Upper Carrión valley
Guardo: what to see, where to stay and eat
Guardo is the main town of the Upper Carrión valley, on the far western edge of the province of Palencia, right by the border with León. It's a former mining town at 1,123 m, and a practical base for the Carrión valley: it borders Velilla del Río Carrión, which lies inside the Montaña Palentina Natural Park. Its recent history is all about anthracite and the La Robla railway, nicknamed 'El Hullero', which carried coal to Bilbao. The narrow-gauge line now runs passenger trains between León and Bilbao, and they still stop at Guardo. In town, climb the Otero to the church of San Juan Bautista, 14th-century Gothic, with a puzzling Romanesque font; take in the Baroque façade of the Archbishop Bullón palace, a listed monument restored in 2022; and seek out the street-art murals, one of which, by David Esteban, was voted the world's best mural of 2022 by Street Art Cities. Come on a Friday and you'll catch the weekly market, the biggest street market in the province.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Guardo?
Guardo is 91 km from Palencia, 85 km from León and 32 km from Cervera de Pisuerga. As well as by road, you can arrive by train: Guardo station is on the narrow-gauge La Robla line, with Renfe regional services between León and Bilbao and commuter trains towards León.
What is there to see in Guardo?
In Guardo, it's worth climbing the Otero to the church of San Juan Bautista, 14th-century Gothic with a Romanesque font that some historians date to the 13th century; seeing the 18th-century Baroque façade of the Archbishop Bullón palace; and walking round the town's street-art murals, including David Esteban's, voted the world's best mural of 2022 by Street Art Cities.
Is Guardo inside the Montaña Palentina Natural Park?
No. Guardo isn't one of the ten municipalities in the Montaña Palentina Natural Park, but the park boundary runs for a stretch along the line between Guardo and Velilla del Río Carrión. That makes Guardo a handy base for heading into the park up the Carrión valley.
When is Guardo's market, and when are its fiestas?
Guardo holds its market every Friday of the year, the largest street market in the province of Palencia. The main fiestas fall in the week of 13 June, for St Anthony of Padua; there's a pilgrimage for Our Lady of Mount Carmel on 16 July, and St Barbara, patron saint of miners, is celebrated on 4 December.
By Pablo Aguado ·