Where can you sleep?
Like everywhere else, finding cheap accommodation in the capital is not that easy, but you can always find towns and villages close to it and with more availability, that will surely adjust to your needs. If you're a wine lover. We recommend visiting Elciego, a place known as the Guggenheim of wine because of its longtime tradition of winemaking.
And if you would like to feel like you have travelled back in time to the Middle Ages, Labraza is your place to go, a small town surrounded by greenery, vines and that particular earthen smell that you will love for sure. We also recommend Labastida, another charming town that you will love.
What to do in the area?
There are many places in this region that deserve a visit. Starting with the capital of the province, Vitoria, you can't miss the Catedral Vieja, built in the gothic style, at the very center of the city, where you can also walk by its streets and discover the hidden spots it has. Palaces, museums, and even a botanical garden built in the ruins of an old monastery, are some of the more interesting places that you will be able to visit if you move around the capital and nearby area.
And if you're more into nature, we strongly recommend the Salto del Nervión, the river falls with some of the most impressive views of incomparable beauty, in this area.
On the other hand, another destination if high natural value you should check out is the Valle Salado, where you will be able to explore deeper into the wild.
What typical foods are recommended?
Its lack of seaside, but vast inland territory make for the perfect location for a gastronomy where beans and meat predominate.
One of the principal dishes you will find here is the local stew, the 'cocido alavés', or similar stews elaborated with broad beans from Vitoria, or the 'perretxiko' which is a mushroom that can only be found in this area.
Nevertheless, here there is also a longtime tradition of 'pintxos', a typical style of serving food in small quantities here at the País Vasco, that will help you try all the different, traditional and delicious dishes from Álava. And don't forget about the local meat, with pork being the most popular here, or the local fish, like the 'txakoli, which are still very much present in any menu here in Álava.
Where are the festivities?
And if there's something that tourists love are parties and celebrations, and Álava is no exception to the rule. There are two local festivities that are a must here in Álava. The first of them takes place at the end of April, concretely the Retretas de las Tamborradas performed the 28th, honouring the local patron saint, San Prudencio.
The other celebration you mustn't miss is the festivity of la Virgen de Estíbaliz, the other patron saint of the capital, held in the second sunday of September.
So, if you want to make sure you enjoy your time in Álava to the fullest, make sure to write down those two dates in your calendar.
