Aguilar de Campoo is the natural starting point for the Romanesque of the Palencia Mountains. It sits on the A-67 motorway, 99 km from Palencia and 102 km from Santander, has a railway station with Alvia services, and its old town has been a protected historic site since 1966. Here's what's worth your time, in the order we'd see it.
Santa María la Real monastery and the ROM
Start here, because it gives you the background for everything else. The monastery stands on the edge of town on the Cervera road. It's documented from the early 11th century, and in 1169 Alfonso VIII settled a community of Premonstratensian canons here, who began the great Romanesque building work. After decades of neglect, restoration began in 1978, and today it's home to the Santa María la Real Foundation and the Romanesque Studies Centre.
Its church and sacristy house the ROM Romanesque Centre, opened in 2006, which explains everyday life in a medieval village. The monastery runs guided tours that need booking; hours vary through the year, so ring ahead.
ROM Romanesque Centre (Santa María la Real Monastery)
Aguilar de Campoo
The old town and the castle
Climb to the castle, which looks down on the town from its rock, then come down to the Plaza Mayor with the collegiate church of San Miguel and its palaces. Look out for the old town gates: six of the original seven survive, including the Reinosa gate with its Hebrew inscription. Finish with the church of Santa Cecilia and the medieval bridges over the Pisuerga.
A bit of trivia: in the 1960s Aguilar had five biscuit factories, and Gullón and a Grupo Siro plant still operate here today.
Two churches in the villages
If you have a car, give half a day to two churches in the surrounding villages. Both close in winter.
The Santa Eulalia chapel in Barrio de Santa María sits on a hillside above the reservoir. It's one of the best-preserved Romanesque churches in northern Palencia, and its apse keeps wall paintings from around 1300, including a scene of hell.
The rock-cut church of Santos Justo y Pastor in Olleros de Pisuerga is carved straight into the rock: from outside you only see a small porch, but inside there are two naves and apses cut from the stone like a Romanesque church. Visits are run by the Nartex Foundation.
Santa Eulalia Chapel (Barrio de Santa María)
Barrio de Santa María
The Aguilar reservoir
The reservoir covers some 1,650 hectares and is used for water sports. A relaxed way to see it is with El Velero de Aguilar: two-hour trips on an 18-foot sailing boat for up to four people, taking in the remains of drowned villages, water birds and the Romanesque along the shore. There's also a children's trip with stories from Greek mythology.
With a second day: Covalagua
Close by, in the municipality of Pomar de Valdivia, is the Covalagua waterfall, where the River Ivia drops some 20 metres over tufa steps beside the cave where it rises. It's at its best after rain or during the thaw. Combine it with the Cueva de los Franceses and the Valcabado viewpoint in the same protected area.
Where to eat and stay in Aguilar
In the centre, Nune on the Plaza España gives traditional recipes a modern twist using seasonal produce, while Mesón Añejo is known for steak cooked on a hot stone and IGP churra lamb. On the edge of town, Los Olmos grills Angus beef from its own herd.
To stay, Posada Santa María la Real occupies an 18th-century building within the monastery complex, ideal if you've come for the Romanesque. In the centre, Hotel Marqués de Aguilar opened in 2022 about 200 m from the collegiate church, and Hotel Restaurante Valentín has more than 60 years behind it and is known for its roast lamb.