Riofrío, a unique environment
Riofrío is a small village in Loja, in the province of Granada. This peaceful setting is located in the basin of the Guadalquivir river where the native species Acipenser naccarii – also known as the Adriatic sturgeon or ‘sollo’ – thrived for centuries.
This fish farm, established by the pioneer of aquaculture in Spain, Doctor Domezain, enjoys unique conditions that recreate the most natural possible environment for the breeding of sturgeon.
Loja is located ata similar latitude to the south of the Caspian Sea and the region of Andalucía is as sunny as key areas of the Middle East. This is why the water does not have to be artificially heated to breed in captivity, as is the case in other European countries.
Loja’s Sierra GordaMountains have a karst structure that is plagued with sinkholes and no agricultural, grazing or other human activity takes place here, which means that the water is free of pesticides and fertilizers that would reduce its quality. In fact, one of the main industries in Loja is the production of high quality bottled mineral water.
We do not use pumps to move water in the Riofrío pools where we raise and care for the sturgeon from which we obtain Riofrío Caviar. All the movement is produced by the natural flow of the water thanks to the orography of the Rio Frío riverbanks.
We don't need to use any elevation or temperature reduction systems, because the water source is less than 300 metres away from the highest pool at a temperature of 14 -16 degrees. Our production really is “Km 0”, as the whole process, from spawning to packaging has been carried out in the same location for more than 18 years.
A third of the area of the facilities is used to purify and clean the water using natural vegetation, so that it is returned to the river once again in optimal conditions and the wetland recreated provides a habitat for a wide variety of native birdlife. We can, therefore, speak of zero impact.
Riofrío, a unique environment
To reserve your visit or for any other query, please fill in the following form and we will contact you as soon as possible. Remember that your reservation will not be finalised until you receive a confirmation e-mail from us.