Alfaro

I had never seen so many storks together in one place, and I’m not exaggerating. In fact, this city is known as one of the main colonies for these peculiar birds.

It was, for sure, one of the strongest memories I recall when thinking of Alfaro, but not the only one. I did not spend much time in this charming village since I was just passing by, but I had a good impression, especially of the bell tower of the Colegiata where you can enjoy some incredible views surrounded by the famous storks.

White, black and orange. Flapping wings and unsure steps. Life. These are the colors of the main temple of La Rioja: the storks of Alfaro. A unique sight.

There is no building in the world that houses more storks together in one place. This is how a group of naturalists defined the colony of storks of Alfaro when they saw the extraordinary sight of more than 400 birds on the roof of the lovely Colegiata de San Miguel, a 16th and 17th-century church built of solid brick and declared a National Historic-Artistic Monument in 1976.

To watch the sunset during the summer from the Mirador de las Cigüeñas, at the back of the church, is something one cannot forget, especially when you observe the colony against the light with the reddish colors of the twilight against the slender silhouettes of those amazing birds fluttering and strutting around the two twin towers.