# The Central System A mountain range in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, from the Serra da Estrela in Portugal to Guadarrama and Ayllón in Spain. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/regions/central-system · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Países: Spain, Portugal ## Destinos de esta zona - [San Lorenzo de El Escorial](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial.md): Philip II's monastery, the La Herrería woodland and Mount Abantos, 50 minutes from Madrid by car or by bus from Moncloa. - [Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley.md): Rascafría, the El Paular monastery, the Purgatorio waterfall and the Laguna Grande de Peñalara, an hour and a quarter from Madrid. - [Madrid's Sierra Norte: Patones, Buitrago and the Montejo Beech Forest](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/sierra-norte.md): Patones de Arriba, the wall of Buitrago del Lozoya and the Montejo Beech Forest, with a free pass: Madrid's quietest sierra, an hour along the A-1. - [Manzanares el Real and La Pedriza](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/la-pedriza.md): Routes through La Pedriza from Canto Cochino, the Manzanares river and El Tolmo, and the castle of Manzanares el Real, with the car quota and the 724 bus explained. - [Navacerrada Pass and Cercedilla](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/navacerrada-pass-and-cercedilla.md): Skiing at Valdesquí and the Navacerrada Pass, guided snowshoeing and the Roman road of the Fuenfría, an hour from Madrid by car or train. - [Segovia](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia.md): Roman aqueduct, cathedral and Alcázar within a kilometre of streets, an hour from Madrid: what to see, 2026 opening hours, where to eat suckling pig and where to sleep. - [Pedraza](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/pedraza.md): A walled town in Segovia with a single gate, the Zuloaga castle and roast-meat restaurants in the Plaza Mayor: what to see, where to eat on Sunday and where to sleep. - [Ávila](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/avila.md): The complete medieval wall that you walk along the top, the fortress cathedral and San Vicente, an hour and a half from Madrid: opening hours, prices, where to eat and sleep. - [La Alberca and the Sierra de Francia](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/la-alberca.md): La Alberca, Mogarraz and Miranda del Castañar, the Peña de Francia and the Las Batuecas valley, an hour from Salamanca: walks, food and places to sleep. - [Sierra de Gredos](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sierra-de-gredos.md): The Plataforma to Laguna Grande route, the Cuevas del Águila, Arenas de San Pedro and horse rides, an hour from Ávila and two from Madrid. - [Hervás and the Ambroz Valley](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/hervas-and-the-ambroz-valley.md): What to see in Hervás: the Jewish quarter, the Vía Verde de la Plata by bike, the Ambroz chestnut trees in autumn, how to get there from Cáceres or Salamanca and where to stay. - [Jerte Valley](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/jerte-valley.md): A valley of terraces with more than a million and a half cherry trees, the Garganta de los Infiernos and its pools, and eleven villages along the N-110. - [Serra da Estrela](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/serra-da-estrela.md): The highest mountain range on mainland Portugal, with the Torre at 1,993 m, the glacial valley of the Zêzere and Manteigas as a base. Less than three hours from Salamanca. The Central System is the mountain range that anyone living in Madrid, Ávila, Segovia or Salamanca sees on the horizon. A granite range that crosses the peninsula from west to east and separates the two plateaus, with peaks above 2,500 metres, gorges, valleys of cherry and chestnut trees, and historic cities perched on its skirts. It is nearby mountain: almost everything is less than two hours from a city. ## What is the Central System? It is a chain of about 600 km that starts in Portugal and ends in Guadalajara and Soria. In the west, in Portugal, are the Serra da Lousã and the Serra da Estrela, with the Torre at 1,993 metres, the roof of mainland Portugal. Then in Spain come the Sierra de Gata, the Peña de Francia and Béjar, between Cáceres and Salamanca; Gredos, in Ávila, with Almanzor Peak at 2,592 metres, the highest of the whole range; and Guadarrama, between Madrid and Segovia, with Peñalara at 2,428 metres. At the end, Somosierra and Ayllón, where the Pico del Lobo reaches 2,274 metres. It is not a single range, but a string of them, and each has its own character: Gredos is the most alpine, with glacial cirques and lakes; Guadarrama, the most visited, with pine woods and ski passes; the Sierra de Francia and northern Cáceres are lower and greener, with mountain villages and chestnut trees. Since 2013 the Guadarrama summits have formed a National Park. ## How do you get there and get around? A car is the practical choice, because the range is explored through valleys and passes not linked by public transport. From Madrid, the A-6 climbs towards Guadarrama and Segovia, the A-1 towards Somosierra and the Sierra Norte, and Gredos is about two hours away, via Ávila towards the Plataforma or along the A-5 towards Arenas de San Pedro. From Salamanca, the Sierra de Francia is an hour away and the A-66 goes down to the Ambroz valley in a little more. Without a car there are options on the Madrid side. The C-8 Cercanías reaches Cercedilla, gateway to the Fuenfría valley. The AVE drops you in Segovia half an hour from Madrid. There are intercity buses to Manzanares el Real, Rascafría and San Lorenzo de El Escorial. In the rest of the range, buses are few and are no use for linking routes. On foot, the range is for day outings rather than traverses: routes of three to six hours from a car park, such as the one from the Plataforma de Gredos to the Laguna Grande, 13.6 km there and back. ## What to see in the Central System? In Guadarrama and its surroundings, La Pedriza and the castle of Manzanares el Real; Navacerrada and Cercedilla, with skiing and the Fuenfría Roman road; and the Lozoya valley, with El Paular and the Laguna Grande de Peñalara. At the foot of the range, San Lorenzo de El Escorial and, on the Segovia side, Segovia and the walled town of Pedraza. Further north, the Sierra Norte de Madrid brings together Patones, Buitrago and the Hayedo de Montejo. Towards the west, Ávila and its wall open the door to the Sierra de Gredos, with the Laguna Grande, Arenas de San Pedro and the Cuevas del Águila. In Salamanca, La Alberca and the Sierra de Francia bring together half-timbered villages such as Mogarraz and Miranda del Castañar. In northern Cáceres, the Jerte valley, with more than a million and a half cherry trees, and Hervás and the Ambroz valley, with its Jewish quarter and the Vía Verde de la Plata. In Portugal, the Serra da Estrela closes the range with the glacial Zêzere valley and Manteigas as a base, about 215 km from Salamanca. ## When to go? It depends on what you are looking for. Spring brings the cherry blossom of the Jerte, between late March and mid-April, and waterfalls full of water. June and September are the best months for the high routes of Gredos and Peñalara. October and November are the season of the chestnut trees, oaks and beech woods, in the Sierra de Francia, the Ambroz or Montejo. In winter, snow reaches the summits and passes, and Guadarrama has skiing from January to March. July and August are hot in the low valleys, but cool up high; start early. ## How many days do you need? Each range calls for its own getaway. From Madrid, almost all of Guadarrama can be done in day trips. Gredos, the Sierra de Francia or the Jerte call for a weekend with one or two nights. The Serra da Estrela, because of the distance, is better with two or three nights. Travelling the whole range from east to west, sleeping in three or four bases, takes a good week. ## What is worth knowing before you go? Several places have quotas and it is worth knowing before you set out: Canto Cochino, in La Pedriza, closes its barrier when 270 cars have entered; the Laguna Grande de Peñalara admits 945 people a day; the Hayedo de Montejo is free but requires a pass with limited places. At weekends, arrive early. On the summits the weather changes quickly: fog, wind and afternoon storms in summer; from November to April, snow and ice that call for equipment. Ávila and Segovia are above 1,000 metres, and in winter it is very cold. ## Un consejo más ### Start early at weekends The car parks at La Pedriza, the Plataforma de Gredos or Cotos fill up by mid-morning on Saturdays and Sundays. Arriving before ten is the difference between parking and turning back. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### What is the highest mountain in the Central System? Almanzor Peak, in the Sierra de Gredos, at about 2,592 metres. ### Which ranges make up the Central System? From west to east, Estrela, Gata, Francia, Béjar, Gredos, Guadarrama, Somosierra and Ayllón, among other smaller ones. ### Can you go to the mountains from Madrid without a car? Yes, to Cercedilla on the C-8 Cercanías and to Manzanares el Real, Rascafría or El Escorial by intercity bus. For Gredos or the Sierra de Francia you need a car. ### When do the Jerte cherry trees blossom? Normally between late March and mid-April, depending on the year and the altitude.