Hotel Valentín
Why we like it: Renovated 50-room hotel a hundred metres from the centre of Aguilar, with 24-hour reception, café, restaurant and rooms with a terrace onto the garden.
Duration1 night
From Burgos or SantanderAbout 75 min by car
From MadridAbout 4 h by car
Best timeApril – June · September – October
Budget€130–220 pp
Getting thereBy car
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive on Saturday morning and head back on Sunday afternoon. Book Sunday's bison visit beforehand and, from late March to October, Saturday's lunch at El Convento de Mave, with the lechazo ordered.
Saturday
- 110:30KARST centre
The Las Loras geopark's visitor house, in Aguilar: how Las Tuerces and Covalagua were formed. 45 minutes, €1. At weekends it opens in the morning.
- 211:30Olleros and Mave
The church hewn into the rock at Olleros de Pisuerga and, a few kilometres down, Santa María de Mave. On Saturday they open from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:30; €2 each.
- 314:00Lunch at El Convento de Mave
Next to the church in Mave. Roast lechazo to order, Pisuerga trout or stewed lamb. Open from late March to October; outside those dates, eat at La Posada by Seasons, in the monastery.
- 416:30Santa María la Real and the ROM
Romanesque cloister and models of the district's churches. Self-guided visit €4.50, guided €7.50. Then leave your bags at the inn, which is in the same complex.
- 518:00The square and Santa Cecilia
The arcaded Plaza de España, the collegiate church of San Miguel and the Romanesque church of Santa Cecilia, which on Saturday opens in the afternoon until 18:30. Climb to the castle if there is light left.
- 621:00Casual dinner at the Valentín
The Valentín's café serves casual dinners on Fridays and Saturdays: raciones, combination plates and pan dishes.
Sunday
- 110:00The bison
20 minutes away, in San Cebrián de Mudá. A two-hour guided visit; on foot, €10.50, children aged 3 to 7 €5. Book on their website: in winter the last visit is at 12:30.
- 212:40San Salvador de Cantamuda
The most mountain-style bell gable in Palencia's Romanesque, among meadows. On Sunday it opens from 11:00 to 14:00; €2.
- 314:30Lunch and the drive home
Go down to Aguilar and eat at La Posada by Seasons, with a booking: wild tuna, fish and shoulder of lechazo. Then, the drive back.
Aguilar de Campoo can be seen in a day, but the Romanesque of northern Palencia is spread across small villages with short opening hours, and with one night everything fits without rushing: Saturday, the day when the churches open morning and afternoon, and Sunday for the bison, which can only be visited in the morning. Aguilar is a little over an hour from Palencia, about 75 minutes from Burgos and Santander, an hour and three-quarters from Valladolid and about four hours from Madrid via the A-1 and Burgos or via the A-6 and Palencia.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Where | Who for |
|---|---|---|
| Posada Santa María la Real | In the monastery, on the way out towards Cervera | Sleeping in the Romanesque complex, with a dog |
| Hotel Valentín | Avenida de Ronda, a hundred metres from the centre | Getting around the town on foot, with parking |
| Albergue Goina | San Cebrián de Mudá, next to the reserve | Groups and families, a step from the bison |
The inn has 22 double rooms, a garden and parking, and accepts dogs according to the official tourism listing. The Valentín has 50 rooms, a 24-hour reception and a 10% discount if you book on its website.
What to do
On Saturday, the KARST centre explains the Las Loras geopark before you go down to the rock-cut chapel of Olleros, carved into the crag, and to Santa María de Mave. In the afternoon, the cloister and the models at the ROM in Santa María la Real and Aguilar's square and castle. On Sunday, the guided visit to the European bison at San Cebrián de Mudá, on foot, by bike, in a 4x4 or in a horse-drawn trap, and the collegiate church of San Salvador de Cantamuda, with its mountain bell gable.
Getting around
By car: there is no other way to link these villages. Aguilar to Olleros, 6 km; Olleros to Mave, about 3; Aguilar to San Cebrián de Mudá, about 20 minutes; San Cebrián to Cantamuda, about 35. Park outside Aguilar's centre, next to the Paseo de la Cascajera.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Aguilar de Campoo and the Romanesque of Palencia, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Aguilar de Campoo and the Romanesque of Palencia
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
By Car from Church to Church
The northern Romanesque of Palencia is spread across dozens of small villages: without a car you can't link them. Aguilar is the base, on the A-67 between Palencia and Santander, and almost everything is within 40 minutes.
60–110 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Valentín, in the centre…
- Getting aroundAguilar – Olleros de Pisuerga…
- Where to eatValentín Restaurant, roast lechazo, by…
- ServicesTourist office on paseo de…
Where to sleep
- Hotel Valentín, in the centre of Aguilar, with 24-hour reception
- Posada Santa María la Real, in the monastery complex
- Goina Hostel, in San Cebrián de Mudá, for groups
Getting around
- Aguilar – Olleros de Pisuerga and Santa María de Mave, to the south, about 10 km
- Aguilar – San Cebrián de Mudá, about 20 minutes
- Aguilar – San Salvador de Cantamuda, about 40 minutes
Where to eat
- Valentín Restaurant, roast lechazo, by reservation
- Restaurant of the Posada Santa María la Real, beside the monastery
Services
- Tourist office on paseo de la Cascajera
- Artepalencia phone to open churches by appointment: 616 520 509
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Posada Santa María la Real
Why we like it: Inn with 22 double rooms in the Santa María la Real monastery complex, next to the ROM museum, with garden, parking and dogs admitted.
Goina Hostel, in San Cebrián de Mudá
Why we like it: Former rectory renovated as a 30-bed hostel beside the bison reserve, with kitchen, dining room and heating.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Aguilar de Campoo | Monastery, castle, hotel and tourist office | |
| Valdivia and Las Loras | Olleros, Mave, Las Tuerces | |
| La Pernía | San Salvador de Cantamuda, San Cebrián bison |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Aguilar de Campoo and the Romanesque of Palencia
Restaurante Valentín
What to order: the roast lechazo, the house speciality.
La Posada by Seasons
What to order: something from the wild tuna section and, for the local flavour, the oven-roast shoulder of lechazo.
El Convento de Mave restaurant
What to order: the roast lechazo, ordered the day before; if you have not ordered it, the Pisuerga trout or the stewed lamb.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Do the churches on Saturday: it is the day when Olleros, Mave and Santa Cecilia also open in the afternoon. On Sunday they only open until 14:00.
We'd skip it
From 9 December to late January, if you want to enter the churches without an appointment: Olleros, Mave and Cantamuda close and are visited by appointment on 616 520 509, 48 hours in advance.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Madrid?
About four hours by car. From Burgos or Santander, about 75 minutes; from Valladolid, an hour and three-quarters.
Where is it best to sleep?
At the Posada Santa María la Real, inside the monastery, if you want peace and quiet; at the Valentín, if you prefer to walk to the centre.
Do I need to book the bison?
Yes, on their website or by phone. In winter it only opens at weekends and on public holidays in the morning.
How much does the weekend cost?
Between €130 and €220 per person with one night in a double room, two lunches, a casual dinner and the tickets.
Can I go with children?
Yes: the bison, the church inside the rock, the castle and the ROM models work well. The reserve charges €5 for children aged 3 to 7.