Hiking routes in Madrid is more in demand than ever because we all need a forest bath to get out of the routine and escape from the city. It is one of the most widespread, debated and studied ideas of the post-pandemic, spending time outdoors, walking, with the wind in your face and without a building on the horizon has proven health benefits.
It’s time to lace up your hiking boots, put on your technical pants and start walking.
1. Schmidt Trail
One of the most traveled hiking trails in Madrid, even by those who don’t know it. It is located in Puerto Navacerrada, where every good Madrid Sunday hiker has gone to spend the morning sometime, even more so if it has snowed. It takes its name from the Austrian hiker who marked the route in 1926.
This classic route of the Guadarrama mountain range starts at the ski slope of the Escaparate, goes towards the Puerto de la Fuenfría, crosses the forest of the shady area of the Siete Picos and from there you have to descend along the Roman road to Fuenfría de Cercedilla. It is a march of medium difficulty, very accessible and can be reached by train from Atocha on the C8 line of Madrid Cercanías.
🚶♀️ Distance: 16 km
⏱ Duration: 3 hours.
2. El Cancho de la Cabeza in Patones.
This hike is worthwhile for several reasons, in addition to getting out into the countryside to clear our heads. Patones de Arriba is one of the most beautiful villages in the mountains of Madrid and the climb to the Cancho de la Cabeza has a panoramic view of the reservoir of El Atazar that is worth the effort involved in the unevenness of the route.
🚶♀️ Distance: 12.5 km
⏱ Duration: 4 hours.
3. Canyons of the Lozoya River
The Lozoya River canyons are possibly one of the most beautiful and less traveled hiking trails in Madrid. It is an easy hike, but with quite a bit of elevation in some sections. The trail begins at the remains of the Pontón de la Oliva Dam, the oldest in the Community and already in disuse.
In this area you can also practice climbing thanks to the cliffs of the Lozoya River. As the name indicates, the route follows the course of the river, although sometimes we also come across the Jarama. Between both rivers there is a small interesting detour to visit the Roman site of Dehesa de la Oliva, a plus for those who are interested in history.
🚶♀️ Distance: 8 km
⏱ Duration: 2 hours.
4. Campillo Lagoon
The Campillo Lagoon is located in the so-called Parque del Sureste, 20 kilometers from the center of Madrid, in the town of Rivas Vaciamadrid. It is an easy and perfect excursion for children. It has an artificial lagoon that was created by the filtrations of the extraction of gypsum. It is located in a wetland in the surroundings of the Manzanares River and flows into the Jarama. Although it became a crop field, it is now a protected area for its floral diversity and high importance for the native fauna.
🚶♀️ Distance: 4.5 km
Duration: 2 hours.
5. The Carcavas of Pontón de la Oliva
The route of Las Cárcavas also starts at the dam of Pontón de la Oliva, it is right on the border between the Community of Madrid and Guadalajara. It has two routes: a short one, about two hours, with a large initial slope, but more direct to the Cárcavas, and another longer and circular, designed to spend the day. This protected landscape, which can also be found in the Barrancas de Burujón, is formed by the upward erosion of water on land with little vegetation.
🚶♀️ Distance: 12 km
⏱ Duration: 3:30 hours.
6. Ecological trail of Canencia
The trail starts at the Puerto de Canencia, hence its name, and is located in the Sierra Norte de Madrid. The whole route is very well signposted, perfect for spending the day and with an area to eat. One of its great attractions is the varied vegetation, the king of this forest is the birch, which is more common in central and northern Europe. There is also holly (very popular at Christmas) and yew, which due to its uniqueness and scarcity is specially protected.
🚶♀️ Distance: 6 km
⏱ Duration: 1:45 hours.
7. Route to the Herrería forest (the chair of Felipe II).
The Herrería forest is a very simple route, with a lot of history and tradition. After a steep climb you reach the chair, carved into the granite, from which supposedly King Philip II watched over the works of El Escorial. The reality is that it is a Vetón altar modified in the last centuries. There is still something religious about the road, in which every second Sunday of September there is a procession of the Virgin pulled by oxen to the Ermita de la Virgen de Gracia (Chapel of the Virgin of Grace).
🚶♀️ Distance: 4.5 km
⏱ Duration: 2 hours.
8. Path of the Cancho de los Muertos (La Pedriza)
La Pedriza could not be missing among the outstanding routes. Specifically, the Cancho de los Muertos or Camposanto, which also has something of fable and mystery because it was a common refuge for bandits in the nineteenth century and some of them died tragically. The route is circular and begins in Canto Cochino. The path is not complicated, unless we want to climb the Chalice or the Cancho itself, then we will need climbing equipment.
🚶♀️ Distance: 6.5 km
Duration: 3 hours.
9. The crag of Cenicientos
As its name indicates it is a big slope, so, although it is not a long route, it is more expensive for this reason. The Cenicientos crag is a fairly well-known hiking route, both for the town that gives its name to the crag and for Cadalso de los Vidrios, which is where we should head to start the route. On the way we will come across the reservoir known as La Alberca, a mandatory rest and recreation stop.
🚶♀️ Distance: 10 km
⏱ Duration: 4 hours.
10. Bailanderos Hill
From Bailanderos you can do several routes. One is the Hoyo Cerrado, which is a simple path around the only glacial cirque in the upper area of La Pedriza. If you prefer a more demanding route, one of the most complicated of the Sierra Madrileña, you can start at the Puerto de la Morcuera, the views from the 1792 meters high will be worth it.
🚶♀️ Distance: 16 km
⏱ Duration: 5 hours.
11. Las Dehesas de Cercedilla
The Dehesas de Cercedilla is one of the most important forest areas of the Community, and a perfect starting and returning point for hiking routes in Madrid, as well as the ideal place for a picnic. Among all the things you can visit in the area are: the Roman road, the viewpoint of the Poets, the clock of Cela, the road of La República and the small waterfalls called the Ducha de Los Alemanes (in Wikiloc you can see the exact route to the waterfall). It is a simple, circular route, perfect for a morning hike.
🚶♀️ Distance: 11 km
Duration: 3.5 hours.
12. Angostura Bridge Route
The route that runs near the Arroyo de la Angostura is especially pleasant in autumn and spring because of its birch trees and wild rose bushes. It is an almost linear walk that crosses streams and different bridges, two of which are historic. The first is the bridge of Forgiveness, of baroque traces, and where, according to local customs, there was a tradition that the convicts could ask for a review of their case. After crossing the recreational area Las Presillas, you must continue along a path marked with wooden posts with the initials RV-1, follow the Pradillo dam and an hour later you will reach the bridge that gives its name to the route.
🚶♀️ Distance: 6 km
⏱ Duration: 3 hours.
13. The Ball of the World
From the port of Navacerrada there is an easy (though steep) path that climbs up to the Bola del Mundo, popularly known as such, although its official name is Alto de las Guarramillas, and which has spectacular views of the mountain. If you prefer to do a longer hiking route, there are two starting points from here: the Maliciosa, quite steep, and the Cuerda Larga, one of the longest and most complicated.
At the top you can get a close-up view of the red radio and television antennas that can be seen from many points in the sierra. Nearby is also the Ventisquero de la Condesa, where the Manzanares River rises.
🚶♀️ Distance: 4 km
⏱ Duration: 1 hour.
14. Peak of Mount Abantos
The of Mount Abantos is one of the highest peaks of the Sierra del Guadarrama, with 1753 meters of altitude. The route up begins at the Luis Ceballos Arboretum, where you can also take guided tours to see the 200 species of trees and shrubs representative of Spanish forests. Along the way we will also find the Hayedo Escondido, a repopulation carried out by students of the School of Forestry Engineers in the nineteenth century. From the summit the views of the Escorial Monastery are perfect to admire the size and beauty of the architectural complex.
🚶♀️ Distance: 9 km
⏱ Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes.
15. The Montejo Beech Forest
There are several conditions that make this route one of the most particular of the list. The first is the fact that the Hayedo de Montejo de la Sierra del Rincón is one of the southernmost beech forests in Europe and a UNESCO heritage site since 2017. The second is that precisely because it is a Protected Natural Area the number of daily visits is limited.
The previous reservation to make this guided route can be made online, through its website, or in person and always free of charge.
It is a short trail, with little inclination that to a certain extent can be done even with a baby stroller. These large deciduous trees reach their peak of color in autumn, but this natural environment is worth a visit at almost any time of the year.
🚶♀️ Distance: 2.4 km
⏱ Duration: 1 hour.
16. The mountain of Boadilla
Just 20 minutes drive from the center is one of the most extensive pastures in Madrid, so important as to give its name to the town it surrounds: Boadilla del Monte.
In this forest you can make long routes -about 4 hours on foot- both walking and cycling. They are relatively easy walks except for some small steep slopes. The best way to start this walk is at the back of the palace of Infante Don Luis, which is worth a visit, especially its gardens and orchards.
🚶♀️ Distance: 14 km
⏱ Duration: 4 hours.
17. Laguna Grande de Peñalara
To go up to Hoya del Toril, as the Peñalara massif in which the Laguna Grande is located is also known, you have to take a medium-level trail from Puerto de Cotos (where you can arrive by car and park).
In total, round trip, are 6 km (2 hours at normal pace) with a very affordable slope. It must be taken into account, however, that in winter there can be heavy snowfalls, which added to the ice and blizzards make the crossing very complicated.
The path crosses Scots pine forests and alpine meadows. One of the first stops on the walk is the Fuente Cubeiro and behind it is the viewpoint of the Gitana, from which to observe the largest mountain ranges of the National Park. Following the roadway you reach a crossroads between the Laguna Grande and the Laguna de los Pájaros. From this point the cut rock takes over the landscape until you reach the small fenced lake.
🚶♀️ Distance: 6 km
⏱ Duration: 2 hours.
18. The route of the mills of the Perales river.
The route begins in Navalagamella, a village in the west of the Community with a picturesque church in the Herrerian style and six bucket mills (hydraulic) to which Alfonso XI of Castile already made mention in the fourteenth century. This hiking route precisely follows the course of the river Perales to observe these jewels of medieval architecture. It is a circular path marked with beacons, there are only a few climbs to the viewpoints of Altillo and Hondillo, from where you can appreciate the oak forest and, in the background, the Puerto de Navacerrada and the Siete Picos.
🚶♀️Distancia: 7 km
Duration: approximately 3 h
With various options both in length and difficulty of the walk, it is difficult not to choose one of these hiking trails in Madrid to organize it as soon as possible and restart the mind between the walk and so much vegetation.
19. Ascent to Cabeza Líjar
The path from Puerto del León to Cabeza Líjar is a great route to get into the pine forests that crown the Sierra de Guadarrama. It also presents itself as a good opportunity to immerse yourself in the history of northern Madrid, as it is one of the first routes discovered by explorers in the area more than a hundred years ago. The trail, with seven explanatory points, invites hikers to take a trip back in time.
This circular route passes through the forest track of Peguerinos, the Cerro de la Gamonosa and the stone wall that marks the border between Segovia and Madrid. It culminates at the highest peak of the sierra, Cabeza Líjar, which preserves a Civil War fortress overlooking the Hoya de El Espinar, the Alto del Guadarrama region and the Sierra de Malagón.
The scenery offered by the summit (with more than 1,800 meters high) is spectacular, but the difficulty of the climb is medium-high. Highly recommended for those who already have some hiking experience.
🚶♀️Distancia: 7.3 km
⏱ Duration: approximately 4 h