Sierra de Cebollera

The Sierra de Cebollera rises to 2,142 metres on the border with Soria and holds the clearest glacial evidence in La Rioja: cirques, moraines and a few small lakes left by ice that persisted here through the last glaciation. Beech, Scots pine and oak cover the slopes, with high pasture above. The park was created in 1995. An unusual feature is the Sendero de los Cauces, a walking route through the woods along which land-art installations by invited artists have been built into the forest since 2000, using wood, stone and water from the site, and left to decay naturally, so the trail changes over years. The Cameros villages below preserve a transhumance history and a wooden building tradition.

What you actually see

• The glacial cirques - the clearest ice-carved features in La Rioja.
• The land-art trail - installations built into the forest and left to decay.
• The beech and pine - mixed high forest across the slopes.
• The Cameros villages - settlements with a transhumance and timber tradition.

When to go

June to October for walking, when the high routes are clear; autumn colour in the beech is the visual peak in late October. Winter brings snow and the higher roads can close.

Honest expectations

The land-art works decay by design, so some are barely visible and others gone. Facilities are limited to the visitor centre and a few village bars. The Cameros are among the most depopulated areas in Spain.

Nearby

Villoslada and the Cameros villages are below; Soria and the Urbion forests lie south.