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From Away.com
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Spain Off Track
Leaving behind the urban environs for a little good, old-fashioned flirtation with Madre de la Naturaleza

By Daniel Montero

outdoor adventure image
Basking in a Basque sunrise (Daniel Montero)
Envision block and block of pubs, discobares, discotecas, lounges, clubs, cafes, and crowds of people thick enough to create traffic jams at 3 a.m., all of it fueled by a seemingly limitless supply of cerveza, sangria, tapas, and that infectious flamenco beat. Couple that riotous nightlife with a dizzying array of museums, cinemas, theaters, and shops, and it's easy to understand how a Madrid night can blur into dawn with a near-seamless embrace for the good life. For those who enjoy their nightlife and culture in perpetual overdrive, Spain's capital will accommodate. For folks like me, after a few days of utter metropolitan cacophony, I long for the uncrowded expanse of a hillside trail, a sunrise hike, and (okay) a few glasses of wine—but standing in the actual vineyard, rather than elbowing for space at one of Plaza de Santa Ana's watering holes.

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So my wife and I took all we could of Madrid's many attractions before escaping the city's proverbial nightlife, and heading out in a rental in search of the Spain that lives beyond the tourist route.

For our plan, we adopted the simple, sonic matra of Que será será: Head north from Madrid into La Rioja, the verdant landscape responsible for some of Europe's best wine; route through Logroño, La Rioja's capital, and then cut through the Basque Country to Bilbao; head east from Bilbao into the Aragonese Pyrenees; and then give the southern section of Spain all the time we had left… What will be will be.

Turns out we didn't have to go very far. A few hours into the drive, our appetites demanded we stop. El Espinar, a small town with funky spires creating a funland horizon, was just right to remind us that Spain isn’t all flamenco and cerveza. A quick bite (chorizo and coffee, despite the stomach-clenching ay Díos grimace of the proprietor) strengthened our road-weary resolve to make it into the heart of La Rioja.



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Born and raised on a cattle ranch in northwestern Nevada, Daniel Montero hasn't stopped moving since he left home to board in Winnemucca for high school at 13. Since then he's lived in Eugene, Oregon, Cuernavaca, Mixico, El Limsn, Dominican Republic, Santiago, Chile, Vida, Oregon, and New York City. He currently lives in Richmond, Virginia, and when he's not outdoors, playing ultimate, or writing his novel, he works as a freelance writer and editor.