Monasterio de San Juan de Acre

Monasterio de San Juan de Acre stands on a hillside above the Valle Salado in Salinas de Añana (Gesaltza Añana in Basque), a small town in the Álava province of the Basque Country. The fortified monastery overlooks one of Europe's oldest salt-producing valleys, and together they form one of the region's most distinctive landscapes.

Where does this place come from?

The monastery of the Comendadoras — nuns of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, known today as the Order of Malta — was founded in the 14th century. The building you see today, however, dates mostly from the 16th and 17th centuries, raised over the foundations of an earlier community with roots in the Templar era, still visible in the Maltese crosses carved into the walls and above the entrance archway.

What will you see on site?

The complex is made up of several connected buildings on a roughly rectangular plan, with a small courtyard on the east side. Visitors enter through an arched gateway topped with a Maltese cross, a motif repeated throughout the monastery. The most recognizable architectural feature is the espadaña, a slender open bell wall typical of Spanish religious architecture, pierced with openings for the bells rather than a closed tower. Inside, the baroque chapel houses an 18th-century altarpiece dedicated to St John the Baptist.

A stone bridge called Terrazos, built in 1762 over the river of the same name, links the monastery to the village below. Walking across it gives you a natural vantage point over both the salt valley and the monastery walls.

Why is this place worth a stop?

San Juan de Acre belongs to a very small circle of living Order of Malta monasteries — only two remain active in the world today, one on Malta itself and the other right here in Salinas de Añana. A handful of nuns, wearing simple black habits, still live here, continuing a tradition stretching back centuries. That makes the site valuable not just architecturally but as a living community, not merely a preserved ruin.

How do you get there?

Salinas de Añana sits in the Álava province, not far from Vitoria-Gasteiz, the Basque Country's capital. The easiest way to arrive is by car, using the local road network connecting the town to Vitoria and the surrounding valley villages. The monastery sits on a rise directly above the town center, so it's a short uphill walk from the parking areas in Salinas de Añana.

When should you visit?

Spring and early autumn bring the mildest weather and the most scenic light over the Valle Salado's salt terraces. Summers can get quite hot in the region, while the valley tends to be damp and cool in winter. It's worth pairing a visit to the monastery with a walk through the salt valley itself, which still functions as a living open-air museum of traditional salt production.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the inside of the monastery? Since it remains an active cloistered monastery with resident nuns, access to the interior can be limited — it's worth checking current visiting arrangements locally before you go.

What's the building's most notable architectural feature? The espadaña, an open bell wall pierced with arches for the bells, is considered the most characteristic element of the whole monastic complex.

What's the monastery's connection to the Order of Malta? It's one of only two active Order of Malta monasteries left in the world — the other is on Malta itself — which gives Salinas de Añana a rare place in the order's history.

Is there anything else worth seeing nearby? Yes, the monastery sits right next to the Valle Salado de Añana, a salt valley with a millennia-long tradition of salt production and recognized as part of the region's historical heritage.