Alquézar, Spain….. our last day here

September 13th, 2025

Our last day in Alquézar dawns cloudy and cool. After a leisurely breakfast, we decide to focus on the town itself and its rich history. The first order of business is to hike up to the imposing Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor. The church and cloister dominate the skyline, their sturdy walls standing guard over the terracotta rooftops of the village. Wandering its lanes feels like a step back in time — narrow stone streets, ancient arches, and houses decorated with flowers in window boxes.

The Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor occupies the site of Alquézar’s original Moorish fortress, built in the 9th century. Following the Christian reconquest in the 11th century, the fortress was transformed into a Romanesque church and later expanded with Gothic and Renaissance elements. The cloister is particularly striking, with arcaded galleries decorated by 14th- and 15th-century frescoes depicting biblical scenes. From its commanding position above the Río Vero, the church was both a place of worship and a symbol of Christian authority in a once-contested frontier region. Today, it remains the architectural and historical heart of Alquézar…

Passing through the gate (there once were three), we enjoy the expansive vistas of this rugged terrain…

   Inside the Collegiate Church is the Chapel of San Nicostrato, which is rather sparse but has a fine-looking altar:

The cloisters are quite interesting as the Moorish influences can be readily seen…

There is also a small museum, all in all a very pleasant interlude, particularly the cloisters, which we found quite tranquil…it helped that there were very few visitors when we came.

The afternoon was pretty relaxed, with time to stroll around this very picturesque town and then a siesta before supper.

Dinner tonight was at La Vermuteria, a tapas bar with a 70/80’s rock theme … it is unique in that it is a restaurant but one that is largely open to the elements.

As you may have guessed, vermouth is a “thing” in this part of Spain, and I wasted no time wading in (they serve it in large tumblers with ice and a twist of orange). Some tasty sardines were a great offset, and the charcuterie plate was superb, all accompanied by very loud rock >>> you gotta love this:

It’s a fittingly mellow end to our stay in Alquézar, which has proven to be one of the highlights of this trip.