelling to Spain. However, what it lacks in beaches, ski resorts, a stunning climate and glamour, it more than makes up for with its natural beauty, rich heritage and unique way of life.
Most of Alava is extremely rural, and breathtakingly beautiful to boot. The natural parks are a national treasure, and their relative obscurity on a wider scale is actually beneficial to the upkeep and maintenance of their unspoilt beauty. Visitors keen on experiencing Alava’s great outdoors should most definitely head to the Urkiola Natural Park, which boasts rocky summits, emerald hills and shimmering lakes. Lovers of legends will be pleased to hear that the vertical cliffs of the Amboto mountain are said to be the home of Alava’s witches and Mari, the queen of the genies. For something a little more tangible, but no less elusive, visitors can go wolf-tracking through the thick woodland.
The wineries of Alava’s Rioja Alavesa region are world-famous, producing a number of distinctive labels that are renowned for their unique flavours and personality. Although wonderful when enjoyed by the bottle in the comfort of home, a restaurant or a hotel bar, the true way to experience Alava’s wines is at one of the many wineries and rustic taverns that dot the landscape, serving a splendid variety of young wines, reserves, and grand reserves.
Due to its location in Spain’s Basque Country, the cuisine that characterises Alava is internationally-acclaimed. Geographically, Alava has some of the finest influences to draw upon; dishes boast the flair of Spanish cooking, the refinement of French gastronomy and the robust flavours of the Basque countryside and coastline. Lovingly and painstakingly prepared, specials of the region include the salted ham and garlic appetiser, the stuffed Swiss chard, the scrambled perretxikos (wild mushrooms) and snails, delicate ‘pintxos’ (Basque style tapas) and a procession of exquisite cakes and tarts. Dining throughout Alava is invariably a relaxed and inexpensive affair, where a jovial and informal attitude to dining is preferred.
