Laguna de Cameros lies in the Río Leza watershed, in the Camero Viejo landscape. The town offers visitors several points of interest to help plan a trip: architectural history and local traditions, a designated stargazing site, trails and the Santa Apolonia recreation area. There is also locally produced seasonal goat cheese from Laguna de Cameros. When planning your stay, you can first decide whether to focus more on local history, nature or regional products.

Church, Houses and Traditions

The Iglesia parroquial de la Asunción dates from the first half of the 16th century and was later remodelled in the 18th century. The church also houses a 12th-century baptismal font. The different dates provide a concrete indication of the building’s distinct historical layers. The traditional houses in the Cameros style are also part of Laguna de Cameros’s architectural character; some feature coats of arms. Together, the church and houses reflect different facets of local architectural history.

Another point of interest is the Señorío del Solar de Tejada, a lordship with immemorial origins and a continuous historical development. Its shared identity is rich in history and traditions and originated in the heart of Camero Viejo. The cultural heritage of the Solar de Tejada was designated a Bien de Interés Cultural by the Government of La Rioja in 2016. Alongside the church’s architecture, the area’s historical lordships and cultural heritage are therefore also worth considering when planning a stay.

The Ermita de Santo Domingo de Laguna de Cameros is associated with the tradition that Santo Domingo de Silos lived in the town as a hermit. Two local festivals also provide fixed dates for planning: Santo Domingo de Silos is celebrated on 12 May, while the Santiago festival takes place in July. If one of the festivals is a key reason for your trip, it is worth checking the dates for the year you plan to visit.

Starry Skies and Landscape

The Parque Estelar de Laguna de Cameros is a designated place to experience the night sky. It is among the places with some of the darkest skies in La Rioja. This makes stargazing a possible focus in its own right, alongside architectural history and local traditions; each interest brings a different emphasis to a trip.

To reach the Santa Apolonia recreation area from Laguna de Cameros, travel through the town in the direction of Puerto de Piqueras and take the track to the hermitage. The area’s vegetation includes riverside poplar groves, Pyrenean oak forests and rockrose scrub. Listed wildlife includes wild boar, wildcat, common buzzard, green woodpecker and ocellated lizard. Santa Apolonia thus brings together a variety of plant communities and a number of named animal species.

For those interested in routes, the sixth stage of the Laguna de Cameros–San Román de Cameros route starts in the square opposite the church. It leaves town along the old road to Tejada. Another natural attraction is the dinosaur track site at Laguna de Cameros, on the steep slope of the Río Leza. It contains 27 tracks left in the flooded sediment. The exact number and location provide a specific palaeontological connection to the surrounding area.

A Local Producer

Ganados Pizarro makes fresh goat cheese in Laguna de Cameros; production is seasonal. The cheese is sold at a grocery store next to the cheese dairy and at local craft markets. This adds an insight into regional production to the area’s historical and landscape-related attractions. If you are interested in this, you can take the listed sales locations into account when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Arnedillo, Aguilar Del Río Alhama, Abalos, Azarrulla, Ollauri, Alcanadre, Torrecilla En Cameros, Navalsaz

For the broader travel overview: La Rioja.