Palencia's cultural and tourist attractions experienced a remarkable surge in visitors during the 12 October holiday, particularly the Roman Villa of La Olmeda, which welcomed a total of 1,220 guests. The peak attendance occurred on Saturday, 11 October, with 477 visitors, followed by 411 on Friday, 10 October, 145 on Thursday, 9 October, and 187 on Sunday, 12 October.
In addition, 15 guided tours were conducted, attracting 509 participants. The majority of visitors came from the Community of Madrid, contributing 270 guests, followed by the Basque Country with 158 and the Valencian Community with 110. The region of Castilla y León provided 297 tourists, with Valladolid accounting for 88, Palencia for 82, and Burgos for 71. Additionally, 67 international visitors were recorded, including 15 from France.
The Museum of La Olmeda also saw significant interest, with 660 visits recorded (271 on 11 October, 248 on 10 October, 89 on 9 October, and 52 on 12 October). Of these, 588 were through a combined ticket for the Villa, while 109 were purchased directly at the museum.
Moreover, the Castillo de los Sarmiento in Fuentes de Valdepero added to the region's heritage offerings, attracting 150 visitors during the holiday period. The demand for river tourism along the Canal de Castilla also surged during the festive days. The boat Juan de Homar recorded a total of 394 passengers between Saturday and Monday, with the highest number, 140, on Sunday. The primary source market was the Community of Madrid (39%), followed by Castilla y León (23%), the Basque Country (12%), and Galicia (11%).
Meanwhile, the boat Marqués de la Ensenada carried 299 passengers, with Sunday being its busiest day at 121 users, mainly from Castilla y León (48%), the Community of Madrid (19%), and Asturias (8%). This trend highlights the growing appeal of inland navigation as a unique and complementary tourist experience for visitors from coastal regions such as the Basque Country, Galicia, and Asturias.
These figures reflect the increasing interest in cultural tourism in the province and solidify Palencia's status as a key destination for enjoying its historical and natural heritage.
