Valladolid (Spain)

Valladolid is the capital of the province of the same name, and is part of the region of Castile and Leon. Valladolid is a reasonably large industrial city to the northwest of Madrid. It is one of the major regional centre in Castile-Leon. The city has an older core with some interesting buildings. However it has focused more on industry than tourism. Valladolid is home to just under 300,000 people (2018).

Understand
Valladolid is in the centre of Spain's central plateau and hydrographically is in the Duero Basin. The average elevation 698 m. Its coordinates are 41° 38'N 4° 43' W.

Valladolid's climate is continental, dry, and characterised by high temperatures in summer and cold in winter. Rainfall is distributed fairly irregularly throughout the year.

By plane
There's a daily bus shuttle to the city at 05:15, 16:15, and 19:20. Timetable changes at weekends and holidays (bus info: ).
 * Ryanair offers direct flights to Valladolid from London Stansted, Milan Bergamo, and Brussels Charleroi.
 * Air France offers direct flights to Valladolid from Paris.
 * Iberia offers direct flights to Valladolid from Barcelona and Malaga.
 * Iberia offers direct flights to Valladolid from Barcelona and Malaga.

By train
The most common way to reach Valladolid by train is from Madrid (check the Spanish rail company, Renfe). €11-30. There is a high speed Spanish train AVE that connect Madrid and Valladolid (200 km) in less than an hour. Purchasing the ticket by Internet in advance (at least 15 days) the price is €12 (Jan 2008). There are train connections to other places.

By bus

 * Alsa provides a regular bus line from Madrid. Fares are similar to rail (€11-20).

By car
Distances to Valladolid: Madrid 190 km, Burgos 125 km, Leon 140 km, Salamanca 115 km.

Get around
Valladolid has a good bus service, but you can easily get around the city centre on foot.

See

 * One of the oldest and most interesting areas is the area beside San Martin Church. Really old, all the streets surrounding the area have a special charm.
 * One of the oldest and most interesting areas is the area beside San Martin Church. Really old, all the streets surrounding the area have a special charm.
 * One of the oldest and most interesting areas is the area beside San Martin Church. Really old, all the streets surrounding the area have a special charm.
 * One of the oldest and most interesting areas is the area beside San Martin Church. Really old, all the streets surrounding the area have a special charm.
 * One of the oldest and most interesting areas is the area beside San Martin Church. Really old, all the streets surrounding the area have a special charm.

Do

 * Football: Real Valladolid were promoted in 2024 and now play soccer in La Liga, the top tier. Their home ground Estadio José Zorrilla (capacity 27,800) is 2 km west of city centre.
 * Football: Real Valladolid were promoted in 2024 and now play soccer in La Liga, the top tier. Their home ground Estadio José Zorrilla (capacity 27,800) is 2 km west of city centre.
 * Football: Real Valladolid were promoted in 2024 and now play soccer in La Liga, the top tier. Their home ground Estadio José Zorrilla (capacity 27,800) is 2 km west of city centre.

Buy
You can buy sweets typical of the city or the province, such as Mantecados de Portillo. You can buy, of course, the best wine of Spain, because in Valladolid there are some of the most famous wines in the world, like the Vega Sicilia. But you also have a lot of delightful wines at all prices.

Eat
In the city centre, you can find many restaurants. Castilla y Leon is known for suckling pig and suckling lamb. In Valladolid, the suckling lamb is more famous, and there are restaurants where you go exclusively to eat lamb and the waiters ask you just for the drinks. You can also find good places to eat suckling pig.

Valladolid has a tapas culture, but you have to pay for tapas everywhere in Valladolid. There are many cities in Spain where the tapas are for free with your drink. There is a tapas competition between Valladolid bars that is held once a year. It is so successful that the council created a national competition in 2005. If you want to visit Valladolid for a weekend it is worth checking when the tapas competition will be held.

You get another good chance at the beginning of September when the festival takes place. All the pubs put bars in the street, and next to the stadium you can find marquees from different Spanish areas where you can taste all the typical and famous Spanish dishes.

You find good tapas bars in the old part of the city centre, but one favourite is in Calle Correos, behind the council building. This pub won the tapas competition one year.

Regional specialties

 * Asado de lechazo
 * Pan lechuguino
 * Mantecados de Portillo
 * Queso de Villalón
 * Alimentos de la caza
 * Rosquillas de sartén típicas de rocío

Drink

 * The Castilla y Leon region is famous for its wines. There are three different wine areas in Valladolid: Ribera del Duero, Cigales, and Rueda.
 * Ribera del Duero is one of the best wine areas in Spain. Vega Sicila vineyard, in Valbuena de Duero (25 km from Valladolid), can be considered one of the best wines in the world and is one of the most expensive wines available. The wines produced are mainly red, of the Tempranillo type.
 * Cigales and Rueda, thought less famous than Ribera del Duero wines, are also good wine regions. Cigales has especially remarkable pink wines and Rueda has good white wines.

Connect
As of June 2022, Valladolid has 4G from MasMovil/Yoigo, and 5G from Movistar, Orange and Vodafone.

Go next
Around Valladolid are many tourist attractions which have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO:
 * Burgos (122 km)
 * Cuéllar (54 km Splendid monument, one of the main centres of Moorish art. Noted for its ramparts, its castle, and the typically medieval urban cityscape.
 * León (134 km)
 * Madrid (193 km)
 * Medina de Rioseco (40 km) Well-preserved medieval city. Churches, museums, good food.
 * Olmedo (30 km) Miniature castles
 * Palencia (47 km)
 * Peñafiel (60 km) Wine museum and castle
 * Segovia (111 km)