9 | San Millan de la Cogolla | Rioja Alta

One of my favorite villages in the La Rioja region is San Millan de la Cogolla. This scenic pueblo is tucked into the Cárdenas River Valley.

The main draw to San Millan de la Cogolla is to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Yuso and Suso Monasteries. The larger monastery is the Yuso Monastery, an impressive site with a breathtaking church, choir room, and important religious items. This incredible site also has replicas of the Glosas Emilianenses, the first known writings in Castilian Spanish.

The Suso Monastery is located up on the hillside and was said to be where those first documents of Castilian Spanish were written. For this reason, the Suso and Yuso Monasteries are said to be the cradle of the modern Spanish language.

Some say the Suso chapel was built during the mid-6th century, but most speculate that the monks lived in the cave systems here long before the chapel was built.

The only way to visit the Yuso and Suso Monasteries is on a guided tour. For now, tours are only available in Spanish and each monastery requires a separate entrance ticket. It is still worth it to see this incredible and sacred site.

Those looking to sleep in San Millan de la Cogolla can spend the night at the Yuso Monastery in the Hostería del Monasterio de San Millan. If seeking a quiet retreat in a beautiful location, sleep outside the village at Casa Rural La Calera.