# A weekend in Peñafiel and the Ribera del Duero, two hours from Madrid One night in Peñafiel to visit two wineries without thinking about the road, climb to the wine castle, eat roast lamb and return via the monastery of Valbuena. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/penafiel-ribera-del-duero-wine-weekend · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Dónde: Peñafiel and the Ribera del Duero The Ribera del Duero is best enjoyed by sleeping in it: that way you taste without watching the clock and walk to dinner. Peñafiel is about two hours from Madrid and under one from Valladolid, and it has in the same town the castle housing the Provincial Wine Museum, two wineries that can be visited by appointment, a roast lamb restaurant and hotels with spas. On Sunday, on the way back, the Cistercian monastery of Valbuena. ## Where to sleep AccommodationWhereFor whom Hotel AF PesqueraFormer flour mill at the foot of the castleCouples: spa, gourmet restaurant, bikes AZZ Peñafiel Las ClarasIn the old town, four starsCouples: spa La Casa del CosoWhole house on Plaza del CosoGroups and families: up to 11 people ## How to choose wineries Peñafiel Tourism lists more than sixty wineries that can be visited in the town and around it. If it is your first time, combine a big one and a family one: Protos, in the town, and Peñafalcón, a family winery with a long visit. Almost all work by appointment, weekends too: book before you leave. ## El plan ### Saturday · 11:00 · Castle and Provincial Wine Museum A guided visit to the castle and a self-guided museum, an hour and a half, €6.60. At weekends there is a tasting at the museum for €9.20. ### Saturday · 13:30 · A glass at the Ágora de Protos Protos's wine bar is open from 11:00 to 14:00, on Avenida de Escalona. ### Saturday · 14:00 · Roast lamb at Molino de Palacios A menu of lamb roasted in a wood-fired oven, ordered when you book. ### Saturday · 17:00 · Winery and tasting Bodegas Peñafalcón, on Calle Pisuerga: two hours with a tasting, from €30. Or Protos, booking online. ### Saturday · 19:30 · Plaza del Coso and spa A walk round the square at dusk and the hotel spa before dinner. ### Saturday · 21:00 · Dinner Tasting menu at Origen-es, in the Hotel AF Pesquera, with a reservation. ### Sunday · 11:00 · Second winery or the Casa Museo A visit at Protos, or the dramatised session at the Casa Museo de la Ribera at 12:00, booked. ### Sunday · 13:00 · Monastery of Santa María de Valbuena About 20 km along the N-122 towards Valladolid. On Sunday it opens from 10:15 to 13:45, closed for worship from 11:20 to 12:30. Then head home. ## Un consejo más If you are going in a group, rent La Casa del Coso: the square is at the window and the bars at the door. ## Cuándo no ir The August long weekend if you aren't going for the festival: from 14 to 18 August Plaza del Coso is the centre of the party. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Madrid? About two hours via the A-1 to Aranda de Duero and the N-122 to Peñafiel. ### Do I need a car? Yes, to get there and for Valbuena. In Peñafiel you walk everywhere. ### How much does a winery visit cost? At Peñafalcón, from €30 with a tasting. Protos publishes its prices on its booking website. ### Which day is best avoided? Monday: the castle and many restaurants, such as Molino de Palacios, are closed. ### Is it a plan for children? In the morning, yes: the castle is free up to age 12 and the Casa Museo has dramatised visits. The tastings are for adults. ## Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel AF Pesquera**: The AF Pesquera is a boutique hotel in a former flour mill of 1922, on Paseo de la Estación in Peñafiel, at the foot of the castle. It is run by Familia Fernández Rivera, the house of Tinto Pesquera and Condado de Haza, and is conceived for wine tourism: sleeping in the Ribera, eating in its gastronomic restaurant and visiting the family's wineries. It has 36 rooms, a spa and a museum cellar with all its wines. On the flat, under the castle The hotel is in the flat part of Peñafiel. On foot you reach the Plaza del Coso and the street that climbs to the castle and Provincial Wine Museum in a few minutes. The most special room, El Castillo, has views of the fortress. Valladolid is about 50 minutes away on the N-122. Rooms named after novels Standard: 24 rooms with air conditioning, heating, television, safe, desk and bathroom with hairdryer; room service is available. Deluxe: five, with glass-walled bathroom and a four-poster bed; they are called El Perfume, El Amante, Seda, Lolita and Expiación. Suites: Bomarzo and Gato Pardo, with a double bedroom and a living room with sofa bed, the ones that suit families. Gran Deluxe: four two-storey lofts with living room and jacuzzi (El elogio de la sombra, Fiesta, Memorias de Adriano and El Aleph) and El Castillo, the largest, with views of the fortress. Rates appear in its booking engine. Al Agua Sana Spa The spa has a hydrotherapy circuit and sessions for therapeutic purposes, as well as treatments and a small gym. Origen-es and La Perla Origen-es is the hotel's gastronomic restaurant, with the grill as the star and local produce, above all from the family estate Dehesa La Granja. It has a tasting menu according to season and a cellar with out-of-market vintages from the family, champagnes and sparkling wines. For something more informal, Taberna La Perla serves a menu of small bites, also to take away subject to availability. If you prefer to eat out, the Molino de Palacios, a few minutes' walk away, roasts Churra milk-fed lamb to order. Wineries and bikes The hotel organises experiences with the family's two wineries in the Ribera del Duero, Condado de Haza and Pesquera; book on 983 88 12 12 or at recepcion@hotelpesquera.com. It has a shop with the family's wines and products, and hires bicycles at reception for the Duero trail. The hotel's energy comes from its own solar panels. - **La Casa del Coso**: La Casa del Coso is a tourist-use dwelling (VUT-47-29) at number 22 of the Plaza del Coso in Peñafiel, the square of wooden balconies that serves as a bullring at fiesta time. It is rented whole, for a maximum of eleven people, and its façade faces the square: sleeping here means stepping out onto the balcony in the morning and seeing the empty square, with the castle above. An old house redone the old way The renovation used traditional techniques and recovered materials: limestone in the walls, Mudejar brick on the staircase, terracotta floors, exposed juniper, elm and pine beams and posts and wrought iron on railings and balconies. It has two entrances: the main one, from the square, and another at the back on Calle Destiladeros, through the threshing-sledge door. Four floors, four bedrooms Ground floor: a toilet and a yard with a fireplace-barbecue and two small sheds. Mezzanine: the open living-dining room, with views of the square and a full kitchen with fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, oven, hob and microwave. First floor: El Capote, with views of the square and two 0.80 m beds or one 1.60 m bed, and La Lidia, with a 1.35 m bed; bathroom with shower. Second floor, attic: El Coso, with two 0.80 m beds or one 1.60 m bed and views of the square, the castle, the Clock Tower and the convent of San Pablo, and La Verónica, with a 1.50 m bed and a loft with another of 1.20 m; bathroom with shower. With the two extra beds, it sleeps eleven. The house at fiesta time During the bullfighting festivities it is compulsory to leave the doors that open onto the square open so that people can take refuge during the capea, and El Coso, El Capote and the living room become viewing stands with tiers: the beds and the wooden balconies change place. The rest of the year it may coincide with other events in the square, such as the Bajada del Ángel at Easter or gatherings of bands and motorbikes. Ask whether your dates coincide with any. Price, payment and times The website does not publish a rate: ask the owner, on 619 253 305 or at reservas@lacasadelcoso.com. 30% is paid to confirm and the rest on handing over the keys, with a €200 deposit that is returned after the house is checked. Check-in is from 16:00 and check-out before 12:00. The same owner rents the apartment La Casa de Justina, for four. From the door The castle and Wine Museum are reached on foot from the square. For eating, the Molino de Palacios is a few minutes' walk away, and for tasting, a winery visit in the Ribera. - **AZZ Peñafiel Las Claras Hotel & Spa**: The convent The hotel occupies the former convent of the Poor Clare nuns, dating from the 17th century, in the Plaza Adolfo Muñoz Alonso in Peñafiel. Today it belongs to the AZZ chain and has four stars. The cloister, covered with a glass roof, serves as the hotel's great lounge, and the former chapel is now the dining room. It is in the old town, a short walk from the Plaza del Coso and below the castle, which can be seen from the pool. Peñafiel is 56 km from Valladolid and 37 km from Aranda de Duero. The rooms There are 64, of two types. The doubles have two beds or a queen bed, and suit couples or solo travellers. The junior suites add a spacious living room and a bathroom with shower and bath to the sleeping area. All have adjustable climate control, full bathroom, free wifi, minibar, safe and flat-screen television. The website does not publish prices openly: you book on it, on 983 878 168 or at recepcion.conventolasclaras@azzhoteles.com. It advertises early-booking discounts of up to 20% and spa, relaxation and winery packs. It does not give check-in and check-out times, parking or pet policy: ask when you book. The spa It is the reason for many stays, and the Town Council counts it among Peñafiel's vinotherapy spaces. It has a 60-minute circuit, relaxation areas and treatments sold separately. It is open Monday to Saturday from 12:00 to 20:00 and on Sunday from 10:00 to 16:00. For hotel guests it costs €25 per adult and €15 per child, with a children's timetable to be checked; for those not staying, €31 per adult. Always by appointment, on 674 694 361 or 983 878 168. Cap, flip-flops and swimsuit are compulsory. Outside there is an outdoor pool with a garden and views of the castle. Eating at the hotel The Conde Lucanor restaurant is in the convent chapel and serves creative cooking with produce from Castilla y León. In summer the Parrilla Las Claras opens on the garden terrace, beside the pool. Book through CoverManager from the AZZ website. The website does not publish hours or prices. What to do nearby From the door you walk up to the Castle and Provincial Wine Museum and down to the Plaza del Coso. For the wine side, the winery visit in Peñafiel combines well with the winery pack or with an afternoon at the spa. - **Hotel Arzuaga, beside the winery in Quintanilla de Onésimo**: A hotel right next to the winery Hotel Arzuaga is next to Bodegas Arzuaga, on the N-122 between Aranda and Valladolid, at Quintanilla de Onésimo, the western end of the Ribera del Duero, about 25 km from Peñafiel. It is a five-star hotel with 96 rooms and presents itself as one of Spain's great wine tourism centres, with a wine-therapy spa and thermal treatments. Why it is a wine hotel Because of what surrounds it. In 1982 Florentino Arzuaga bought the La Planta estate: 1,500 hectares with 150 of vineyard and a hunting reserve. The winery offers tours every day by reservation: Sensaciones enológicas, 45 minutes through the cellars with a crianza, €20, at 17:00; Naturaleza en directo, three hours through the estate and the winery with three wines and a seasonal bite, €59, at 11:00, children welcome too; and Descubriendo Arzuaga, winery and vineyard with three wines, €39, at weekends and on public holidays at 12:00. The tastings with tapas at the Taller restaurant, which has a Michelin star, range from the €59 introduction, Tuesday to Sunday at 12:30, to the €85 workshop on Saturdays at 18:00. How it fits with Peñafiel Peñafiel, its castle and its Provincial Wine Museum are a good half hour away on the N-122. If you taste at Arzuaga and dine at Taller, you sleep in the same place. What the website doesn't say The page does not give prices, check-in and check-out times or whether animals are allowed: ask on 983 681 146 or on the hotel's website. ## Dónde dormir in style - **Hotel AF Pesquera**: The AF Pesquera is a boutique hotel in a former flour mill of 1922, on Paseo de la Estación in Peñafiel, at the foot of the castle. It is run by Familia Fernández Rivera, the house of Tinto Pesquera and Condado de Haza, and is conceived for wine tourism: sleeping in the Ribera, eating in its gastronomic restaurant and visiting the family's wineries. It has 36 rooms, a spa and a museum cellar with all its wines. On the flat, under the castle The hotel is in the flat part of Peñafiel. On foot you reach the Plaza del Coso and the street that climbs to the castle and Provincial Wine Museum in a few minutes. The most special room, El Castillo, has views of the fortress. Valladolid is about 50 minutes away on the N-122. Rooms named after novels Standard: 24 rooms with air conditioning, heating, television, safe, desk and bathroom with hairdryer; room service is available. Deluxe: five, with glass-walled bathroom and a four-poster bed; they are called El Perfume, El Amante, Seda, Lolita and Expiación. Suites: Bomarzo and Gato Pardo, with a double bedroom and a living room with sofa bed, the ones that suit families. Gran Deluxe: four two-storey lofts with living room and jacuzzi (El elogio de la sombra, Fiesta, Memorias de Adriano and El Aleph) and El Castillo, the largest, with views of the fortress. Rates appear in its booking engine. Al Agua Sana Spa The spa has a hydrotherapy circuit and sessions for therapeutic purposes, as well as treatments and a small gym. Origen-es and La Perla Origen-es is the hotel's gastronomic restaurant, with the grill as the star and local produce, above all from the family estate Dehesa La Granja. It has a tasting menu according to season and a cellar with out-of-market vintages from the family, champagnes and sparkling wines. For something more informal, Taberna La Perla serves a menu of small bites, also to take away subject to availability. If you prefer to eat out, the Molino de Palacios, a few minutes' walk away, roasts Churra milk-fed lamb to order. Wineries and bikes The hotel organises experiences with the family's two wineries in the Ribera del Duero, Condado de Haza and Pesquera; book on 983 88 12 12 or at recepcion@hotelpesquera.com. It has a shop with the family's wines and products, and hires bicycles at reception for the Duero trail. The hotel's energy comes from its own solar panels. - **AZZ Peñafiel Las Claras Hotel & Spa**: The convent The hotel occupies the former convent of the Poor Clare nuns, dating from the 17th century, in the Plaza Adolfo Muñoz Alonso in Peñafiel. Today it belongs to the AZZ chain and has four stars. The cloister, covered with a glass roof, serves as the hotel's great lounge, and the former chapel is now the dining room. It is in the old town, a short walk from the Plaza del Coso and below the castle, which can be seen from the pool. Peñafiel is 56 km from Valladolid and 37 km from Aranda de Duero. The rooms There are 64, of two types. The doubles have two beds or a queen bed, and suit couples or solo travellers. The junior suites add a spacious living room and a bathroom with shower and bath to the sleeping area. All have adjustable climate control, full bathroom, free wifi, minibar, safe and flat-screen television. The website does not publish prices openly: you book on it, on 983 878 168 or at recepcion.conventolasclaras@azzhoteles.com. It advertises early-booking discounts of up to 20% and spa, relaxation and winery packs. It does not give check-in and check-out times, parking or pet policy: ask when you book. The spa It is the reason for many stays, and the Town Council counts it among Peñafiel's vinotherapy spaces. It has a 60-minute circuit, relaxation areas and treatments sold separately. It is open Monday to Saturday from 12:00 to 20:00 and on Sunday from 10:00 to 16:00. For hotel guests it costs €25 per adult and €15 per child, with a children's timetable to be checked; for those not staying, €31 per adult. Always by appointment, on 674 694 361 or 983 878 168. Cap, flip-flops and swimsuit are compulsory. Outside there is an outdoor pool with a garden and views of the castle. Eating at the hotel The Conde Lucanor restaurant is in the convent chapel and serves creative cooking with produce from Castilla y León. In summer the Parrilla Las Claras opens on the garden terrace, beside the pool. Book through CoverManager from the AZZ website. The website does not publish hours or prices. What to do nearby From the door you walk up to the Castle and Provincial Wine Museum and down to the Plaza del Coso. For the wine side, the winery visit in Peñafiel combines well with the winery pack or with an afternoon at the spa. - **Hotel Arzuaga, beside the winery in Quintanilla de Onésimo**: A hotel right next to the winery Hotel Arzuaga is next to Bodegas Arzuaga, on the N-122 between Aranda and Valladolid, at Quintanilla de Onésimo, the western end of the Ribera del Duero, about 25 km from Peñafiel. It is a five-star hotel with 96 rooms and presents itself as one of Spain's great wine tourism centres, with a wine-therapy spa and thermal treatments. Why it is a wine hotel Because of what surrounds it. In 1982 Florentino Arzuaga bought the La Planta estate: 1,500 hectares with 150 of vineyard and a hunting reserve. The winery offers tours every day by reservation: Sensaciones enológicas, 45 minutes through the cellars with a crianza, €20, at 17:00; Naturaleza en directo, three hours through the estate and the winery with three wines and a seasonal bite, €59, at 11:00, children welcome too; and Descubriendo Arzuaga, winery and vineyard with three wines, €39, at weekends and on public holidays at 12:00. The tastings with tapas at the Taller restaurant, which has a Michelin star, range from the €59 introduction, Tuesday to Sunday at 12:30, to the €85 workshop on Saturdays at 18:00. How it fits with Peñafiel Peñafiel, its castle and its Provincial Wine Museum are a good half hour away on the N-122. If you taste at Arzuaga and dine at Taller, you sleep in the same place. What the website doesn't say The page does not give prices, check-in and check-out times or whether animals are allowed: ask on 983 681 146 or on the hotel's website.