La Mira de Gredos
Why we like it: Small hotel with a Michelin-recommended restaurant in Hoyos del Espino, facing the sierra, with doubles, junior suites and suites, and picnics for the walk.
Duration2 nights
From Madrid2 h by car
Best timeMay – October
Budget€180–300 pp
Getting thereBy car
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving in Hoyos del Espino on Friday evening and returning on Sunday via the south face. From November to April, swap the Laguna Grande for the horse ride and the south face.
Friday
- 119:00Arrival in Hoyos del Espino
Two hours from Madrid via Ávila and the N-502. A quiet dinner and early to bed: Saturday is an early start.
Saturday
- 18:30From the Plataforma to the Laguna Grande
Go up to the Plataforma before nine: at weekends access is regulated from kilometre 7. A stone causeway to Los Barrerones, at 2,178 m, and the descent to the lagoon: two and a half hours. A picnic by the water with the ibex and back the same way. 13.6 km in all.
- 215:00Late lunch at La Galana
At the entrance to Hoyos del Espino. The traditional menu is served until 17:30: revolconas and Ávila beef T-bone.
- 318:00Spa at Aguas de Gredos
A 90-minute hydrothermal circuit, €38, booked. Your legs will thank you.
Sunday
- 110:00Horse ride in the Tormes valley
Two hours through pine woods and the river bank with the cirque in front of you, €45, for beginners. If you prefer to walk, skip it and set off earlier towards the Puerto del Pico.
- 213:30Lunch at La Mira de Gredos
Open at midday from Thursday to Sunday. El Barco beans or revolconas facing the sierra. Book.
- 315:30Puerto del Pico and Cuevas del Águila
Cross the sierra on the N-502. If you feel like walking, stop at the pass and go down a stretch of the paved causeway. Below, the Cuevas del Águila: 40 minutes underground, €12, last tour before 18:00 in winter.
- 417:30Arenas de San Pedro and the drive back
A walk to the castle of the Triste Condesa, from the 15th century, and back to Madrid via Talavera and the A-5, a good hour and a half.
Gredos is the closest high mountain to Madrid that can be done without being a mountaineer: two hours by car, a five-hour route to a glacial lagoon and a village to sleep in at the foot of the sierra. From Ávila it is an hour away, and from Segovia, Salamanca or Valladolid under two. This plan splits the weekend between the two faces of the sierra: Saturday, the north, with the Laguna Grande; Sunday, the south, milder, with the Puerto del Pico causeway, the Cuevas del Águila and the castle of Arenas de San Pedro. In between, horse riding or a spa, and two meals of patatas revolconas.
Where to sleep?
In Hoyos del Espino, ten minutes from the Plataforma. The Hotel Rural Cuarto de Milla is simple and warm, with a double and breakfast for €70, and belongs to Gredos a Caballo: it has two-night packages with a horse ride for €105 per person, except on long weekends and July and August weekends. La Mira de Gredos has double rooms, junior suites and suites and, downstairs, the restaurant recommended by the Michelin Guide. If you go in summer with a tent or motorhome, Camping Navagredos, in the Navarredonda pine wood, is open from March to September. The Parador de Gredos is closed for works until June 2028.
What changes with the season
From May to October the plan works as it stands. In July and August the Plataforma fills up: leave before eight. From November to April the cirque has snow and ice, and the Laguna Grande is only for those who carry crampons and know how to use them: swap Saturday for the half-day horse ride (€60, for those who already ride) or for the whole south face, and leave the spa for the end of the day. In winter La Mira de Gredos and La Galana open only Thursday or Friday to Sunday, so book.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Sierra de Gredos, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Sierra de Gredos
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Gredos by car
Gredos has two faces and a single road joins them, the N-502 over the Puerto del Pico. The north, Hoyos del Espino and the Plataforma, is reached from Ávila by the N-110 and the N-502; the south, Arenas de San Pedro and the Cuevas del Águila, from Madrid by the A-5 and Talavera. Between one and the other there is nearly an hour of bends.
70–120 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepLa Mira de Gredos, in…
- Getting aroundThe Plataforma road has regulated…
- Where to eatLa Mira de Gredos, Thursday…
- ServicesArenas de San Pedro tourist…
Where to sleep
- La Mira de Gredos, in Hoyos del Espino, ten minutes from the Plataforma
- Hotel Rural Cuarto de Milla, in Hoyos del Espino
Getting around
- The Plataforma road has regulated access in summer and at weekends: arrive early
- For the south face, the N-502 descends from the Puerto del Pico to Arenas
Where to eat
- La Mira de Gredos, Thursday to Sunday at lunchtime
- La Galana, at the start of the Plataforma road
Services
- Arenas de San Pedro tourist office, Tuesday to Sunday
Gredos on foot
Gredos is walking country. The Laguna Grande from the Plataforma is the classic route, five hours there and back; from the lake continue the climbs up Almanzor and the crossings of the cirque, only for experienced mountaineers. On the south face, the Puerto del Pico road climbs from Cuevas del Valle.
50–100 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepLa Mira de Gredos, which…
- Getting aroundSet out early for the…
- Where to eatLa Galana serves lunches until…
- ServicesElola refuge, beside the Laguna…
Where to sleep
- La Mira de Gredos, which prepares a picnic for the walk
- Hotel Rural Cuarto de Milla, in Hoyos del Espino
- Camping Navagredos, in the pine wood, March to September
Getting around
- Set out early for the Plataforma: in summer and at weekends access is regulated
- In winter the Laguna Grande may call for crampons and an ice axe
Where to eat
- La Galana serves lunches until 17:30 for when you come down late
Services
- Elola refuge, beside the Laguna Grande
Camping in Gredos
There are campsites on both sides of the sierra: in the Navarredonda pine wood, beside the Tormes, for the north face and the Laguna Grande, and in Guisando for the south face. The one at Navarredonda closes from October to February.
30–60 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepCamping Navagredos, in Navarredonda de…
- Getting aroundFrom Navarredonda to the Plataforma…
- Where to eatThe Navagredos restaurant has a…
- ServicesValdeascas pools, near the Navarredonda…
Where to sleep
- Camping Navagredos, in Navarredonda de Gredos, March to September
- Camping Los Galayos, in Guisando, with bungalows and cabins
Getting around
- From Navarredonda to the Plataforma it is about twenty-five minutes by car
Where to eat
- The Navagredos restaurant has a menu of the day
Services
- Valdeascas pools, near the Navarredonda campsite
Gredos by motorhome
With a motorhome, sleep at a campsite and go up to the Plataforma early: in summer and at weekends access is regulated with a barrier at kilometre 7 and the car park fills up.
30–60 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepCamping Navagredos: the pitch includes…
- Getting aroundThe N-502 over the Puerto…
- Where to eatLa Galana, at the start…
- ServicesWaste-water emptying at Navagredos, €4
Where to sleep
- Camping Navagredos: the pitch includes the motorhome, March to September
- Camping Los Galayos, in Guisando
Getting around
- The N-502 over the Puerto del Pico has many bends: allow plenty of time
Where to eat
- La Galana, at the start of the Plataforma road
Services
- Waste-water emptying at Navagredos, €4
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingif you're on footif you're campingin a campervan
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Rural Cuarto de Milla
Why we like it: Rural hotel run by Gredos a Caballo in Hoyos del Espino, simple and warm, with a double room and breakfast from €70 and packages with horse rides.
From €70
View details
Camping Navagredos
Why we like it: Campsite in the Navarredonda de Gredos pine wood, near the source of the Tormes and the Valdeascas pools; open March to September and dogs accepted.
From €10
View details
Camping Los Galayos
Why we like it: Renovated campsite among pines in Guisando, on the south face of Gredos, with bungalows, cabins and pitches for tents and motorhomes.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Sierra de Gredos
La Mira de Gredos Restaurant
What to order: patatas revolconas with La Vera paprika and torreznos, El Barco beans with their sacramentos, and Ávila beef.
La Galana
What to order: at midday, patatas revolconas and Ávila veal chuletón; in the afternoon, a stone-oven pizza.
Camping Navagredos Restaurant
What to order: the menu of the day: €16.50 on weekdays and €20.50 at the weekend.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Ask La Mira de Gredos for a picnic for the Laguna Grande. Carrying food is essential: on the route there is nowhere to buy any, except the refuge.
We'd skip it
Doing the Laguna Grande in November or December without winter equipment. And crossing the Puerto del Pico in thick fog: the road has many bends.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Madrid?
About two hours to Hoyos del Espino via Ávila. To the south face, via the A-5 and Talavera, a good hour and a half.
How much does the weekend cost?
About €180–300 per person with two nights, meals, horse, spa and cave.
Can it be done with children?
Yes, swapping the Laguna Grande for the horse ride, from age 8 or 9, and the cave, which delights all ages.
Do I need to book?
The accommodation, spa, horse ride and meals, yes. The cave is bought on its website or at the ticket office.
What if it rains?
The cave, the spa and the castle work just the same. The Laguna Grande in rain or fog, no.