Discover Añes: dolmens, church and GR-284

The town also lies at the foot of the Sierra Salvada and is connected to the long-distance GR-284 trail. This makes it possible to understand Añes through both its historical evidence and the course of a longer route. The following sections can help you distinguish these points of interest when planning your trip.

Dolmens and construction history

Two megalithic dolmens were discovered in Añes on the plain known as Las Campanas. The two monuments are a distinct archaeological feature of the town. For travellers interested in megalithic structures, they provide a clearly defined subject that is distinct from the church’s later periods of construction.

In 1049, Diego Porcelos, Count of Castile, donated the monastery or church of San Vicente in Añes to the monastery of San Félix de Oca. The present-day church of Añes is an 18th-century reconstruction in which the form and layout of the earlier Romanesque church were changed. The information therefore concerns both a medieval event and a later change in church architecture.

The Romanesque tympanum of San Vicente de Añes is located in the church’s former main entrance and is one of only five Romanesque tympana preserved in Álava. Its location at the former main entrance places the architectural feature within the church’s history, while the number of surviving tympana provides a regional perspective.

Location at the foot of the Sierra Salvada

Añes lies at the foot of the Sierra Salvada. This landscape context complements the archaeological and ecclesiastical themes with a topographical perspective on the town. If you would like to consider both cultural history and the landscape when choosing your destination, you can explore these different points of interest.

Hiking trails and route choices

The GR-284, also known as the Camino Real de la Sopeña, is a long-distance trail from the Mena Valley in Burgos to Orduña. The Orduña–Añes stage leads to the dolmens of Añes. This brings two scales into focus: the stage identifies Añes as a specific destination, while the term long-distance trail describes the longer connection between the Mena Valley and Orduña.

From Añes, the GR-284 heads towards the medieval town of Artziniega. Along the way, it crosses the San Miguel River and the Sojo Valley. The route can therefore be described not only by its destinations, but also by two specifically named landscape features. The direction towards Artziniega complements the Orduña–Añes stage with another section of the GR-284.

One route guide places Añes at kilometre 25.87 of Route 24. The profile for Route 24 lists a distance of 42.89 kilometres, 1,463 metres of elevation gain and five mountain passes, and classifies it as a mountain route. These figures help you understand the type of route information provided: as well as Añes as a point along the route, they include details of distance, elevation gain and passes.

Discover more destinations: Araia, Apodaka, Maturana, Guinea, Leza, Sobrón, Lasarte, Zambrana.

For the broader travel overview: Alava.