# Sunday in La Pedriza: El Tolmo, lunch in the square and Manzanares Castle

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.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/la-pedriza/itineraries/el-tolmo-and-manzanares-castle · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 08:45 · Salida: 45 min by car (via the M-607 and the M-608 to Manzanares el Real)
- 10:00 · From Canto Cochino to El Tolmo (pass the barrier before 10:30 · 5.8 km return · 2 h)
  - 11 min on foot
- 12:30 · The River Manzanares and the Charca Verde via the Vivero bridge (a while by the river before going down; no swimming)
  - 12 min by car, 7 km
- 14:00 · La Reunión, mountain bar and restaurant (croquetas and T-bone steak · €€ · terrace on the square) · La Reunión, mountain bar and restaurant, €€
  - 5 min on foot
- 16:30 · Mendoza Castle of Manzanares el Real (from the outside, beside the Santillana reservoir)
- 17:30 · Vuelta (You reach Madrid around 18:30)

Sunday in La Pedriza depends on a barrier: from October to May, at weekends, cars are not allowed into Canto Cochino between 10:30 and 16:00, and the car park has a limit of 270. So you arrive early, walk in the morning and go down to the village for lunch while everyone else is still looking for a space.

## The day, hour by hour

8:45 · Set off. From Madrid, about 50 minutes on the M-607, M-609 and M-608. From Segovia, over the Navacerrada pass and through Collado Villalba, an hour.

9:45 · Canto Cochino. Get through the barrier before 10:30 and park: it is free.

10:00 · El Tolmo. Along the Autopista de La Pedriza, beside the Ventana and Dehesilla streams, to the best-known isolated rock of the massif. 5.8 km there and back and about 2 hours; the Park rates it for experienced walkers because of the terrain.

12:30 · The Manzanares river. Back at Canto Cochino, stroll along the riverside path towards the Charca Verde. Swimming is forbidden.

14:00 · Lunch at La Reunión. The mountain bar on Plaza del Pueblo: croquettes, sierra chuletón on the barbecue, a car-free terrace. According to its website, it opens from 12:00 on Sundays; confirm by phone.

16:30 · Manzanares Castle. From outside, next to the Santillana reservoir: visits to the interior are suspended.

17:30 · Head home. About 50 minutes to Madrid.

## If you arrive late

With the barrier closed, park at the visitor centre and walk in through the La Camorza gorge, an easy 4.9 km to Canto Cochino past the Castillo Viejo and the Manzanares waterfalls.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
M-607 and M-608 to Manzanares el Real and the La Pedriza road. Enter Canto Cochino before 10:30.

### Without a car
Bus 724 from Plaza de Castilla; 15 minutes' walk to the visitor centre and La Camorza to Canto Cochino. Check the Sunday timetable at crtm.es.

## Consejos

### Call the visitor centre
On 918 539 978 they will tell you whether there is still space.

### Wear grippy soles
Polished granite is slippery, especially going down.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Is the walk to El Tolmo difficult?
It is not long, 5.8 km there and back, but the Park classes it for experienced walkers because of the terrain of boulders and stone steps.

### Can you go with a dog?
Yes, on a lead and staying on the path.

### How much does the day cost?
Between €25 and €45 per person: parking is free and what you pay for is lunch and petrol.

### Can you see the castle inside?
No, visits are suspended.