What to do

Palencia is a special place because of its historical relationship with the observation of the sky. Pilgrims on routes such as the Camino de Santiago or Camino de las Estrellas, were guided by the Milky Way; churches such as San Pedro Cultural represented them on their stones; and important astronomers of the Middle Ages were born in this territory.

Today, the Starlight Foundation has awarded San Pedro Cultural in Becerril de Campos as the first Starlight Monument in Europe. A stellar monument, a link between Tierra de Campos and the universe. Some hotels are certified by the Starlight Foundation as suitable accommodation for these activities: Hotel Sanmartina in Becerril de Campos, and Eco Hotel Doña Mayor in Frómista, the latter with an Award for best Starlight accommodation 2021.  There are also special places in the middle of nature, such as Finca el Cercado.

Outside built-up areas and without light and air pollution, our skies offer ideal conditions for observing the firmament, especially on summer nights, which are warmer and invite you to lie down in the fields and lose yourself in the universe.

We are organizing various star tourism activities during the summer 2022.

See full  programme of activities

Wine and Stars, the Summer Solstice

24th June – Baltanás. Finca El Cercado and La Zarcera

Visit to a traditional wine cellar in La Zarcera in the Barrio de Bodegas of Baltanás, tasting of two wines and four tapas of Palencia’s products.

Transfer on your own to Finca El Cercado (4km away), a haven of peace and nature, for a guided activity to observe the sky and discover the stories of the constellations, ending with the traditional bonfire in honour of St. John’s Day.

Activity guided by the astrophysicist José Francisco Sanz Requena, PhD in physics and professor at the University of Valladolid and the UNIR. Director of the Science Section of the Ateneo de Palencia.

Activity subject to minimum group size
Reservations by email or contact form.

Another important attraction is the diverse bird life in the area, which has been declared a Place of Communal Interest by the Natura 2000 network.

In the nearby lakes and wetlands, bird lovers and ornithologists can observe throughout the year a huge variety of birds. Some of them can only be seen in Spain, such as White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) or come to see the spectacular “rueda” of Great Bustards (Otis Tarda).