Visit to the La Hechicera and El Encinal Dolmens in Elvillar

In the municipality of Elvillar, in Rioja Alavesa, two prehistoric dolmens form part of the area's rich megalithic heritage. A visit to both offers a journey back more than 5,000 years in an accessible natural setting.\n\nLa Chabola de la Hechicera is a Late Neolithic burial dolmen discovered in 1935. Its chamber, formed by 9 slabs arranged in a polygonal shape, and its gallery of 5 slabs make it one of the best-preserved dolmens in the Basque Country. Excavations uncovered the remains of at least 39 individuals, along with stone axes, arrowheads, pottery and rings. Most of these materials are now held at the Bibat, the Museum of Archaeology of Álava in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The dolmen's name comes from a local legend in which a witch was said to sing here on the mornings of St John's Day. El Encinal is a dolmen over 4,000 years old that spent a long time concealed among holm oaks, whose roots damaged the mound and altered its original verticality. Inside, archaeologists found the remains of around 19 people, collar beads, a gold plaque, arrowheads, flint microliths and, unusually, a Roman cameo whose purpose within the burial context remains unexplained. Both dolmens are a worthwhile stop on a wider route through the prehistoric heritage of Rioja Alavesa.