Santo Domingo is quite a small town and so we decided to take a day trip to Ezcaray which is only 30 minutes away from Santo Domingo.
A brief history
The town dates from the 10th century when the Kings of Navarre wanted to repopulate the area after taking it from the Arabs. In the 14th century Ferdinand IV granted the town the Fuero del Valle which was a license which exempted the inhabitants from paying taxes, and gave them the right to accept or reject any criminals who arrived in the valley. All part of trying to repopulate the area!
It is situated in the upper Oja Valley with a population of c.2,000 which swells to c.15,000 over the summer months. In addition to tourism, the town has a large wood industry, manufacturing furniture and other items from wood, produces handmade textiles, and there are farms in the surrounding hills and mountains. It is also popular in the winter because of its proximity to the ski resort of Valdezcaray.
Walking, or rather hiking, is also popular here.
Royal Cloth Factory
The Royal Cloth Factory of Santa Barbara was founded in 1752 but didn’t develop new technologies and eventually closed in the 20th century. Today it is a Monument of National Interest, a hostel and the offices of the City Council.1 There is still one outlet making mohair products. I saw some of the products in the parador (expensive!) but wish I had visited, or brought something back. Next time…!
Church
The parish church of Santa Maria la Mayor dates from the 14th century, but was built over an earlier Romanesque building. It was firmly closed but we found a model in the town council buildings.
Shopping
There were lots of tempting things on display and in shop windows! And the mohair products look amazing! There were mushrooms of all kinds and lots of bottled goods – asparagus, beans, peppers were particularly abundant.
Squares
As we walked round we particularly noticed the pretty squares, arcaded, with cafes and bars. Every time I find butterwalks/arcades I think of rain. Looking at the lush green mountains, and the pictures of winter snow, there must be a fair amount of inclement weather here.
I rather liked this notice!
Mansions
Several of the buildings had coats of arms, but the Palace of Archbishop Barroeta was particularly striking.
Pedro Antonio Barroeta y Ángel (1701-1775) was born in Ezcaray. He was noted for his learning and his care of the needy. He became Archbishop of Lima, and then Archbishop of Granada, where he died. It is not clear why he has a palace named after him in Ezcaray, or whether perhaps he came from an aristocratic family.
Corners
It is the corners which are fun, the sights you see while just wandering up and down the streets.
River Oja
The River Oja flows on one side of the town and rises in the Sierra la Demanda which surround Ezcaray.
Driving further up the valley
It was a nice day and so we decided to drive further up the valley. It is stunningly beautiful and it made us wish we were much younger and could manage the many walks/hikes in the hills above the valley.
Posadas is just a few houses, the starting point of some very serious hiking in the mountains. In 2019 it had a ‘population’ of just six people.
And then we drove back down the valley, on the opposite side of the river to which we came.
Zaldierna
Along the way an odd-looking bridge caught our eye.
Apparently Zaldierna was first settled in the 10th and 11th centuries! Income comes from cattle farming, and a growing tourist industry. We saw holiday cottages, but nevertheless the village felt very private and we didn’t feel we could explore.
And so back to the Parador after a day trip to Ezcaray.
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