# Cerca de Toledo

From Toledo you head out in three directions. To the south-east, the La Mancha of the Consuegra windmills, Almagro and the Lagunas de Ruidera; to the north-east, Aranjuez and Chinchón beside the Tagus, and to the north, beyond Madrid, the Sierra de Guadarrama, El Escorial and Segovia.

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

## Planes de un día
- [Aranjuez: palace, gardens and boat](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/aranjuez/itineraries/aranjuez-palace-gardens-and-tagus-boat-trip.md) (45 min 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.
- [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) (50 min 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.
- [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.
- [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 25 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.
- [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 35 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.
- [Almagro: theatre at the Corral and Calatrava castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/almagro/itineraries/almagro-corral-de-comedias-and-calatrava-la-nueva.md) (1 h 35 en coche): The Corral de Comedias with the 13:00 dramatised visit, the square of green galleries, aubergines and pisto at the Parador and, in the afternoon, the castle-convent of Calatrava la Nueva.
- [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 35 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 35 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.
- [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 40 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.
- [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 45 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.
- [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) (1 h 50 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.
- [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 50 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.
- [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 55 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.
- [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 55 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.
- [Ruidera: waterfalls on foot and kayaking on Laguna Colgada](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/lagunas-de-ruidera/itineraries/ruidera-waterfalls-lunch-kayak.md) (2 h 5 en coche): A circular walk past four lagoons linked by waterfalls, La Mancha cooking at the Hotel Matías and, in the afternoon, two and a half hours of kayaking on Laguna Colgada.

## Half the sierra is behind Madrid

Toledo is south of Madrid, so half the sierra is behind the capital. The A-42 climbs north and joins the radial motorways: along it you go to [Alcalá de Henares](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/alcala-de-henares), [El Escorial](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial) and, with the Sierra de Guadarrama in between, [Segovia](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia) and [Ávila](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/avila). To the east leaves the A-40, on the way to [Aranjuez](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/aranjuez), [Chinchón](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/chinchon) and, beyond, [Cuenca](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/cuenca). To the south-east, the Vineyards motorway crosses La Mancha: it is the road to [Consuegra](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/consuegra) with the A-4, to [Almagro](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/almagro) and, via Manzanares, to the [Lagunas de Ruidera](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/lagunas-de-ruidera). To the west, via Talavera de la Reina, the road to Extremadura begins.

Without a car, the way out is the Avant to Madrid: about 25 minutes to Atocha, roughly every hour. From there leave the Cercanías to Alcalá and the AVE to Segovia or Cuenca; the rest of this page is journeys by car.

## The Consuegra windmills and the boat on the Tagus at Aranjuez

**Under an hour** there are two very different plans. Aranjuez, at 45 minutes, with the palace, the Isla and Príncipe gardens and the boat on the Tagus. Consuegra, at 50, with the Muela castle, the windmills on the hill and the whole plain at your feet.

**Between one and one and a half hours** are Chinchón (70 minutes), with its Plaza Mayor and cellars with caves, and Alcalá de Henares (85), with Cisneros's university and Cervantes's birthplace.

The bulk of the Sundays towards the sierra is **between an hour and a half and two hours**: El Escorial (95), Almagro (95), La Pedriza (100), Navacerrada (105), Patones and Ávila (110), and Segovia and Valdesquí (115). These are long days, with a return in the dark in winter; several have a one-night version, such as [El Escorial with its royal forest](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial/itineraries/el-escorial-monastery-and-forest-weekend), [the Sierra Norte](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/sierra-norte/itineraries/sierra-norte-patones-beech-forest-buitrago) or [Segovia with a balloon at dawn](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia/itineraries/segovia-balloon-at-dawn-weekend).

**From two hours** the trip calls for sleeping away: the [Lagunas de Ruidera](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/lagunas-de-ruidera/itineraries/ruidera-lagoons-waterfalls-one-night), a little over two hours away; [Cuenca and the Ciudad Encantada](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/cuenca/itineraries/cuenca-enchanted-city-one-night), at two and a quarter; [Gredos in two nights](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sierra-de-gredos/itineraries/gredos-weekend-from-madrid-laguna-grande), at two hours twenty; [Sepúlveda and the Duratón](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/duraton-gorges/itineraries/duraton-gorges-weekend-sepulveda), at almost two and a half, and [Monfragüe](/en/spain/extremadura/monfrague/itineraries/monfrague-birdwatching-weekend-from-madrid), at two and a half hours. To the west are also [Trujillo](/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo) and [Guadalupe](/en/spain/extremadura/guadalupe), a little under two and a half hours away.

## La Mancha, before the heat bears down

In winter, the Guadarrama snow is less than two hours away: a [Sunday of skiing 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). For dry-cold days, the Plaza Mayor and the roast in [Chinchón](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/chinchon/itineraries/chinchon-main-square-winery-tasting-and-wood-fired-roast).

In spring La Mancha is the place to be before the heat bears down: Consuegra and Almagro are at their best, and at Ruidera the waterfalls carry more water. It is also the season for the birds of Monfragüe and the gardens of Aranjuez.

In summer Toledo often passes 35 °C, and so does almost all the plain. What works best is water or height: kayaking on the Colgada lagoon at [Ruidera](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/lagunas-de-ruidera/itineraries/ruidera-waterfalls-lunch-kayak), setting out early, or the Madrid sierra.

In autumn, the chestnut and ash woods of [La Herrería, in El Escorial](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial/itineraries/autumn-in-la-herreria-and-el-castanar), turn yellow in October and November. On the last weekend of October, Consuegra celebrates the Saffron Rose and the windmill road is closed: you go up on foot.

## The Aranjuez palace with a guide at 10:30

- **Under an hour:** [Consuegra, castle and windmills](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/consuegra/itineraries/consuegra-castle-with-a-guide-windmills-and-pottery-workshop-lunch). A guided visit to the Muela castle with the Bolero windmill, the Rucio windmill inside, La Mancha lunch in a former pottery and sunset beside the windmills.
- **Towards the Tagus:** [Aranjuez, palace, gardens and boat](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/aranjuez/itineraries/aranjuez-palace-gardens-and-tagus-boat-trip). The palace with a guide at 10:30, the gardens, market-garden lunch and the boat on the river. With one night, [Chinchón the next day](/en/spain/community-of-madrid/aranjuez/itineraries/aranjuez-chinchon-weekend) is added.
- **To the south:** [Almagro and Calatrava la Nueva](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/almagro/itineraries/almagro-corral-de-comedias-and-calatrava-la-nueva). The Corral de Comedias with the dramatised visit at 13:00, aubergines and pisto at the Parador and the castle-convent in the afternoon.