A botanical trail about five kilometres long, an agricultural exhibition and a year-round Sunday market offer different things to discover in Santa María Del Páramo. If you are planning a stay, two questions can help you choose: would you like to focus on trails and culture, or is a particular market or event date important to you?

Senda Botánica: trails and knowledge of plants

The Senda Botánica is a trail about five kilometres long, with five paved starting points. It is mainly used for walking, and also for cycling. The trail features 332 trees from 53 different species. Signs and information boards give their names and other characteristics. If you enjoy learning more about plants as you go, these labels are among the trail’s specific features.

Miniatures depicting the history of agriculture

The Exposición de Miniaturas de Horacio Domínguez features more than 200 handmade pieces, including carts, agricultural equipment and houses. Through miniature versions of agricultural equipment and machinery, the exhibition presents the history of agriculture in the Páramo over the past 60 years. This brings together a varied collection of small models with a clearly defined regional theme: agriculture in the Páramo and its recent history.

Sunday market and Tapa de Ajo

The Mercado Dominical takes place year-round every Sunday in the Plaza Mayor and the surrounding streets near the parish church. The market tradition dates back to the early 20th century. Local shops stay open to the public around the time of the market. If you would like to take the market and open shops into account when planning your visit, Sunday is the right day of the week.

Tapa de Ajo is also part of the local food culture. Around All Saints’ Day, local bars serve it as an accompaniment to drinks; most of the town’s bars and restaurants usually offer the tapa throughout the winter. The participating venues and specific serving days can vary from year to year. Since 2006, the municipality has held the Jornadas de Exaltación de la Tapa de Ajo on the first Sunday in November to promote this dish, which is typical of the town and found almost exclusively there.

Festivals throughout the year

The multisectoral agricultural and food trade fair of Santa María Del Páramo has been held annually in September for more than 50 years, as part of the patron saint festivities. The exact dates and programme can vary from year to year. The Festival Internacional de Teatro de Calle Maiz originated as a cultural project launched in 2001 and was incorporated into the local September festivities. Performances in the town’s squares and streets featured circus, theatre, dance and magic acts by national and international companies.

The Carnival celebrations include a large parade on Saturday afternoon, with more than 1,500 participants in over 50 groups. Details may vary from one edition to another. Since 2015, the cultural association “La Ceranda” has organised several editions of the Cider Festival in August. Tastings have featured cider from northern Spain and other countries; the exact dates may vary from year to year.

Thermal area

León Termal Sport covers 2,000 square metres. More than 1,000 square metres of this area are devoted to a thermal zone with various pools, saunas and contrast elements. This means that, alongside trails, agricultural history and local festivals, thermal baths are another of the town’s varied attractions.

Discover more destinations: Corullón, Ribaseca, Ventosilla, Carrizo De La Ribera, Villafeliz De La Sobarriba, Beberino, Boca De Huérgano, Almazcara.

For the overview of the wider area: León.