40.74° N · 3.88° W
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.
Part of The Central System
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Walk · 5.8 km there and back · 2 h · Along the Autopista de La Pedriza to its most famous rock, an isolated granite boulder
Circular route · 5.2 km · 1 h 40 · Easy · Beside the river among large granite boulders, with the Charca Verde; swimming is prohibited
Linear route · 4.9 km · 1 h 35 · Easy · The walking entrance to La Pedriza, past the Old Castle, Peña Sacra and the Manzanares waterfalls
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
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
Autumn, sunny winter and spring. In summer, first thing only: the granite burns and the barrier closes early. At weekends, arrive before 10:30.
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
La Pedriza is a granite playground: boulders, passages between rocks and a river you can hear. With children, stay on the routes the Park marks for beginners and leave El Tolmo for when they walk well.
Where to stay
Why we like it: 36-bed hostel in five rooms with bathroom in a historic building in Manzanares el Real, next to the 724 bus, with bar and restaurant.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Manzanares el Real | Village, castle and Santillana reservoir | |
| Canto Cochino | La Pedriza routes and the Manzanares river |
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: croquettes and barbecued Sierra de Guadarrama chuletón
What to order: the dish of the day or a sandwich for the mountain; there are always vegan options
Map
Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
40.78° N · 4.00° W
By carCar-free
40.90° N · 3.88° W
By carCar-freeOn foot
40.59° N · 4.15° W
By carCar-free
40.95° N · 4.12° W
By carCar-freeBy campervan
Tips
On winter weekends, the barrier does not let cars through from 10:30 to 16:00.
Leave the car at the visitor centre and climb up La Camorza.
The granite of La Pedriza is smooth; worn soles slip.
La Reunión, with a terrace in the Plaza del Pueblo, is open on Sundays from 12:00.
La Pedriza is a granite massif on the southern slope of the Sierra de Guadarrama, inside the National Park, above Manzanares el Real. It is made of domes, walls, fissures and boulders of whimsical shapes, with the River Manzanares rising among them: for the Park, one of the most important friction-climbing areas in the world, and for walkers, a labyrinth of paths less than an hour from the Puerta del Sol. Below, the village has a 15th-century castle on the shore of the Santillana reservoir.
By car, about 50 minutes. Along the M-607 (Colmenar motorway), exit towards the M-609, Soto del Real and Miraflores, and then the M-608 to Manzanares el Real; past the Montañero roundabout the road to La Pedriza starts. From the A-6 you arrive via Collado Villalba (exit 36) and the M-608. From Segovia, via the Navacerrada pass and Collado Villalba, around an hour.
Without a car, bus 724 leaves the Plaza de Castilla interchange and stops at several points in the village. From the church stop or the Montañero roundabout stop it is about 15 minutes' walk to the visitor centre, and from there the La Camorza path takes you into La Pedriza.
Yes, but with rules. The Canto Cochino car park is free and has a quota of 270 cars parked at the same time, with no reservation for private individuals; when it is full, only one car enters for each one that leaves. In addition, the La Camorza barrier has opening hours. From October to May, on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, it does not let anyone in from 10:30 to 16:00. From June to September, at weekends you can enter only from 7:00 to 9:30 and from 18:30 to 22:30, and on weekdays from 7:30 to 10:30 and from 18:30 to 22:30; on summer nights no one may stay inside. You can always leave. You may not park outside the designated areas, nor on the road between the village and the barrier.
If you arrive late, park at the visitor centre and walk in along the La Camorza gorge: 4.9 km of gentle climbing to Canto Cochino.
The route sheets, with tracks, are on the National Park website. For El Yelmo, the great summit of La Pedriza, you climb from Canto Cochino along longer routes with a scramble at the end: it is not for the first day.
It is a National Park. Dogs must always be on a lead and under control, without leaving the path. Swimming is not allowed in the River Manzanares. Bivouacking, with a sleeping bag only and no tent, is permitted only in three areas: Las Torres, El Laberinto and El Yelmo. You do not leave the paths or disturb wildlife. The visitor centre tells you each day how the quota stands.
The castle of the Mendoza family, from the 15th century, is the image of the village, but visits to the interior are temporarily suspended according to the Community of Madrid Tourism. It can be seen from the outside, with the Santillana reservoir and La Pedriza behind. The ruins of the Castillo Viejo are on the La Camorza path.
In autumn and spring, and on clear winter days. In summer the granite stores heat and the barrier opens only at dawn and dusk at weekends: if you go, get in before 9:30 and leave before lunch. On sunny Sundays, Canto Cochino fills up very early.
Questions
Not for private individuals. The Canto Cochino car park is free, with a quota of 270 cars and barrier hours; on foot you can always get in.
From October to May, at weekends and on public holidays you cannot get in from 10:30 to 16:00. In summer, at weekends you can enter only from 7:00 to 9:30 and from 18:30 to 22:30.
No: the National Park does not allow swimming in the river.
Yes, always on a lead and without leaving the path.
Not inside: visits are temporarily suspended. From outside, yes.
On bus 724 from Plaza de Castilla, and on foot from the village via the visitor centre and the La Camorza gorge.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/la-pedriza
