# Cerca de Palencia

From Palencia almost everything leaves along the A-67. To the north, the Montaña Palentina, Alto Campoo and the Cantabrian coast; to the east, Burgos, Atapuerca and Silos; to the south, Peñafiel and Segovia, and to the west, León, Zamora and Salamanca.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/palencia/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [Carraovejas, castle and roast lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/long-tasting-castle-and-roast-lamb.md) (1 h 5 en coche): You leave the car at the hotel, taste four wines at Pago de Carraovejas, climb up to the wine castle, have lamb beside the Duratón and dine and sleep in a 1922 flour mill. Wednesday to Sunday.
- [Peñafiel: castle, lamb and winery](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/penafiel-castle-roast-lamb-and-winery.md) (1 h 5 en coche): The ship-shaped castle and the Provincial Wine Museum in the morning, the Plaza del Coso, wood-fired roast lamb and a visit with tasting at a winery in the village.
- [Bison, Cantamuda and roast lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/bison-and-mountain-romanesque.md) (1 h 7 en coche): European bison with a guide first thing, the bell gable of San Salvador de Cantamuda before lunch, roast lamb in Aguilar and the afternoon in the cloister and the ROM museum of Santa María la Real.
- [Burgos: cathedral, castle and lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos/itineraries/cathedral-castle-and-roast-lamb.md) (1 h 7 en coche): The cathedral first thing, the merchants' churches, the castle reopened in 2026 and its viewpoint, roast lamb at Casa Ojeda and a stroll along the Espolón before heading home.
- [Aguilar: Romanesque, rock and roast lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/santa-maria-la-real-and-roast-lamb.md) (1 h 7 en coche): The cloister and the ROM models, the square and collegiate church of Aguilar, the rock-cut church of Olleros, Santa María de Mave and lunch at El Convento de Mave, right beside it.
- [Covarrubias and Silos: olla and Gregorian chant](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos/itineraries/covarrubias-and-silos-keep-olla-podrida-and-gregorian-chant.md) (1 h 25 en coche): Covarrubias and its keep in the morning, olla podrida on the square, the La Yecla gorge and the Silos cloister in the afternoon, and the monks' vespers before heading home.
- [Mina Esperanza and CAREX with children](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca/itineraries/family-olmos-mine-and-carex.md) (1 h 34 en coche): The Olmos iron mine with lanterns and a boat, CAREX with fire-making and stone-carving demonstrations and lunch in Burgos, half an hour away; all with advance booking.
- [Atapuerca: sites and museum](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca/itineraries/trench-with-guide-and-human-evolution-museum.md) (1 h 34 en coche): The first guided visit of the Sunday to the Railway Trench, the Museum of Human Evolution before it closes at 15:00 and lunch opposite Burgos cathedral.
- [León: stained glass, kings and Gaudí](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/leon/itineraries/cathedral-san-isidoro-and-casa-botines.md) (1 h 42 en coche): The cathedral at 9:30, before the Masses, the Royal Pantheon, an aperitif in the Húmedo, León cooking at Casa Mando and Gaudí's Casa Botines in the afternoon.
- [Zamora: Romanesque, Cuzeo and the Duero](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/zamora/itineraries/romanesque-guided-tour-cathedral-and-duero.md) (1 h 46 en coche): The 11:00 "Romanesque Zamora" guided tour with the cathedral inside, the castle, La Culebra game and Fuentesaúco chickpeas at Cuzeo and a walk along the Duero to the Puente de Piedra.
- [Salamanca: the frog, the cathedrals and Bambú](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/salamanca/itineraries/university-cathedrals-and-tapas.md) (1 h 50 en coche): The University and its frog in the morning, the Plaza Mayor, tapas and grilled food at Bambú, the two cathedrals in the afternoon and the Roman Bridge before you head home.
- [Alto Campoo: slopes, cocido and Fontibre](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/alto-campoo/itineraries/ski-sunday-at-alto-campoo.md) (1 h 55 en coche): You ski from 9:15 to 16:30 on Alto Campoo's 23 runs, with a €40 lift pass and rental at the resort, and on the way down you stop at the source of the Ebro in Fontibre. An hour and a quarter from Santander.
- [Segovia: Aqueduct, Alcázar and suckling pig](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia/itineraries/segovia-aqueduct-mint-and-roast-suckling-pig-day-trip.md) (1 h 58 en coche): The Aqueduct before the groups, the Mint by the river, suckling pig at the Azoguejo and the afternoon for the cathedral and the Alcázar. Doable without a car, too.

## Across Tierra de Campos and the Montaña Palentina to the sea

The most used exit is the A-67 to the north. It climbs through Tierra de Campos and the Montaña Palentina to [Aguilar de Campoo](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo), continues to Reinosa, where the road to [Alto Campoo](/en/spain/cantabria/alto-campoo) branches off, and drops to the sea at Torrelavega and Santander: on one side are [Santillana del Mar](/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar) and the western coast as far as [San Vicente de la Barquera](/en/spain/cantabria/san-vicente-de-la-barquera), and on the other, along the A-8, [Santoña and Laredo](/en/spain/cantabria/santona-and-laredo). Via San Vicente you enter the [Liébana](/en/spain/cantabria/liebana-and-potes) valley, with Potes and Fuente Dé.

To the east, the A-67 joins the A-62 at Venta de Baños and continues to [Burgos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos); from there you reach [Atapuerca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca) and, to the south along the N-234, [Covarrubias and Silos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos). To the south, via Valladolid, are [Peñafiel](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel) and [Segovia](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia); to the west, [León](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/leon) and, also via Valladolid, [Zamora](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/zamora) and [Salamanca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/salamanca).

Without a car there is little to choose from. León is the exception: it has a train from Palencia and the Sunday plan is done on foot through the old town. For the Montaña Palentina, the Cantabrian valleys and the Ribera you need a car.

## Peñafiel, Aguilar and Burgos, almost the same distance

**A little over an hour** are the three nearest plans: Peñafiel, at 65 minutes, with its wine castle and a winery with tasting; Aguilar de Campoo, at 67, with two different Sundays, the Romanesque one and the bison one, and Burgos, at 67, with the cathedral first thing and the castle reopened in 2026.

**Between an hour and a quarter and an hour and a half** is [Covarrubias and Silos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos/itineraries/covarrubias-and-silos-keep-olla-podrida-and-gregorian-chant), at 85 minutes: the tower and olla podrida in the morning, the La Yecla gorge and the cloister in the afternoon, and the monks' vespers before heading back.

**With an hour and a half or two hours by car** the Sunday starts early: Atapuerca, at 94 minutes, with the sites or the [Olmos mine and the CAREX with children](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca/itineraries/family-olmos-mine-and-carex); León, at 102; [Zamora and its Romanesque](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/zamora/itineraries/romanesque-guided-tour-cathedral-and-duero), at 106; [Salamanca, from the frog to the cathedrals](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/salamanca/itineraries/university-cathedrals-and-tapas), at 110; Alto Campoo, at 115, and [Segovia](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia/itineraries/segovia-aqueduct-mint-and-roast-suckling-pig-day-trip), at 118.

**Past two hours** the trip is a weekend one: [Sepúlveda and the Duratón](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/duraton-gorges/itineraries/duraton-gorges-weekend-sepulveda), at 121 minutes; [Santillana and Comillas](/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/itineraries/santillana-del-mar-comillas-altamira-weekend), at 130; Sanabria, at 145; [San Vicente and Comillas](/en/spain/cantabria/san-vicente-de-la-barquera/itineraries/weekend-san-vicente-de-la-barquera-and-comillas-from-oviedo), at 150; [Gredos in two nights](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sierra-de-gredos/itineraries/gredos-weekend-from-madrid-laguna-grande), at 165; [La Alberca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/la-alberca/itineraries/la-alberca-sierra-de-francia-weekend), at 175, and the [Laguna Negra](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/laguna-negra-and-urbion/itineraries/night-in-soria-pine-forests-laguna-negra), a little over three hours away.

## The bison can be seen all year

In winter, the snow is 115 minutes away: a [Sunday of skiing at Alto Campoo](/en/spain/cantabria/alto-campoo/itineraries/ski-sunday-at-alto-campoo), with a €40 lift pass and a stop at the source of the Ebro on the way down, best from January to March and with chains. The [bison of the Montaña Palentina](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/bison-and-mountain-romanesque) can be seen all year, although in winter the reserve opens only on weekend mornings. The cities, Burgos, León or Zamora, are the plan for grey days.

In spring, from the end of March, El Convento de Mave, the eating house beside the church, opens, and the [Romanesque of Aguilar](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/santa-maria-la-real-and-roast-lamb) can be done in full, with Olleros and the collegiate church in the morning. It is also a good season for Covarrubias and Silos and for the [Atapuerca sites](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca/itineraries/trench-with-guide-and-human-evolution-museum), with the 10:00 visit booked by phone.

In summer the coast rules. [Santoña, its anchovies and the boat to Laredo](/en/spain/cantabria/santona-and-laredo/itineraries/anchovy-weekend-santona-laredo-from-bilbao), at 165 minutes, need a night; the boat runs from March to October. In June, the Laguna Negra and the climb to Urbión.

In autumn the grape harvest arrives in the Ribera, with [a night in Peñafiel and two wineries](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/penafiel-ribera-del-duero-wine-weekend), 65 minutes away; from mid-September to mid-October, the [rut in Sanabria and the Sierra de la Culebra](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sanabria-lake/itineraries/sanabria-culebra-red-deer-rut-weekend), and in September and October, Liébana, with the Fuente Dé cable car and the walk down via Áliva.

## From the León stained glass to the Casa Botines

- **Without a car, in a day:** [León, from the stained glass to Gaudí](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/leon/itineraries/cathedral-san-isidoro-and-casa-botines). By train to León, the cathedral at 9:30 before the Masses, the Royal Pantheon, an aperitif in the Húmedo and the Casa Botines in the afternoon.
- **With one night:** [Aguilar, Romanesque and bison](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/aguilar-de-campoo-romanesque-and-bison-weekend). 67 minutes along the A-67: on Saturday, Olleros, Mave and Santa María la Real, with a night at the monastery inn; on Sunday, the bison and the belfry at Cantamuda.
- **With two nights:** [Fuente Dé and the La Hermida thermal baths](/en/spain/cantabria/liebana-and-potes/itineraries/liebana-fuente-de-weekend-la-hermida-hot-springs). Two hours forty to the Camaleño valley to go up on the cable car, walk down via Áliva and end in the thermal pools.