Salinas de Pisuerga lies on the right bank of the Pisuerga River, next to the area where it flows into the Aguilar Reservoir. The riverbank and the reservoir’s inlet area therefore offer two distinct geographical reference points for planning your trip. Cultural landmarks include the Iglesia de San Pelayo, the Puente de Salinas de Pisuerga and the Ermita de Santa María de Quintanahernando.

Getting There and Finding Your Way

For road travel, the P-212, also known as the Reservoir Road, is the reference point; Salinas is at kilometre 11. The railway stop is one kilometre from the town centre. If travelling by train, allow for this distance as a separate leg to the centre. The two kilometre figures refer to different things: kilometre 11 marks the town’s location on the road, while the one kilometre is the distance from the stop to the town centre.

Churches and Bridge

The Iglesia de San Pelayo is a church built of exposed stone masonry dating from the 15th to 16th centuries. It has three naves and Gothic star-rib vaults. The naves divide the church interior; the term “star-rib vault” describes the star-shaped arrangement of the ribs in the vaulted ceiling.

The Ermita de Santa María de Quintanahernando lies two kilometres southeast of Salinas de Pisuerga. It consists of two connected late Romanesque chapels and probably dates from the 13th century. The contrast in age therefore ranges from the late Romanesque chapel complex, probably dating to the 13th century, to the Iglesia de San Pelayo from the 15th to 16th centuries.

The Puente de Salinas de Pisuerga has nine semicircular arches. The parks around the bridge have a rest area with tables and benches. The Camino Olvidado to Santiago passes through Salinas, crosses the bridge there and continues towards Cervera de Pisuerga. The Puente is thus both a clear reference point for finding your way along the route and a landmark for the rest area in the surrounding parks.

Routes and Finding Your Way

The Camino Olvidado to Santiago crosses the Puente and continues towards Cervera de Pisuerga. A path starts in Salinas and follows the left bank of the Pisuerga upstream to the entrance to Cervera. The reference points differ depending on which route you are following: on the Camino, the bridge is the crossing; for the path to the entrance to Cervera, use the left bank and the direction of the river as your guides.

The path along the left bank can be covered on foot or by bicycle without technical difficulty. Check the route and current trail conditions before setting out. This will help you factor the exact course along the riverbank and the destination into your plans.

The “Pedaleando por el Románico” route passes through Salinas de Pisuerga. It is a circular route of almost 60 kilometres with just over 1,000 metres of elevation gain and a difficult technical grade. Distance, elevation gain and technical difficulty answer different planning questions: consider all three figures when assessing the route, not just the number of kilometres.

Discover more destinations: Magaz De Pisuerga, Villacibio, Barruelo de Santullán, Villodrigo, Monzón De Campos, Vallejo De Orbó, Saldaña, Palencia.

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