Hiking trails 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 post-pandemic ideas, 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 Way
One of the most popular hiking trails in Madrid, even for those who do not know it. It is located in the Navacerrada Port, donde todo buen dominguero madrileño ha ido a pasar la mañana alguna vez, más aún si ha nevado. It takes its name from the Austrian-born hiker who marked the route in 1926.
This classic trail of the Guadarrama mountain range starts at the Escaparate ski slope, heads towards the Puerto de la Fuenfría, crosses the shady forest 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 it can be reached in train from Atocha on line C8 of Cercanías de Madrid.
🚶♀️ Distance: 16 km
⏱ Duration: 3 hours.
2. El Cancho de la Cabeza at Patones
This tour 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 world the ascent to the Cancho de la Cabeza has a panoramic view of the reservoir of El Atazar that is worth the effort of the slope of the route.
🚶♀️ Distance: 12.5 km
⏱ Duration: 4 hours.
3. Lozoya River canyons
The canyons of the Lozoya River are possibly one of the most beautiful and least traveled hiking trails in Madrid. It is a simple walk, but with quite a lot of altitude in some sections. The trail begins at the remains of the Pontón de la Oliva Dam, the oldest in the Community and now in disuse.
In this Zone 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 the two 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 from the extraction of gypsum. It is located in a wetland in the vicinity of the Manzanares River and flows into the Jarama. Although it became a crop field, it is now a protected area because of 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 Cárcavas route also starts at the Pontón de la Oliva dam, right on the border between the Community of Madrid and Guadalajara. It has two routes: one short, 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 we can also find in the Burujón Canyon is formed by the upward erosion of water on land with little vegetation support.
🚶♀️ Distance: 12 km
⏱ Duration: 3:30 a.m.
6. Ecological path 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 to spend 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 (Philip II’s chair)
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 modified Veton altar in recent centuries. There is still something religious about the road, where every second Sunday of September there is a procession of the Virgin pulled by oxen to the Hermitage of the Virgen de Gracia.
🚶♀️ 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, that of the Cancho de los muertos or the cemetery, 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 starts 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 Cinderella’s group
As its name indicates, it is a steep slope, so, although it is not a long route, it is more expensive for this reason. The Peña de Cenicientos is a well known hiking route, both for the village 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 swamp known as La Alberca, a mandatory stop for rest and recreation.
🚶♀️ Distance: 10 km
⏱ Duration: 4 hours.
10. Loma Bailanderos
From Bailanderos you can do several routes. One is Hoyo Cerrado, which is an easy trail around the only glacial cirque in the upper Zone of La Pedriza. If you prefer a more demanding route, one of the most complicated of the Madrid mountains, 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
Las Dehesas de Cercedilla is one of the most important forest areas in the Community, and a perfect starting and returning point for hiking trails in Madrid, as well as the ideal place for a picnic. Among all the things to visit in the Zone are: the Roman road, the Poetas viewpoint, the Reloj de Cela, the road to La República and the small waterfalls called the Ducha de Los Alemanes (in Wikiloc you can see the exact route to the casacada). 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 promenade crossing streams and different bridges, two of which are historic. The first is the 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, 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 Navacerrada pass there is a simple (although 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 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 will get a close-up view of the red radio and television antennas that can be seen from many points on the mountain range. Nearby is also the Ventisquero de la Condesa, where the Manzanares River rises.
🚶♀️ Distance: 4 km
⏱ Duration: 1 hour.
14. Abantos mountain peak
Mount Abantos is one of the highest peaks of the Guadarrama mountain range, with an altitude of 1753 meters. The uphill route 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 Escondido beech forest, a reforestation 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 dimensions 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 on the list. The first is the fact that the Hayedo de Montejo de la Sierra del Rincón beech forest 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.
Reservations for this guided tour can be made online, through its web page web or in person and always free of charge.
It is a short, gently sloping trail that can even be done with a baby stroller to a certain extent. These large deciduous trees reach their zenith of color in autumn, but this natural setting is worth a visit 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 village that surrounds it: Boadilla del Monte.
In this forest you can make long routes -about 4 hours on foot- both on foot and by bike. The hikes are relatively easy except for a few steep inclines. The best way to start this ride is at the back of the palace of Infante Don Luis the gardens and orchards are especially worth a visit.
🚶♀️ Distance: 14 km
⏱ Duration: 4 hours.
17. Peñalara Large Lagoon
To climb the Hoya del Toril, as it is also known to the massif of Peñalara in which the Laguna Grande is located, you have to take a medium level trail from the Puerto de Cotos (where you can get there by car and park).
In total, round trip, it is 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 road 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 road, you will reach a crossroads between the Laguna Grande and the Laguna de los Pájaros. From this point the cut rock takes over the landscape until it reaches the small fenced lake.
🚶♀️ Distance: 6 km
⏱ Duration: 2 hours.
With various options in both 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.