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Valdezcaray Ski Resort: La Rioja
By m.p. - Nov 15, 2007 - 4:57 PM
ALSO SEE : • Three skiers die in an avalanche at the Formigal ski resort - Jan 4, 2008 - 2:21 PM
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The Valdezcaray website for the only ski resort in La Rioja
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Valdezcaray is the only ski resort in the La Rioja region of Spain
Valdezcaray: La Rioja

La Rioja’s only ski resort, Valdezcaray, lies in the far northwest of the Sistema Ibérico, and in the southwest of La Rioja, on the slopes of San Lorenzo Peak in the Sierra de la Demanda.
Its closest town is Ezcaray, 13 kilometres from the ski station, and the nearest airports are in the capital of the region, Logroño, just over an hour’s drive away, in Vitoria, an hour and a half, and in Bilbao, one hour and 45 minutes.

The ski station has 22 runs – 2 black, 10 red, 6 blue and 4 green – plus another 2 off piste runs, altogether making up 22 kilometres of skiable area. There is a system of 85 snow cannons to provide artificial snow, with six chair lifts and one ski tow.

This medium-sized resort goes from a minimum altitude of 1,530 metres to a maximum of 2,125, and is surrounded by leafy forests and springs, amongst which is the source of the River Oja.
There are two main service areas, at the base of the station at 1,530 metres, and further up at 1,620 metres. Two ski schools provide classes in all levels of skill.
There is no accommodation in the resort itself, but plenty is available in the towns and villages nearby.

The ski station, which usually opens for the season in November through to April, celebrated its thirtieth birthday on 9th April 2006.

There are varied opportunities for other activities in the area, including hunting, fishing and hiking not forgetting, of course, the chance to sample some of the excellent wines and gastronomy of La Rioja in the mountain villages which surround the ski station.

Nearby San Millán de la Cogolla has its place in history for its two monasteries, Suso and Yuso, where the first literature in the Castilian language was produced. Part of the Yuso monastery, originally dating from the 11th century and rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries, is now a hotel with the remainder still a thriving monastic community.
Suso has not been inhabited since the 19th century and is now owned and managed by the state.
Suso and Yuso are seen today as the birthplace of the modern written and spoken Spanish language and were granted status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

More info here

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