There is no bad date. No month of the year is a bad option to escape a few kilometers from the capital and visit the most beautiful villages of Madrid. In winter, the excuse is to see the snow; and in summer, to escape the heat. In both cases it is a wonderful opportunity to make a weekend getaway and take the opportunity to eat in one of the many (and good) restaurants in the Sierra. The region has beautiful villages where you can disconnect from the stress, so we propose some getaways near Madrid.
1. Buitrago de Lozoya
Buitrago de Lozoya is a medieval village in the purest Lord of the Rings style. It is surrounded by a wall and the sunsets from its castle are beautiful for a romantic plan. And if you like mysteries, it is rumored that there is a haunted house. The town hall of Buitrago del Lozoya also has a museum that collects the works that Pablo Picasso gave to his hairdresser. A town near Madrid perfect for a kayaking or biking trip in the surroundings.
2. Chinchón
Anise, square and inn. The saying “Anís, plaza y mesón” (aniseed, square and inn) fits like a glove. Walking through its main square your mouth waters with all the places you find to eat or to buy friar’s balls or novice’s tits. Chinchón is so spectacular that it has not even escaped the eyes of Wes Anderson, who filmed the movie Asteroid City in this iconic town.
3. Manzanares el Real
Manzanares el Real has one of the great architectural jewels of the Community of Madrid: the New Castle of the Mendoza family. It was built in 1475. It is named for having been the residence of the Mendoza, one of the most powerful families during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Lonely Planet guide includes it as one of the most spectacular in Spain. Its interior features a Gothic gallery on the second floor and, on the exterior, in an excellent state of preservation, its four towers, battlements, machicolations and arrow slits, which offer impressive views .
This village in the upper basin of the Manzanares also takes care of its privileged natural environment. It is the gateway to La Pedriza, which is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and one of the great enclaves for hikers in Madrid.
4. Rascafría
Rascafría is an ideal destination for its hiking trails. The town’s name water is understood when you come into contact with its waters, but the route is ideal to disconnect from the bustle of the capital and enjoy the scenery, so any time of year is good to visit.
5. Puebla de la Sierra
The road to Puebla de la Sierra already prepares you for the peace and relaxation that is experienced there (although it is not suitable for those who get dizzy during travel). You may run out of coverage, but it is an ideal place for rural tourism and soak up the green landscape. It has barely seventy inhabitants and strolling its streets could well be understood as an antithesis of Madrid.
6. Roblelacasa
Although Roblelacasa belongs to Guadalajara, it is not far from other villages in the north of the region such as La Hiruela. Its houses look likehobbits are going to come out at any moment. There are no bars orstores, so you have to be prepared to go on one of its spectacular routes, which lead to the Aljibe waterfall, with pools where you can take a bath if the weather permits.
7. Patones de arriba
The black architecture and the enviable enclave make Patones de Arriba one of the most spectacular villages in the whole region of Madrid. This village in the Sierra Norte de Madrid was for many years a place where time did not even pass. The situation changed when it was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and it automatically became what it already was: the most beautiful village in Madrid.
8. Cercedilla
Cercedilla is another of those towns where time seems not to pass. Its train station is a clear example. There are a lot of routes very easy to do, so after tasting its meats there is no excuse not to choose one of them. The best thing? You can get there on the C-8 line. It is one of those towns near Madrid perfect for a getaway.
9. San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Although it seems one of the most obvious stops, rediscover the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is always worth the trip: to admire one of the most beautiful libraries in Madrid you never get tired. It is also a good opportunity to discover the town of El Escorial, which has some jewels of the eighteenth century, such as the Royal Coliseum of Charles III and the cafe of the same theater. As if you were inside a movie: a perfect romantic getaway.
10. Talamanca del Jarama
Talamanca del Jarama keeps some of the most important jewels of Romanesque architecture in the Community of Madrid. This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful villages close to the capital of the region known as Campiña del Henares, on the border with Castilla-La Mancha.
Among its five monuments declared of cultural interest are the Romanesque apse of the parish church of San Juan Bautista and the Romanesque bridge over the Caz stream.
11. Horcajuelo de la Sierra
Horcajuelo is a small village in the Sierra del Rincón -along with the next one, La Hiruela- is surrounded by the Hayedo de Montejo. It is one of the southernmost beech forests in all of Europe and since 2017 a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. Due to the uniqueness of the forest the views to the beech forest itself are limited and are always free and guided by Environmental Educators.
A 50% of the visit passes can be obtained through online reservation. The other 50% are saved for purchase in person, are delivered on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the visit and can be purchased until sold out at the Information Center of the Biosphere Reserve of the Sierra del Rincón (Calle Real 64, Montejo de la Sierra).
12. La Hiruela
Nestled in the heart of the Sierra del Rincón and listed as a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, La Hiruela has the charm of the stone villages of the Sierra. Its landscape of dark brown houses, made of stone and wood, are the antithesis of the whitewashed walls of the south: perfect to visit on a couple’s getaway.
The Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve is formed by a mountainous territory located between the massifs of Ayllón and Somosierra. A green lung that includes the villages of La Hiruela, Horcajuelo de la Sierra, Montejo de la Sierra, Prádena del Rincón, La Puebla de la Sierra and, now, Madarcos.
13. El Berrueco
In Madrid you can’t have a house overlooking the sea, but you can overlook a reservoir, and El Berrueco is one of those villages in the Community of Madrid where you can make this cliché come true. On the banks of the Atazar is this village surrounded by crags and berroqueñas stones, from which it takes its name. In addition to strolling through the village and visit the Torrepedrera Watchtower or the Church of Santo Tomás Apóstol, and of course, enjoy the surroundings that are an extension of the Sierra de la Cabrera, here you must visit the Water Museum, taking advantage of the dam of the reservoir.
14. Navalcarnero
Less than an hour from the city, there is a very Castilian destination where you can enjoy a good wine. Navalcarnero belongs to the Denomination of Origin of Wines of Madrid and it is not surprising that it is surrounded by vineyards and wineries.
Among the curious history of this town of cobbled streets with colorful facades highlights the wedding of Philip IV with his niece, the Archduchess Mariana of Austria.
15. Torrelaguna
In the middle valley of the Jarama, bordering Guadalajara, is Torrelaguna. This town is one of those that gives reason for the name of this medium, because it is not understood how it does not attract the same tourism as Chinchón or other better known towns. Its history could be like that of almost all Castilian villages, Muslims, Christians and Frenchmen who razed the convents in the War of Independence have passed through it, but here was born someone who would change the history of Spain: Cardinal Cisneros.
This made the town prosper and now we can enjoy one of the few Gothic and Renaissance churches in the Community of Madrid, palatial houses from different centuries, a house of culture that was a hospital, mosque and synagogue, alhóndiga and a town hall founded by Cisneros.
16. Villarejo de Salvanés
Between the Tagus and the Tajuñas is Villarejo de Salvanes, about 50 km from Madrid capital. This village was founded by the Military Order of Santiago in the 13th century and its great attraction, the tower, is the only thing that remains of the set of military buildings that were built to reconquer the area from the Muslims. The building continued to belong to another military order, Encomienda Mayor de Castilla, until the 19th century. The Casa de la Tercia, which had the same owners, is another good example of 16th century Castilian architecture.
Another curiosity of Villarejo is that here is the first museum in Spain dedicated to cinema.
17. Alameda Towers
The Alcarria region of Madrid is home to one of the most beautiful towns in the region: Torres de la Alameda. It is especially known for the church of the Assumption of Our Lady, an example of Renaissance architecture with a portico worthy of a Roman temple. Inside, sobriety predominates, although it was not so in its origin, but after the War of Independence and the Civil War altarpieces, images and even part of the exterior were destroyed.
Another attraction of the village is the hermitage of La Soledad, also from the 16th century. With a curiosity on the facade: a Roman tombstone from the second century which reads: DOMITIA FVSCINA FVSCINAE TTURICVA EHSE STTL -Domitia Fuscina daughter of (Domitius) Fuscus lies here-.
18. Fresnedillas de la Oliva
One of the most peculiar getaways near Madrid: this village, just 54 kilometers from the capital, can be considered an authentic urban art museum in itself. This is explained thanks to the costumbrist paintings by Elena Parlange that decorate the stone facades of some of the houses.
But this is not the only curious thing about this town of less than 2,000 inhabitants: it also houses a Lunar Museum with astronaut costumes and up to 300 objects related to lunar missions.
19. Robledo de Chavela
Robledo de Chavela is a municipality located in the Sierra Oeste de Madrid, about 63 km from the capital. This town is known for being a regular place of second homes for people from the capital, who come attracted by its natural environment and its historical heritage.
One of its jewels is the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in the Community and declared of Cultural Interest. The church is famous for the mysterious dragons that adorn its vault.
Robledo de Chavela is also part of the Imperial Route, a historical route followed by King Philip II on his travels between Madrid and the Monastery of El Escorial.