Valladolid

• DAY 1: Valladolid Panoramic tour

In the morning 

There are monuments, places that evoke history, beautiful parks, gardens, and much more. We will show you what to see in Valladolid. In one day, make the most of your time to let yourself fall in love with this city. 

We begin our visit to Valladolid in the Plaza Mayor. If it is a working day, take the opportunity to enter the Casa Consistorial and see its magnificent marble staircase. We head to Calle Platerías, where San Pedro Regalado was born, enclosed by the church of Vera Cruz. If we turn right, we will arrive at Plaza de Portugalete, where you will see the Cathedral, the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria, and the Antigua church. Next to the Cathedral, we discover the statue of Cervantes, an illustrious neighbor of Valladolid, and the impressive façade of the University. Watch out for the lions guarding it! According to legend, if you count them, you will never graduate. 

We recommend you to spend a few minutes in the Plaza de Santa Cruz, just 100 meters away. You will understand why Valladolid is considered the heart of the Spanish Renaissance. 

The surroundings of the Cathedral are ideal for a stopover. In good weather, it is full of terraces with a lively atmosphere at vermouth time. It has some of the most bohemian establishments in the city and pleasant bars in the Pasaje Gutierrez Parisian-style shopping gallery that is well worth a visit. 

At noon

We continue our visit along Calle Angustias, where the Teatro Calderón is located. In a few minutes, we reach the Plaza de San Pablo, witness par excellence of the Valladolid of the Court. In its church was baptized Philip II, who was born in the neighboring Palace of Pimentel. We invite you to find the window through which the monarch came out for this event – a chain will give you the clue – and, if it is open, stroll through its tiled hallway. Between the two buildings is a pedestrian street with the beautiful College of San Gregorio, the Palace of the Marquis of Villena, and the Casa del Sol. Another building that exudes history is the Royal Palace, where Charles V, Philip II, Mariana of Neoburg, Isabel of Portugal, Napoleon, or Santa Teresa de Jesus have walked. 

The next street on our visit is San Ignacio, nicknamed ‘street of palaces’. The palaces of the Arenzana family, the Marquis of Valverde, and Fabio Nelli stand out. In this same street, we make a stop to discover the Plaza del Viejo Coso, with access through an old barracks. The street leads to the church of San Benito. Walk around it to see its stunning façade of enormous dimensions. 

What better way to end the morning than to let yourself be conquered by the local dishes and wines of Valladolid? Between San Benito and Plaza Mayor, we find an area full of bars and restaurants and the renovated Mercado del Val, perfect for buying a gastronomic souvenir. 

In the afternoon

We put the finishing touch to the day in one of the most peaceful areas of the city. From Plaza Mayo, we take Calle Santiago, Valladolid’s commercial artery, where we come across the church that gives its name to the street and a curious Castilian-style cloister, Las Francesas, at number 20. 

In the Plaza de Zorrilla, the imposing Academia de Caballería and the statue dedicated to the poet welcome us. The wide and pleasant Acera de Recoletos street has emblematic buildings such as Casa Mantilla, Casa Resines and Casa del Príncipe, as well as a statue dedicated to Christopher Columbus. 

A must-see in Valladolid is the Campo Grande. Lose yourself in this romantic park that hides monumental fountains, statues, ponds -children will enjoy the crazy stories of its boatman-, streams, and peacocks in the wild. 

DAY 2: Deepening in Valladolid 

In the morning

Yesterday we visited the most important historical sites of the city, but Valladolid has much more to offer. Always on foot, we can walk along the banks of the Pisuerga River, where we find the futuristic Millennium Dome, a romantic rose garden, and even a sandy beach. The Legend of the Pisuerga, the famous Pisuerga boat, departs from its pier. 

Without leaving the historic center, we recommend you to visit one of the five municipal exhibition halls, completely free of charge, and two houses with a lot of history.  The one in which José Zorrilla was born and the only one that remains in Spain of those in which Miguel de Cervantes lived. 

If you prefer to spend the morning enjoying the nature hidden in Valladolid, we recommend one of the most pleasant -and historic- walks in the city, the Canal de Castilla. It goes from the Puente Mayor, in the heart of the city center, a 3-kilometer path will take you, through a dock and a botanical garden, to one of the best-preserved locks of the Canal. You can combine this walk with the ascent to the Fuente del Sol park, where you will get one of the best views of the city. 

At noon

We know that tapas in Valladolid never tire! For this second day, you can venture into new bar-hopping areas. Apart from the area between the Plaza Mayor and the Plaza de Martí y Monsó, you can visit the Paraíso street, the Plaza de la Universidad, the Plaza de San Miguel, and the Paseo de Zorrilla. However, if you prefer to delight your palate with a more substantial taste, enjoy a good suckling lamb, one of the most delicious meals in the area. 

In the afternoon

Valladolid is a city with a wide cultural offer. You can spend the afternoon visiting some of its museums -we have the best collection of polychrome wood in the National Sculpture Museum and the best collection of oriental art in the country in the Oriental Art Museum, a vast catalog of contemporary Spanish works in the Patio Herreriano and, ideal if you come with children, the interactive Science Museum-. Besides, in the afternoon and evening, you will find quality theater, dance, music, or shows for families at the Teatro Calderón and the Laboratorio de las Artes de Valladolid. 

Take advantage of the nightfall to discover a completely different Valladolid. The illumination of the historic center, awarded at international level, invites you to explore, once again, a city of dreamlike airs flooded by Rivers of Light. 

VALLADOLID AT NIGHT

The nightlife in Valladolid offers a wide variety of atmospheres for all ages and tastes, which encourage you to participate in the heartbeat of the city. The proximity of the main nightlife areas, in the historic center, allows you to enjoy various atmospheres and extend the bar-hopping with music bars until the early morning hours. It is not unusual in Valladolid to start a long night with a good dinner at the table or with wine and tapas in the surroundings of the Plaza Mayor, the San Martín, or San Miguel areas. 

The university atmosphere is usually concentrated in the area of Paraíso, the Antigua, and the Plaza de la Universidad, adjacent to two of the areas with the most alternative atmosphere in the city: the Plaza de Cantarranas and the streets surrounding the Cathedral. Next to the temple, in a 19th-century mall – Pasaje Gutiérrez – numerous bars with a quiet and well-kept environment usually congregate numerous groups in the afternoon. 

The neighborhoods of San Miguel, Plaza del Poniente, and Plaza de Martí y Monsó, known among Valladolid locals as “Plaza de Coca” after the name of the now-defunct movie theaters, are characterized by a lively atmosphere and pop, pop-rock, and commercial music. 

Restaurants

Bar-hopping 

• Los Zagales, the most awarded tapas 
  • Address: C/Pasión 13, Valladolid // CONTACT: 98 335 15 25 // PRIZE: 15-25€/person
• La Garrocha, memorable pig’s trotters 
  • Address: C/Zúñiga 21, Valladolid // CONTACT: 98 300 25 81 // PRIZE: 15-25 €/person
• Jero, Be bold and you will not be disappointed!
  • Address: C/Correos 11, Valladolid // CONTACT: 98 335 35 08 // PRIZE: 10-20 €/person
• La tasquita, the best sirloin steak dressed with Roquefort sauce of Valladolid 
  • Address: C/de la Caridad 2, Valladolid // CONTACT: 98 335 13 51 // PRIZE: 10-20 €/person
• El corcho, vermuth and croquettes on the street  
  • Address: C/Correos 2, Valladolid // CONTACT: 98 333 08 61 // PRIZE: 10-20€/person
• La taberna del herrero, typical scrumbled eggs 
  • Address: C/de Calixto Fernández de la Torre 4, Valladolid // CONTACT: 98 334 23 10 //PRIZE: 10-20 €/person
• Alarcón, the best “torreznos” (high quality bacon) of Valladolid
  • Address: C/Alarcon 3, Valladolid // CONTACT: 98 333 50 17 // PRIZE: 10-20 €/person

Dinners

• Red Wine
  • Address: Calle Campanas 4, Valladolid. CONTACT: 983 34 22 91. Spanish cuisine 
• Dámaso Restaurant:
  • Address: Calle Club de Campo la Galera, Valladolid. CONTACT: 655 09 99 55, Española
• Eh Voilà!
  • Address: Calle Marqués de Duero 7, Valladolid. CONTACT: 983 25 93 69. French, International food
• Manuel’s kitchen
  • Address: Calle Hípica 1, Valladolid. CONTACT: 983 02 35 51. 
    Mediterranean cuisine
• The Cockatoo 
  • Address: Calle cascajares 1, Valladolid. CONTACT: 983 85 56 78. Mediterranean and contemporary cuisine