Day trips from Madrid → By car → Rascafría
Rascafría and the Lozoya Valley
Rascafría sits in a mountain valley an hour north of Madrid, with a fourteenth-century Carthusian monastery at the edge of the village and a beech wood behind it that turns copper in late October. It’s where Madrid goes for the day when it wants trees rather than monuments.
By Saad Madhoun · Living in Madrid since 2023 · Updated 10 August 2026
| Drive time | ~1 h 15 from Madrid · 90 km (56 miles) |
|---|---|
| Time needed | A full day if you walk, half if you don’t |
| Go for | El Paular monastery, the beech wood, the waterfall walk |
| Best month | Late October, when the beeches turn |
| Autumn weekends fill the car parks by mid-morning. Go on a weekday or arrive before ten. | |
| Last checked: 10 August 2026. Monastery visiting hours and any access restrictions in the Hayedo de Montejo change seasonally. | |
The monastery
Santa María de El Paular was founded in 1390, the first Carthusian house in Castile, and it has been monastery, factory, ruin and hotel across six centuries. Benedictine monks live there now and part of it is open to visitors, including a Gothic cloister and a church with a fifteenth-century alabaster altarpiece.
Next to it, a bridge across the Lozoya river marks the start of the walking.
The walks
Two that matter. The Senda del Purgatorio follows the river up to a waterfall through pine and oak — about three hours round trip, well signed, and easy enough for anyone who walks regularly.
The Hayedo de Montejo is further along the valley: one of the southernmost beech woods in Europe, a relic of a colder climate, protected and with limited access. In late October it turns and people drive up from Madrid specifically to see it. Access is usually restricted and may need booking — check before going.
How much walking do you want?
This is the one destination on the site where the day is shaped by how far you feel like going.
Swimming, in summer
Las Presillas are natural pools on the Lozoya, dammed slightly to make them deep enough to swim in, with grass around them. On a July weekend half of northern Madrid is there. On a Tuesday in June it’s close to empty and the water is very cold, which at 1,100 m in a Spanish summer is precisely the point.
Getting here
An hour and a quarter up the A-1 and over the mountains. There’s a bus but it’s slow and it doesn’t reach the walking trailheads, which is the whole reason to come.
Rascafría questions
When is the best time to visit Rascafría?
Late October, when the beech woods turn copper — it’s the main reason people drive up. Summer works too for the river pools at Las Presillas, and the walking is good from spring through autumn.
What is the Senda del Purgatorio?
A waymarked riverside walk from near the El Paular monastery up to a waterfall, about three hours round trip through pine and oak. It’s the standard walk in the valley and it doesn’t require any experience.
Can you swim near Rascafría?
Yes, at Las Presillas — natural pools on the Lozoya river with grass around them. Busy on summer weekends, quiet midweek, and the water is properly cold even in July.