# Cerca de Guadalajara

Guadalajara is in the Henares valley and its routes go in three directions. To the west, Alcalá twenty-five minutes away; to the east, along the A-2, Sigüenza and the Monasterio de Piedra; to the north, Patones and the Sierra Norte, and on the other side of Madrid, Guadarrama.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/guadalajara/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [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) (25 min 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) (50 min 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.
- [Sigüenza: castle, Doncel and Castilian roast](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/siguenza/itineraries/siguenza-castle-doncel-and-roast-lunch.md) (55 min en coche): You park by the castle and walk down: Parador courtyard, Santiago and the Casa del Doncel in the morning, a roast at midday and the cathedral with the Doncel's tomb in the afternoon.
- [Chinchón: square, winery and roast](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/chinchon/itineraries/chinchon-main-square-winery-tasting-and-wood-fired-roast.md) (1 h 10 en coche): The Plaza Mayor before it fills up, a tasting of Madrid wines in an 1870 winery and a long lunch in a tavern with caves. 45 minutes from Madrid.
- [Aranjuez: palace, gardens and boat](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/aranjuez/itineraries/aranjuez-palace-gardens-and-tagus-boat-trip.md) (1 h 15 en coche): The palace with a guide at 10:30, the Isla and Príncipe gardens, a market-garden lunch and a boat trip on the Tagus. You can arrive by Cercanías from Atocha.
- [Toledo: Jewish quarter in the morning and cathedral in the afternoon](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/toledo/itineraries/toledo-jewish-quarter-zip-line-and-cathedral.md) (1 h 20 en coche): On Sunday the cathedral opens at two and the Sephardic Museum is free in the morning: Jewish quarter and zip line before lunch, cathedral afterwards and the Mirador del Valle at sunset.
- [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 25 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.
- [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) (1 h 30 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) (1 h 30 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) (1 h 30 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.
- [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) (1 h 30 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.
- [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 40 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.
- [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) (1 h 40 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.
- [Rascafría: oaks and waterfall](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley/itineraries/oak-woods-and-purgatorio-waterfall.md) (1 h 45 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) (1 h 45 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.
- [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 51 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.
- [Segovia: Aqueduct, Alcázar and suckling pig](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia/itineraries/segovia-aqueduct-mint-and-roast-suckling-pig-day-trip.md) (1 h 53 en coche): The Aqueduct before the groups, the Mint by the river, suckling pig at the Azoguejo and the afternoon for the cathedral and the Alcázar. Doable without a car, too.
- [Piedra in autumn and a thermal lake](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/aragon/piedra-monastery/itineraries/autumn-with-thermal-bath-in-alhama.md) (1 h 55 en coche): The waterfalls and caves of the Monasterio de Piedra with the park in autumn colours, lunch on site and, in the afternoon, a swim in the thermal lake at Termas Pallarés. An hour and twenty minutes from Zaragoza.
- [Cuenca: cathedral, Hanging Houses and San Pablo bridge](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/cuenca/itineraries/cuenca-hanging-houses-and-huecar-gorge.md) (1 h 55 en coche): Cuenca's old town on foot on a Sunday: the cathedral at opening time, two free museums, the San Pablo bridge facing the Hanging Houses and ajoarriero for lunch.
- [Monasterio de Piedra: waterfalls and birds of prey](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/aragon/piedra-monastery/itineraries/monasterio-de-piedra-waterfalls-birds-of-prey-and-monastery.md) (1 h 55 en coche): The waterfall park first thing, with the Iris Cave and the birds of prey display, lunch on the grounds and the 13th-century monastery before heading home.
- [Pedraza: village, roast and castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/pedraza/itineraries/pedraza-jail-roast-lamb-and-zuloaga-castle.md) (1 h 55 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.
- [Consuegra: castle, windmills and sunset on the hill](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/consuegra/itineraries/consuegra-castle-with-a-guide-windmills-and-pottery-workshop-lunch.md) (2 h 5 en coche): A guided visit to the Muela castle with the Bolero windmill, the Rucio mill from the inside, La Mancha lunch in a former pottery workshop, Plaza de España and sunset beside the windmills.

## To Madrid or to Sigüenza, always the A-2

The A-2 serves both directions. To the west it leads in twenty-five minutes to [Alcalá de Henares](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/alcala-de-henares) and continues to Madrid, which you cross or skirt on the M-50 to reach everything to the south and west: [Chinchón](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/chinchon), [Aranjuez](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/aranjuez), [Toledo](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/toledo), [El Escorial](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial) and the Sierra de Guadarrama. To the east, the same motorway climbs the Henares valley to the kilometre 104 turn-off, the one for [Sigüenza](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/siguenza), and continues towards Aragón to exit 231, the one for the [Monasterio de Piedra](/en/spain/aragon/piedra-monastery).

To the north-west, the N-320 goes via El Casar to Torrelaguna, the gateway to the [Sierra Norte](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/sierra-norte): Patones, Buitrago and the Hayedo de Montejo are on that side, and Patones is closer to Guadalajara than to Madrid. To the south-east, the same N-320 drops through the Alcarria towards Sacedón and [Cuenca](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/cuenca).

Without a car, the train covers both ends of the corridor. The Cercanías C-2 links Guadalajara with Alcalá and Madrid, and the Media Distancia regional towards Sigüenza stops at Guadalajara, so the castle and the cathedral of the Doncel can be seen in a day without driving. For the Sierra de Guadarrama you have to connect in Madrid with the Cercanías or the sierra buses.

## Three very different plans within an hour

**Under an hour** there are three very different plans. Alcalá, at 25 minutes, with Cisneros's university, Cervantes's birthplace and the Roman city of Complutum; Patones, at 50, with beginner climbing and the black-slate village, and Sigüenza, at 55, with the castle turned into a Parador, the cathedral and a roast at midday.

**Between one and one and a half hours** are the south of Madrid and the first step of the sierra: Chinchón (70 minutes), Aranjuez (75), Toledo (80), La Pedriza (85) and El Escorial and the Navacerrada pass (90).

**With a little under two hours by car** are Valdesquí and the Hayedo de Montejo (100), Peñalara and Rascafría (105), the Duratón Gorges (111), Segovia (113) and, at 115, Pedraza, Cuenca and the Monasterio de Piedra. Several call for a night and have one: [Cuenca and the Ciudad Encantada](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/cuenca/itineraries/cuenca-enchanted-city-one-night), [Sepúlveda and the canyon](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/duraton-gorges/itineraries/duraton-gorges-weekend-sepulveda) or [Segovia with a balloon at dawn](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia/itineraries/segovia-balloon-at-dawn-weekend).

**Past two hours** the trip is a weekend one: [Peñafiel with two wineries](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/penafiel-ribera-del-duero-wine-weekend), at two hours forty; [Albarracín and the Rodeno](/en/spain/aragon/albarracin/itineraries/albarracin-rodeno-weekend-from-valencia), at almost three, and [the Laguna Negra and Urbión](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/laguna-negra-and-urbion/itineraries/night-in-soria-pine-forests-laguna-negra), at a little over three. Consuegra, at two hours five, still fits into a long Sunday.

## The snow, on the other side of Madrid

In winter, the snow is on the other side of Madrid: a [ski day at Valdesquí](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/navacerrada-pass-and-cercedilla/itineraries/skiing-at-valdesqui-and-judiones), a [morning snowshoeing at Navacerrada](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/navacerrada-pass-and-cercedilla/itineraries/snowshoeing-at-the-pass-from-madrid) or the [snow weekend in Cercedilla](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/navacerrada-pass-and-cercedilla/itineraries/ski-and-snowshoeing-near-madrid-navacerrada), always with chains in the car. Closer, Sigüenza is cold at over a thousand metres, but the cathedral does not close at midday at weekends, and Alcalá works in any month.

In spring the outdoor plans arrive: [climbing at Patones](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/sierra-norte/itineraries/intro-to-climbing-and-ponton), the gardens of Aranjuez, canoeing on the Duratón and the [Monasterio de Piedra waterfalls](/en/spain/aragon/piedra-monastery/itineraries/monasterio-de-piedra-waterfalls-birds-of-prey-and-monastery), which is when they carry the most water.

In July and August Toledo, Aranjuez, La Pedriza and Patones are not recommended. Better to go up: 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 in Sigüenza the evenings are cool.

October and November are the most requested months for the [Hayedo de Montejo](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/sierra-norte/itineraries/montejo-beech-forest-and-buitrago), a hundred minutes away, with the pass collected in the village. In those weeks there are also the [oak woods of Rascafría](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley/itineraries/oak-woods-and-purgatorio-waterfall) and the [Monasterio de Piedra in autumn, with a dip in the Alhama thermal lake](/en/spain/aragon/piedra-monastery/itineraries/autumn-with-thermal-bath-in-alhama).

## Cercanías to Alcalá and Cervantes's house

- **Without a car, in a day:** [Alcalá de Henares](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/alcala-de-henares/itineraries/university-cervantes-and-complutum-from-madrid). Cercanías to Alcalá, a guided visit to the university, Calle Mayor to Cervantes's house, a Cervantes-style lunch and Complutum in the afternoon.
- **To the east:** [Sigüenza, from the castle to the Doncel](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/siguenza/itineraries/siguenza-castle-doncel-and-roast-lunch). Fifty-five minutes along the A-2, the Casa del Doncel in the morning, a pre-ordered roast and the cathedral in the afternoon.
- **With one night:** [the Sierra Norte](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/sierra-norte/itineraries/sierra-norte-patones-beech-forest-buitrago). Fifty minutes away: on Saturday, climbing and slate at Patones; on Sunday, the Hayedo de Montejo and the Buitrago wall.