Madrid is a beautiful city with much to offer however if you’re looking for an escape from all of the hustle and bustle I highly recommend hiking in Cercedilla. Nestled in the picturesque mountains just northwest of the city, this town offers a wide variety of trails for hikers at every level. The trails are nicely maintained and autumn is one of the best seasons to visit with all of its fall colors in full swing.

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Cercedilla is easily accessible by train (Cercanías) and bus. You can catch one of the more than 20 trains a day that leave from Atocha and pass through the Chamartín station. Alternatively, you can catch bus 684 that leaves every half hour from the Intercambiador de Autobuses de Moncloa.  The bus is a little quicker, getting you there in a little over an hour and the train takes about an hour and 15 minutes. Tickets are about €4 each way for both the bus and the train but if you have an abono joven (transport card for those under 26 years old), it’s completely free.

Once you arrive at the station, just follow the road, Arroyo de la Venta located directly in front of the cercanías station to the top.  It should take you approximately 35 minutes to reach the foot of the trails.  Once there, make sure to stop by the Centro de Educación Ambiental Valle de la Fuenfría and pick up a map.  From there you can choose from any one of the 8 trails and start hiking!

Cercedilla is a cute little village where you can get a well deserved post-hike drink on a terrace.

The trails are listed below:

Calzada Borbónica

Trail Color: White

Difficulty: Easy

Length: 3.9 km

Duration: 2 hours

Starting point: Aparcamiento de Majavilán

Ending point: Puerto de la Fuenfria

Pico de Majalasna

Trail Color: Yellow

Difficulty: Medium

Length: 12.3 km

Duration: 5 hours

Starting point: Aparcamiento de Majavilan

Ending point: Las Dehesas

Trail Color: Orange

Difficulty: Easy

Length: 9.3 km

Duration: 3 hours

Starting point: Aparcamiento de Majavilan

Ending point: Las Dehesas

Trail Color: Red

Difficulty: Difficult

Length: 12.5 km

Duration: 4 hours

Starting point: Centro de educacion ambiental

Ending point: Centro de educacion ambiental

Trail Color: Blue

Difficulty: Easy

Length: 4 km

Duration: 1.5 hours

Starting point: Centro de educacion ambiental

Ending point: Estacion de FF.CC de Cercedilla

Trail Color: Red & White Stripes

Difficulty: Medium

Length: 14.3 km

Duration: 5 hours

Starting point: Apaedero de FFCC Camorritos

Ending point: La Penota