We stopped in Arnedo during the day and found a very quiet and peaceful place to park. We were travelling out of season, so the parking area was almost empty, and there was plenty of room for our 23-foot motorhome. The surface was paved, which made parking straightforward, and we did not have any problems finding a suitable space. Although the location felt a little isolated, we felt extremely safe throughout our stay. It was completely free of charge, but there were no motorhome service facilities available: the only facilities we found were rubbish bins. This means that it is useful for a daytime stop, but it should not be relied on for refilling drinking water or emptying wastewater and toilet tanks. Its location is convenient for exploring Arnedo, a town with an interesting combination of medieval history, rock-cut heritage and a modern industrial identity.
Arnedo is located in the Cidacos Valley in the eastern part of La Rioja, in northern Spain. It lies at an altitude of around 550 metres and approximately 48 kilometres from Logroño, the regional capital. The River Cidacos and the surrounding hills have influenced the town’s development, providing routes through the valley and land for agriculture. The landscape includes reddish hillsides, rocky outcrops and numerous cavities excavated into the rock. These features are part of what makes Arnedo different from many other towns in La Rioja, which is often better known internationally for its wine and vineyards.
The history of Arnedo goes back a long way. Archaeological finds in the area provide evidence of Celtiberian settlement and later Roman presence. Its position in the Cidacos Valley made it useful both as a settlement and as a point from which to control movement through the surrounding territory. During the ninth century, the area became associated with the Banu Qasi, a powerful Hispano-Muslim family that controlled much of the Ebro Valley. Under Muslim rule, Arnedo developed as a strategically important settlement, with its elevated position offering natural defensive advantages. Following the Christian expansion into the region, the town became part of a frontier area where control of settlements and communication routes was important. Over time, its role changed from a fortified medieval settlement to a commercial and agricultural centre.
One of the most visible reminders of this earlier history is the Castle of Arnedo, which stands on a rocky hill above the town. Its elevated position allowed defenders to observe the Cidacos Valley and the routes leading towards the Ebro basin and the Castilian plateau. The fortress developed over the early medieval period and is closely connected with the Muslim history of the town, although some details of its earliest origins remain uncertain. Its irregular shape follows the rocky terrain, and the remains illustrate how medieval fortifications made use of the natural landscape rather than relying only on constructed walls. The castle is one of the main landmarks of Arnedo, and guided visits have been organised by the municipal tourist office. Since access can depend on maintenance and the visitor schedule, it is sensible to check current arrangements before planning a visit.
Arnedo is also known for the Cueva de los Cien Pilares, or Cave of the Hundred Pillars, an extensive network of spaces excavated into the rock beneath Cerro de San Miguel. The complex is one of the most unusual historical sites in the Cidacos Valley. Its origins are associated with the medieval period, when insecurity in the region encouraged people to seek refuge in sheltered places, including cavities beneath the hillsides. It is believed that some of the galleries may have housed the early medieval Monastery of San Miguel. The chambers, pillars and openings show how people adapted the rock for different purposes over time. The complex is not simply a natural cave: it is a landscape shaped by human activity, with spaces that may have been used for religious, residential and practical purposes. The guided visit helps explain how the galleries developed and how they fit into the history of the town. Visitors should book or check the calendar with the tourist office, as access is organised at specific times.
The use of caves is particularly characteristic of this part of La Rioja. Soft rock made it possible to create underground spaces that could offer shelter and relatively stable temperatures. Similar rock-cut spaces across the wider region were used for storage, work and, in some cases, living. The Cueva de los Cien Pilares is especially significant because of its size and its possible religious associations. It provides a different perspective on the past from that offered by the castle and the churches: instead of seeing only the defensive and monumental aspects of medieval life, visitors can discover how people used the landscape itself to create protected spaces.
The historic centre also contains several buildings worth knowing about. The Church of San Cosme and San Damián is among the town’s most important religious landmarks, with a notable Baroque altarpiece. The church is dedicated to the twin saints who are celebrated in Arnedo’s traditional festivities. Another important building is the Church of Santo Tomás, a sixteenth-century Gothic church known for its star-shaped vaulted ceiling. The town also has the Church of Santa Eulalia and several historic houses and palaces. The Palace of Archbishop Argaiz, built in 1658, reflects the wealth and influence of important local figures during the early modern period, while the Palace of the Baroness of Benasque provides an example of the town’s later architectural development. Together, these buildings show how Arnedo continued to grow long after its medieval defensive role had declined.
A particularly important part of Arnedo’s more recent history is its footwear industry. The town is widely known as the City of Footwear, and shoe production has played a major role in its economic development, especially since the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Traditional footwear production began with espadrilles, known in Spanish as alpargatas, made using esparto and other natural materials. Local craftspeople gradually developed more varied forms of shoemaking, working with leather and producing shoes by hand. The arrival of the railway coincided with the growth of industrial production, helping the local industry expand beyond small workshops. Over time, manufacturers introduced new machinery and production techniques, transforming Arnedo into one of Spain’s recognised footwear centres.
This history is explained at the Museo Ciudad del Calzado de Arnedo, the town’s footwear museum, which opened in its new location at the Nuevo Cinema building in February 2025. The museum follows the development of the industry from traditional espadrilles and handmade shoes to modern manufacturing. It explores the various stages of production, including cutting leather, preparing and assembling the upper part of a shoe, attaching soles and using techniques such as vulcanisation and injection moulding. It also looks at contemporary design, materials and technical innovation. The museum is particularly relevant to understanding Arnedo because footwear is not merely a subject for a historical exhibition: it has been one of the principal forces shaping the town’s economy and identity for generations.
The Nuevo Cinema building also houses the municipal tourist office and the Santiago Jiménez Natural Sciences Museum, which focuses on subjects including minerals, fossils, palaeontology and human evolution. These facilities provide visitors with a central point from which to learn about different aspects of the town and the wider valley. Outside the historic centre, Arnedo Shopping Factory offers factory shops and footwear outlets, reflecting the continuing importance of the industry. For anyone interested in how a local craft developed into modern manufacturing, Arnedo provides a useful example of the relationship between traditional skills, transport links and industrial growth.
Agriculture remains another part of the local economy. The wider Cidacos Valley produces Mediterranean crops such as cereals, grapes, olives, fruit and vegetables. Vineyards connect the town with the broader wine-growing identity of La Rioja, while the surrounding hills provide walking opportunities and views across the valley. The Monastery of Vico, located a few kilometres outside the town in a landscape of vineyards and poplar trees, is another point of interest. Local tradition associates the site with an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1045, although this story belongs to the religious legends surrounding the monastery rather than being a securely established historical event.
For people who enjoy walking or cycling, the Vía Verde del Cidacos offers another way to explore the area. This route follows the valley and connects landscapes shaped by the river, agriculture and the region’s former transport infrastructure. It provides a contrast with the built-up parts of Arnedo and offers opportunities to discover smaller settlements and countryside beyond the town itself.
Our experience of the parking area was straightforward: it was free, paved, spacious and peaceful, with enough room for our 23-foot motorhome even during the day. We did not stay overnight, so we cannot comment on overnight conditions. The absence of water and waste-disposal facilities is its main limitation, but for a daytime stop it worked well. Arnedo itself has much more to offer than its industrial reputation might suggest, from the medieval castle and the remarkable Cueva de los Cien Pilares to its churches, museums and history as a centre of Spanish footwear production.