El Pinoso: A Day Between Winery and Bell Tower

We parked the motorhome a little outside, where the large winery is located — you can see it from afar, this row of gray silos and tanks on the edge of town, which look like a small industrial area but are actually one of the largest wineries in the region. From there, we walked into El Pinoso, Zuky and Mandy leading the way with the energy of two dogs who have a whole day in a small town ahead of them and don't even realize it yet.

The Winery on the Outskirts

El Pinoso has always thrived on two things that are not immediately obvious: wine and ham. The winery where we parked the motorhome is a cooperative, like many in this region — farmers pooling their grapes for generations, in tanks larger than any house in the old town. You barely notice this rural wealth once you are in the narrow streets, but it is the reason why this town exists in its current form.

Through the Alleys

The old town of El Pinoso is small, but it takes its time — narrow alleys climbing the hillside, houses whitewashed and ochre-colored, small squares with barely enough space for a bench and an orange tree. We walked unhurriedly, from one square to the next, stopping where there was something to see and moving on where there wasn’t. This is exactly how you should explore a small town that hasn’t been tidied up just for tourists. Above everything stands the bell tower of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, visible from afar, the true landmark of the place. You don’t have to look for it — it finds you as soon as you step from an alley onto one of the squares, and from there I could always orient myself like a compass made of stone.

The Market Hall, Which Dogs Were Denied Entry

Only once that day did we have to stay outside: at the market hall. We were already looking forward to the stalls, the smell of fruit and fresh bread, and of course the famous ham for which El Pinoso is known throughout the region — the town is not called the capital of Jamón for nothing. But dogs are not allowed inside there for understandable reasons, so Zuky and Mandy waited at the door with a mixture of patience and quiet indignation reserved by dogs for exactly such moments, while I briefly took a look inside alone.

When a Day Is Enough

Sometimes all it takes is this: a motorhome on the edge of town, a day without a program, a bell tower as a fixed point, and two dogs who consider every alley the most interesting one you are currently walking through. El Pinoso won’t overwhelm anyone with major sights, and that is exactly its charm — a town that lives on wine and ham, that hasn’t tidied up its alleys for visitors, and that can be fully explored on foot in a single quiet day.

Rainer Schmitz

Practical Tips for Motorhome and Dogs

• On the edge of El Pinoso, near the large winery, there are parking options for motorhomes; from there, the old town is easily accessible on foot

• The alleys and squares of the old town are dog-friendly; the market hall (Mercado Municipal) is not accessible to dogs.

• The bell tower of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario serves well as an orientation point when strolling through the winding alleys.

• El Pinoso is known for its ham (Jamón de El Pinoso) and its wine cooperative — both worth a culinary stop.

• Shade is plentiful in the narrow alleys during the day, but hardly any on the open squares — plan accordingly for dogs during midday hours.