Discover Local Logroño: What to Do Around Mercure Carlton Rioja

At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Logroño, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?

Logroño in 5 picks

Calle Laurel

Roughly 50 bars packed into one old-town street, each specializing in one or two pintxos — mushrooms, skewers, croquettes. The routine is simple: order a bite and a glass of Rioja for around three euros, eat standing up, then move to the next bar. No reservations, no menus, just repeat.

Co-Cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda

Logroño's twin-towered cathedral sits right in the old town and is worth a stop before the evening pintxo crawl begins. It's about a five-minute walk from Calle Laurel, so easy to fold into the same outing.

La Rioja Museum

A regional museum covering the art and history of La Rioja, useful context if you're spending a day or two exploring the wine region beyond the tasting glass.

Plaza del Espolón

The city's central square, framed by trees and a good meeting point before heading into the old town's narrow streets.

Rioja wine country day trips

As capital of La Rioja, Logroño makes an easy base for visiting the region's bodegas — many within a short drive of the city center for a tasting before you're back at Calle Laurel by evening.

Where to eat
This is pintxo territory, and Calle Laurel plus the surrounding streets — Calle San Agustín, Calle San Juan — are where locals actually eat. Each bar tends to specialize in one or two dishes, so the move is to order a pintxo and a glass of Rioja at each stop, standing at the bar, and let the crawl set the pace of your evening rather than picking one restaurant and staying put.
Wine country, one glass at a time
Logroño is the capital of La Rioja, and it shows — wine is everywhere, from the bodegas a short drive outside the city to the glasses poured alongside every pintxo on Calle Laurel. If you only have one evening, skip a formal tasting and just work your way down the street instead; you'll cover just as much ground.
Right outside your hotel
Mercure Carlton Rioja sits about 200 meters from Plaza del Espolón and roughly a five-to-six-minute walk from Calle Laurel. The Co-Cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda and La Rioja Museum are both within a few minutes on foot, making the hotel a genuinely central base for exploring the old town on foot.
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FAQ

You order a small bite and a glass of Rioja at one bar, eat standing at the counter, then walk to the next — Calle Laurel alone has around 50 bars to work through.

Yes — as the region's capital, it sits close to many bodegas and makes an easy day-trip hub while still putting you back in the old town by evening.

About a five-to-six-minute walk from Mercure Carlton Rioja.

Where to sleep

See Mercure hotels in Logroño, all within reach of these picks.

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Where to sleep

See Mercure hotels in Logroño, all within reach of these picks

View hotels