# Cerca de Segovia

Segovia is at the foot of Guadarrama and half its plans cross the sierra: the Navacerrada pass 35 minutes away, Valdesquí, Peñalara and El Escorial. To the north leave Pedraza, the Duratón and Peñafiel; to the west, Ávila and the Sierra de Gredos.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [Navacerrada: guided snowshoeing and grill in Cercedilla](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/navacerrada-pass-and-cercedilla/itineraries/snowshoeing-at-the-pass-from-madrid.md) (35 min en coche): A morning snowshoeing through the National Park pinewoods with the pass's school, no experience needed, and a grill lunch at La Maya, in Cercedilla. It can be done by train.
- [Pedraza: village, roast and castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/pedraza/itineraries/pedraza-jail-roast-lamb-and-zuloaga-castle.md) (41 min en coche): You enter by the only gate, visit its jail, stroll the Plaza Mayor, eat roast lamb from a wood-fired oven and finish at Zuloaga's castle in the afternoon light.
- [Valdesquí: a day on the slopes and spoon dishes at Cotos](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/navacerrada-pass-and-cercedilla/itineraries/skiing-at-valdesqui-and-judiones.md) (45 min en coche): A day on the slopes at Valdesquí, Madrid's big resort, and a spoon-dish lunch at the Venta Marcelino, on the Cotos pass. An hour from Madrid by car or on bus 691 from Moncloa.
- [Abantos: climb through the pine forest and lunch in the mountains](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial/itineraries/abantos-pine-forest-and-mountain-lunch.md) (50 min en coche): A mid-morning climb through the pine forest behind the monastery, lunch in a 1918 forestry house turned restaurant and a stroll round the Jardín de los Frailes.
- [El Escorial: the chestnut groves of La Herrería](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial/itineraries/autumn-in-la-herreria-and-el-castanar.md) (50 min en coche): An 8.6 km route through ash groves, chestnut woods and fountains of the royal forest to Philip II's Chair, a Castilian roast at an inn from 1768 and the Jardín de los Frailes. 50 minutes from Madrid.
- [El Escorial: monastery and Philip II's Chair](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial/itineraries/escorial-monastery-and-philip-iis-chair.md) (50 min en coche): Philip II's monastery at opening time, a Castilian lunch two streets away and the view from Philip II's Chair in the afternoon light. 50 minutes from Madrid.
- [Rascafría: oaks and waterfall](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley/itineraries/oak-woods-and-purgatorio-waterfall.md) (55 min en coche): A half-day among oaks and Ávila cattle along the Aguilón river to the Purgatorio waterfall, mountain-village lunch on the edge of Rascafría and the Giner de los Ríos arboretum at dusk.
- [Peñalara: glacial lake and monastery](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley/itineraries/penalara-laguna-grande-roast-lunch-in-rascafria-and-el-paular.md) (55 min en coche): An easy route to the Peñalara glacial cirque before the visitor quota fills, a roast-house lunch in Rascafría and the El Paular charterhouse in the afternoon.
- [Ávila: wall and Cuatro Postes](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/avila/itineraries/avila-city-walls-and-cuatro-postes-at-dusk.md) (59 min en coche): You walk along the top of the city wall, see the cathedral built into it, eat El Barco beans, step into San Vicente and finish at the Cuatro Postes with the wall lit up.
- [La Pedriza: El Tolmo and the castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/la-pedriza/itineraries/el-tolmo-and-manzanares-castle.md) (1 h en coche): Enter Canto Cochino before 10:30, climb the Autopista de La Pedriza to El Tolmo, have lunch in the square at Manzanares el Real and finish at the Mendoza castle.
- [Carraovejas, castle and roast lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/long-tasting-castle-and-roast-lamb.md) (1 h 10 en coche): You leave the car at the hotel, taste four wines at Pago de Carraovejas, climb up to the wine castle, have lamb beside the Duratón and dine and sleep in a 1922 flour mill. Wednesday to Sunday.
- [Peñafiel: castle, lamb and winery](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/penafiel-castle-roast-lamb-and-winery.md) (1 h 10 en coche): The ship-shaped castle and the Provincial Wine Museum in the morning, the Plaza del Coso, wood-fired roast lamb and a visit with tasting at a winery in the village.
- [Duratón Gorges: canoe and San Frutos](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/duraton-gorges/itineraries/duraton-gorges-canoe-roast-lamb-and-san-frutos.md) (1 h 12 en coche): You paddle through the canyon between hundred-metre walls, eat lamb in Sepúlveda and climb to the San Frutos hermitage in the afternoon light.
- [Gredos: Laguna Grande and revolconas](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sierra-de-gredos/itineraries/gredos-laguna-grande-and-lunch-in-hoyos-del-espino.md) (1 h 40 en coche): A five-hour route from the Plataforma to the Laguna Grande, at the foot of the Gredos cirque, and a late lunch of revolconas and Ávila meat in Hoyos del Espino.
- [Alcalá: university, Cervantes and Romans](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/alcala-de-henares/itineraries/university-cervantes-and-complutum-from-madrid.md) (1 h 40 en coche): A guided visit to Cisneros' university, Calle Mayor to Cervantes' birthplace, a Cervantes-themed lunch at the Hostería and the Roman city of Complutum in the afternoon.
- [Patones: climbing and a slate village](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/sierra-norte/itineraries/intro-to-climbing-and-ponton.md) (1 h 45 en coche): Four hours of beginner climbing on the Patones crags, lunch in the black-slate village and the old Pontón de la Oliva dam at sunset.
- [Montejo Beech Forest and Buitrago](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/sierra-norte/itineraries/montejo-beech-forest-and-buitrago.md) (1 h 45 en coche): The guided trail through the Montejo Beech Forest first thing, with the pass collected in Montejo de la Sierra, the high wall of Buitrago and a roast inside the walled town.
- [Salamanca: the frog, the cathedrals and Bambú](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/salamanca/itineraries/university-cathedrals-and-tapas.md) (1 h 50 en coche): The University and its frog in the morning, the Plaza Mayor, tapas and grilled food at Bambú, the two cathedrals in the afternoon and the Roman Bridge before you head home.

## To the south, the sierra is right above you

To the south, the sierra is right above you. The CL-601 passes Valsaín and climbs to the Navacerrada pass, 35 minutes away; from there you drop to Cercedilla or continue along the M-604 towards Cotos, Valdesquí and the [Lozoya valley](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley). The AP-61, or the N-603 via San Rafael, crosses the sierra to the A-6, the way to [El Escorial](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial) and [La Pedriza](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/la-pedriza).

To the north-east, the N-110 leads to [Pedraza](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/pedraza) and the [Duratón Gorges](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/duraton-gorges), with Sepúlveda as the base village. To the north, the A-601 goes towards Cuéllar and Valladolid, and in that direction lie [Peñafiel](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel) and the Ribera del Duero. To the south-west, the N-110 crosses the plain to [Ávila](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/avila) in an hour, and from Ávila you continue to the [Sierra de Gredos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sierra-de-gredos) and [Salamanca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/salamanca).

The train is useful mainly for going far. The Segovia-Guiomar AVE reaches Madrid and Valladolid in about thirty minutes, and Renfe links the city with Burgos, León or Salamanca. For the sierra, Pedraza or the Duratón, however, you need a car.

## Sundays without an early start in Guadarrama

**Under an hour** is almost all of Guadarrama: the Navacerrada pass (35 minutes), Pedraza (41), Valdesquí (45), El Escorial (50) and Peñalara and Rascafría (55). Ávila, at 59, closes the group. These are Sunday plans without an early start.

La Pedriza (60 minutes), Peñafiel (70) and the Duratón (72) are **between one and one and a half hours** away. The last two also have an overnight version: [Peñafiel with two wineries](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/penafiel-ribera-del-duero-wine-weekend) and [Sepúlveda and the canyon](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/duraton-gorges/itineraries/duraton-gorges-weekend-sepulveda).

**Between an hour and a half and two hours** the day stretches: the Laguna Grande de Gredos and Alcalá de Henares (100 minutes), Patones and the Hayedo de Montejo (105) and Salamanca (110). Gredos is better enjoyed with [two nights in the sierra](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sierra-de-gredos/itineraries/gredos-weekend-from-madrid-laguna-grande), and the Sierra Norte with [a weekend between Patones and Buitrago](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/sierra-norte/itineraries/sierra-norte-patones-beech-forest-buitrago).

Past **two hours**, the trip is a weekend one: [Covarrubias and Silos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos/itineraries/covarrubias-silos-gregorian-chant-weekend), at two hours twenty-five; [Burgos and Atapuerca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos/itineraries/night-with-atapuerca-from-valladolid), at two and a half, and [La Alberca and the Sierra de Francia](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/la-alberca/itineraries/la-alberca-sierra-de-francia-weekend), at almost three.

## Snowshoeing at Navacerrada with no previous experience

In winter the snow is half an hour away. At 35 minutes are the [morning snowshoeing at Navacerrada](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/navacerrada-pass-and-cercedilla/itineraries/snowshoeing-at-the-pass-from-madrid), with no previous experience, and the [snow weekend in Cercedilla](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/navacerrada-pass-and-cercedilla/itineraries/ski-and-snowshoeing-near-madrid-navacerrada); at 45, the [ski day at Valdesquí](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/navacerrada-pass-and-cercedilla/itineraries/skiing-at-valdesqui-and-judiones). From December to March, with chains in the car. For bad-weather days, Pedraza and its roast, which work all year.

In spring it is the turn of the water and countryside plans: [paddling the Duratón](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/duraton-gorges/itineraries/duraton-gorges-canoe-roast-lamb-and-san-frutos) between hundred-metre walls and climbing to San Frutos in the afternoon light, or La Pedriza before the heat arrives.

In summer it is best to stay in the sierra. The [Peñalara lake](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley/itineraries/penalara-laguna-grande-roast-lunch-in-rascafria-and-el-paular) has an access quota and fills up early, and the [Laguna Grande de Gredos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sierra-de-gredos/itineraries/gredos-laguna-grande-and-lunch-in-hoyos-del-espino) is a five-hour route for June and July. Pedraza, 41 minutes away, holds the Candlelight Concerts on the first two Saturdays of July. La Pedriza and Patones are not recommended in July and August.

In autumn the grape harvest arrives in Peñafiel and the forests change colour on the other side of the pass: the [La Herrería and El Castañar forest](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial/itineraries/autumn-in-la-herreria-and-el-castanar) and the [oak woods of Rascafría to the Purgatorio waterfall](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley/itineraries/oak-woods-and-purgatorio-waterfall), both less than an hour away, in October and November.

## The Zuloaga castle in the afternoon light

- **Forty minutes away:** [Pedraza](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/pedraza/itineraries/pedraza-jail-roast-lamb-and-zuloaga-castle). The jail in the morning, the Plaza Mayor, a wood-oven roast and the Zuloaga castle in the afternoon light.
- **To the west:** [Ávila, from the wall to the Cuatro Postes](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/avila/itineraries/avila-city-walls-and-cuatro-postes-at-dusk). An hour along the N-110, the wall walk, the cathedral built into the wall, El Barco beans and the wall illuminated at dusk.
- **Across the sierra:** [El Escorial, monastery and Silla de Felipe II](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial/itineraries/escorial-monastery-and-philip-iis-chair). Fifty minutes, the monastery at opening time, Castilian lunch and the view from the Silla in the afternoon.