One of Madrid's great advantages is its location: within about a hundred kilometres lie six World Heritage Sites, medieval cities, royal palaces and mountains. Thanks to high-speed trains and Cercanías, many destinations are under an hour away, with no need for a car. It is part of the Madrid guide.
Day trips at a glance
| Destination | What to see | How to get there | Journey time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo | Cathedral, El Greco, synagogues, Alcázar | AVE from Atocha | 33 minutes |
| Segovia | Roman aqueduct, cathedral, Alcázar | AVE from Chamartín, then bus | 27 minutes plus 15 by bus |
| El Escorial | Philip II's monastery | Cercanías C3 from Atocha, Sol or Chamartín, or bus | about 1 hour |
| Ávila | Medieval walls, St Teresa | Regional train from Chamartín | 1.5 hours |
| Alcalá de Henares | University, Cervantes's birthplace | Cercanías C2 and C7 | 35-40 minutes |
| Aranjuez | Royal palace and gardens | Cercanías C3 from Atocha | 45 minutes |
| Chinchón | Medieval Plaza Mayor, anisette | Bus from Conde de Casal | 1 hour |
| Sierra de Guadarrama | Hiking, lakes, snow | Cercanías C8 to Cercedilla | 1.5 hours |
| Cuenca | Hanging houses | AVE from Atocha or Chamartín | 55 minutes |
| Salamanca | University, Plaza Mayor | Alvia from Chamartín | 1.5 hours |
Toledo
The most famous trip. On a hill ringed by the Tagus, Toledo was the Visigothic capital and then a city where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived side by side for centuries: the "city of three cultures". Highlights are the grand Gothic cathedral, the church of Santo Tomé with El Greco's Burial of the Count of Orgaz, the Santa María la Blanca and Tránsito synagogues, the Cristo de la Luz mosque, the San Juan de los Reyes monastery and the Alcázar. The centre is a maze of steep lanes: the escalators from the Recaredo car park are a great help. Try the marzipan. See the Toledo guide.
Segovia
The Roman aqueduct, with its 167 granite arches built without mortar, greets visitors in the Azoguejo square. Then walk up the main street to the cathedral, Spain's last great Gothic cathedral, and the Alcázar, the castle on a rocky spur said to have inspired Walt Disney. For lunch the must-have dish is cochinillo asado, roast suckling pig, so tender it is cut with the edge of a plate. See the Segovia guide.
El Escorial
About 45 kilometres north-west, at the foot of the sierra, stands the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, commissioned by Philip II and built between 1563 and 1584: monastery, palace, basilica, library and pantheon of the kings of Spain in one immense granite building. Don't miss the library with its frescoed vault, the marble and bronze Pantheon of Kings, Philip II's austere apartments and the picture gallery with works by Titian, El Greco and Bosch. Combine it with a stroll around the town of San Lorenzo.
Ávila
The walls of Ávila, two and a half kilometres long with 87 towers and nine gates, are Spain's best preserved and can partly be walked. The city, at 1,130 metres, is linked to St Teresa of Ávila, the mystic and reformer of the Carmelites, born here in 1515. Try the yemas, egg-yolk sweets, and Ávila veal steak. See Ávila.
Alcalá de Henares
Cervantes's birthplace has one of Europe's oldest universities, founded in 1499 by Cardinal Cisneros, with the splendid Plateresque façade of the Colegio de San Ildefonso. Visit Cervantes's birthplace, the arcaded calle Mayor and the Corral de Comedias, one of Europe's oldest theatres. It is also a university town with generous free tapas. See Alcalá de Henares.
Aranjuez
On the Tagus, south of Madrid, Aranjuez was the spring residence of the kings of Spain: the Royal Palace, the Parterre, Island and Prince's gardens, the Casa del Labrador and the royal barges museum. It is famous for strawberries and asparagus, and for Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez. In spring and summer the picturesque Strawberry Train runs. See Aranjuez.
Chinchón and the villages
Chinchón, 45 kilometres south-east, has one of Spain's loveliest squares, the irregular Plaza Mayor ringed by wooden balconies, used for bullfights and films. Eat roast lamb and drink the local anisette. In the Community of Madrid, Buitrago del Lozoya with its medieval walls, Patones de Arriba, the black slate village, and Manzanares el Real, with its castle and Santillana reservoir, are also worth a visit. A car is best for these. See the Community of Madrid.
Sierra de Guadarrama
Less than an hour north, the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park offers trails through pine forests and peaks over 2,000 metres, such as Peñalara with its glacial lakes. The main bases are Cercedilla, reached by Cercanías, from where the rack railway climbs to the Navacerrada pass and Cotos, and La Pedriza, near Manzanares el Real. In winter there is some snow for skiing and snowshoeing.
Further afield
High-speed trains also make day trips possible to Cuenca, with its famous houses hanging over the gorge, Salamanca, with its university and Spain's finest Plaza Mayor, and even Valencia, Zaragoza, Córdoba and Seville, all under two and a half hours by train.
Tips
- Buy AVE tickets for Toledo and Segovia in advance, especially at weekends: trains are few and fill up.
- Many agencies offer organised tours combining two destinations in a day, such as Toledo and Segovia or Ávila and Segovia: convenient but rushed.
- Some monuments close on Mondays; check opening times before you go.
- In summer the plateau is as hot as Madrid; the sierra is cooler.
See also itineraries and transport.