Carrión de los Condes, in the north of the region of Tierra de Campos, is a town of just over 2,000 inhabitants, well known by pilgrims as a historical crossing point on the Camino Frances. In the Middle Ages, it was an important center of commerce in the area, then with an estimated population of 14,000 inhabitants and 12 parish churches, and plenty of pilgrim refuges.
Aymeric Picaud, the author of the Codex Calixtinus describes it as one of the richest sources of bread, wine, meat, and all types of other products.
The route, the backbone of the town’s economy, continues to be it’s greatly dynamized. The various temples, monasteries, hermitages, and innumerable emblazoned houses that the pilgrim will find along the route bear witness to how important Carrión de los Condes once was. Entering Carrión the pilgrims are greeted by the buildings of the Hermitage of the Mercy and the convent of Santa Clara. In the neoclassical church, there are images of La Piedad and El Santo Cristo, works of Gregorio Fernandez, the greatest exponent of the Castilian school of sculpture.
Accommodation in Carrion de los Condes
| Hotel name | Type | Price range | Room type | Other |
| Hostal Santiago | Guest house | Budget | Private rooms | WiFi, Garden with free barbecue facilities, |
| Hostal Comfort Suites | Guest house | Budget | Private rooms | Facilities for disabled guests, Free WiFi, Terrace |
| Loft Carrión | Apartment | Mid-range | Private rooms | WiFi, Kitchen |
| Hotel Real Monasterio de San Zoilo | Hotel | Mid-range | Private rooms | WiFi, Restaurant, Fitness center |
| Hostal Plaza Mayor | Guest house | Mid-range | Private rooms | WiFi, Restaurant, Free bicycle parking |
What To do in Carrion de los Condes
Out of the six churches that are still providing services, the of Santa María del Camino and the church of Santiago are the most prominent ones. The front of the Church of Santiago is one of the best examples of Romanesque sculpture, with a superb sculpture of Christ Pantocrator surrounded by the four evangelists. In the archivolt of the entrance, there are 24 figures of medieval trades. Inside it houses a museum of sacred art.
The Puente Mayor replaced the old medieval bridge which was built in the mid-sixteenth century, with a construction project by Juan de Aral, with the intervention of the Burgos master builder Juan Ortega Castañeda.
After leaving the town and crossing the river, you pass by the Monastery of San Zoilo, a carefully restored monastery, now a hotel. Built-in the tenth century, this monastery was originally attached to the Benedictine order, although over the centuries it belonged to the Jesuits as well.