Free walking tours in Villalba de los Alcores and what to see

Must-sees

Villalba de los Alcores is in the north of the Montes Torozos, near the border with Palencia, surrounded by cereal fields. Its great hallmark is the castle, built between the 12th and 15th centuries, with a walled enclosure of square towers, the keep and the so-called powder tower, elliptical in plan. It is in ruins and privately owned, so it is admired from outside. Some stretches of the village walls survive.

The 12th-century church of Santa María del Templo is in the Cistercian Romanesque style, and the church of Santiago Apóstol dates from the end of the same century. The hermitage of the Santo Cristo del Humilladero keeps an altarpiece from the monastery of Matallana. The ruins of that monastery, founded in the late 12th century by Tello Pérez de Meneses, are on the Matallana estate, now a nature interpretation centre. About four kilometres away lies the abandoned medieval village of Fuenteungrillo.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no regular free walking tours in Villalba de los Alcores. The most frequent organised activity centres on the Matallana estate, where you can learn about the monastery ruins and their history, with visits and nature activities. The village and the castle are explored on your own. For fuller guided visits, Valladolid and Medina de Rioseco are close.

How long to spend

The village, its churches and the outside of the castle can be seen in about two hours. If you add the Matallana estate and a walk to the abandoned village of Fuenteungrillo, give it the full day. With a second day you can visit Medina de Rioseco, with its great churches and the Canal de Castilla, or continue through the villages of the Montes Torozos and Tierra de Campos.

Where to stay

Villalba de los Alcores has very little accommodation, barely a rural house, so book well ahead if you want to sleep in the village. The most practical option is to stay in Medina de Rioseco, which has more choice and is a good base for the area, or in Valladolid, just over half an hour away by car, if you prefer to combine countryside and city.