The history of Castilla can be told from many angles, but water is one of the most interesting. The Canal de Castilla Train is part of that journey literally and figuratively. The trip also includes almost all means of transportation: train, boat and bus that leaves from Madrid to Valladolid and allows you to discover one of the most unique treasures of Spanish engineering. It is an experience organized by Renfe within its thematic trains and is held one Sunday a month, from February 23 to November 30, 2025, the next date is this weekend, Sunday, October 26, departing from Madrid-Chamartín station at 10:15 am and returning at 9:40 pm.
The trip begins with an on-board dramatization that introduces the traveler to the history of the Canal de Castilla, an 18th century engineering work created to transport grain and goods by river. Upon arrival in Valladolid, the day continues with a different cultural guided tour each month (from the Cathedral and its Tower to the Fuensaldaña Castle or the “Musical Gardens of Campo Grande”), a traditional Castilian meal and a one-hour boat trip on the canal, in Medina de Rioseco, where you will also visit the Fuensaldaña Castle and the historic San Antonio Flour Mill, now a museum.
Traveling through Castile by boat
During the river tour, visitors can observe locks, riverside birds and industrial architecture that still retains the charm of the nineteenth century, in what was the only navigable canal built in Spain. The ticket price (round trip) is 95 € for adults and 70 € for children, and includes all travel, visits, lunch and navigation.
The arrival of the train meant that the canal was never finished, but with the Canal de Castilla Train the journey through history is complete. Unhurried, with a lot of storytelling and surrounded by nature. It is a perfect opportunity to discover for a day a little known side of the region, with a touch of romanticism of a navigable Castile that almost nobody imagines so close to Madrid.