Canales de la Sierra
84km away from Logroño and at the foot of Sierra de la Demanda, the emblazoned houses and ashlar monuments in this village warn us of its splendorous, chivalrous past. Several bridges link its two districts over the waters or the river Najerilla, which goes through the whole town.
The vestiges of a Roman settlement are still visible in Canales: the city of Segeda, which was the primitive setting of the village. In 927, it obtained from Count Fernán Gonzalez the first Riojan “fuero”.
Some of the noble remnants of the village are the Palacio Condestable, the typical balconies of the period and the formidable coats of arms that adorn its buildings and suggest the presence of several monastic orders.
One of its main attractions is the Theatre, a wooden bullpen. In its tower, near the clock, the figure of the “papamoscas” can be seen. It holds a festival of theatre since 2019. Other highlights are the church of San Cristobal, with Romanesque elements from the 12th century and a porticoed gallery richly decorated whose Castillian style is unique in La Rioja, the parochial church which worships Santa Maria (16th-17th century) and the chapel of Soledad, 8 km away from the town in a beautiful landscape near the camping zone.
Stockbreeding is the main source of income in Canales and it is complemented by the use of the mountain and the hunt.