Igea combines the history of the Palacio del Marqués de Casa Torre with paleontological collections and dinosaur tracks. Another link to the dinosaur theme can be found in a replica in the middle of the local pump track. Architectural history, fossils and a track with its own usage profile give the town different points of interest. When planning your trip, it is worth keeping these themes distinct: they lead from the historic building to collections and tracks, and then to a facility for different types of bikes and wheeled sports.
Palacio del Marqués de Casa Torre
The Palacio del Marqués de Casa Torre dates from the 18th century and is designed in the Florentine style. Its construction is precisely dated: in 1729, it was built by the first Marqués, Don Juan José Ovejas y Díez (1682–1732), with the best Spanish and Italian artists. Ovejas y Díez was born in Igea. Royal Decree 1439/1983 of April 20, 1983, declared the Palacio a national historic-artistic monument.
The year of construction and the monument designation refer to two different milestones: 1729 marks its construction, while 1983 marks its formal designation. Together with the Florentine style, these provide several concrete points of reference for understanding the Palacio: its design, its construction history and the connection between its first Marqués and Igea.
Fossils and Tracks
The Centro de Interpretación Paleontológica de La Rioja is the only paleontological interpretation center in La Rioja. It also houses the region’s most extensive fossil collection. The fossils come mainly from Igea and its surroundings. This gives the collection and the town a clear regional connection. If you are planning to visit the center, check the current access arrangements beforehand.
One named feature is the Árbol Fósil in Igea: it is 10 meters long. It adds a specific point of reference with a clear measurement to the extensive collection and numerous dinosaur tracks.
La Era del Peladillo is considered possibly the largest dinosaur tracksite discovered in La Rioja to date. It features numerous sauropod tracks, including two clearly distinct types: Brontopodus and Breviparopus. These names add a more precise level to the search for tracks than the general term “dinosaur tracks”: at the site, two distinct types of sauropod tracks can be identified. Visitors can follow the tracks of several dinosaurs at the site. Check the current access arrangements before your visit.
Route and Pump Track
The official Recorrido de icnitas, or Dinosaur Tracks Route, includes Soto en Cameros, Arnedillo, Munilla, Préjano, Enciso, Cornago, Igea and Inestrillas. Igea is therefore one of several places explicitly named on this route. While La Era del Peladillo refers to a specific site, the Recorrido de icnitas places the subject of the tracks across several locations.
The Circuito de Pumptrack de Igea offers a different focus. A replica of a dinosaur track is located in the middle of the track; it can be used with bicycles, skateboards, scooters and inline skates. Here, the dinosaur motif is an element of the track’s design, not a collection or a tracksite. As conditions of use may change, it is advisable to check the latest conditions before visiting.
If you are looking for a hotel in Igea, you can assess the town according to the focus of your trip: the Palacio offers a cultural and historical connection, the interpretation center is home to the fossil collection, La Era del Peladillo is known for its dinosaur tracks, and the pump track offers a different kind of activity. For your plans, check access to the interpretation center and the site, as well as the pump track’s conditions of use. This lets you take the different themes into account without treating them as equivalent stops.
Discover more destinations: Casalarreina, Peciña, Sajazarra, Arrúbal, Villalobar De Rioja, Muro De Aguas, Clavijo, Lumbreras.
For the broader travel overview: La Rioja.
