El Paular Monastery
1 h 15EveryoneAll year, according to the visiting calendar
Guided visit · 1 h 15 · €7 · First Carthusian monastery in Castile, from 1390, with an alabaster altarpiece and Carducho's series
From €7
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From Madrid1 h 15 by car · bus 194
PeñalaraQuota of 945 people a day
Minimum time1 day
Overall difficultyEasy to medium
What to do
What to do in Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Laguna Grande de Peñalara via the Zabala area
1 h 45 · 4.7 kmFamiliesDog-friendlyMay to November; with snow, check first
Easy walk · 4.7 km · 1 h 45 · 279 m · From Cotos to the glacial cirque and the Laguna Grande, with a daily quota
Purgatorio Waterfall from El Paular
4 h · 10 kmFamilies used to walkingDog-friendlyAll year; with more water in spring and after rain
Walk · Half day · Free · Through Las Presillas, the oak woods and the Aguilón river to a waterfall between cliffs
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara, 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 Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara
From May to November. In June the waterfalls run; in October the oak woods turn ochre. In summer, Las Presillas. In winter Peñalara is snow and needs equipment.
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How you travel
Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
By car, from the valley to Cotos
From Madrid you arrive by the A-1 to exit 69 and the M-604 via Lozoya, or by the M-601 and the Navacerrada pass to Cotos. The car lets you combine Peñalara in the morning and the monastery in the afternoon.
55–110 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHotel Rural El Valle, with…
- Getting aroundCotos car park: free with…
- Where to eatRestaurante Caldea, open on Sunday…
- ServicesPhone the Peñalara centre before…
Where to stay
- Hotel Rural El Valle, with doubles from €80
- Hotel El Rincón de Rascafría, in the centre
- Albergue Los Batanes, next to El Paular
Getting around
- Cotos car park: free with 250 spaces, full at weekends before 11:00
- From Rascafría to Cotos, about 20 minutes on the M-604
Where to eat
- Restaurante Caldea, open on Sunday at midday
- La Pradera, with a terrace, Saturdays and Sundays
Services
- Phone the Peñalara centre before going up at the weekend
Car-free, on the 194
Line 194 leaves Plaza de Castilla for Rascafría. From the village, the monastery, Las Presillas and the Purgatorio can be done on foot; to Cotos the 819 goes up at weekends.
45–95 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHotel Rural El Valle
- Getting aroundBus 194 Madrid – Rascafría
- Where to eatCasa Briscas, on the square
- ServicesEl Paular Visitor Centre, on…
Where to stay
- Hotel Rural El Valle
- Hotel El Rincón de Rascafría
Getting around
- Bus 194 Madrid – Rascafría
- Bus 819 Rascafría – Cotos, weekends and public holidays
Where to eat
- Casa Briscas, on the square
- Restaurante Caldea
Services
- El Paular Visitor Centre, on foot from the village
The valley as a base for Peñalara
Rascafría lies at the foot of the Peñalara massif, the roof of Guadarrama, and of La Morcuera. Sleep in the valley and go up to Cotos early to get in before the quota fills.
45–90 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayAlbergue Los Batanes, the cheapest
- Getting aroundBus 819 to Cotos at…
- Where to eatBring your own food: there…
- SafetyIn winter Peñalara is high…
Where to stay
- Albergue Los Batanes, the cheapest
- Hotel Rural El Valle
- Hotel El Rincón de Rascafría
Getting around
- Bus 819 to Cotos at weekends or car before 9:00
- Bivouacking is only allowed next to the Zabala refuge, without dogs
Where to eat
- Bring your own food: there is nowhere to buy it in the massif
Safety
- In winter Peñalara is high mountain: check conditions at the visitor centre
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara for whoever 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.
A valley of pools, a monastery and a glacial lake
The Lozoya valley works for families because it mixes short walks with things to see: a monastery, a medieval bridge and, higher up, a glacial lake less than an hour's walk away.
- What works bestThe Laguna Grande de Peñalara…
- Where to stayHotel Rural El Valle, with…
- Where to eatLa Pradera, with tables on…
- Worth knowingOn Peñalara you must not…
What works best
- The Laguna Grande de Peñalara: 4.7 km there and back, for beginners
- The Perdón bridge and the visitor centre, with live nests in spring
- Las Presillas in summer
- The Purgatorio waterfall, with children who already walk
Where to stay
- Hotel Rural El Valle, with triples and apartments
Where to eat
- La Pradera, with tables on the grass
Worth knowing
- On Peñalara you must not enter the water or leave the path
- The Cotos car park fills up early at weekends
What to do as a family
Teenagers: the roof of Guadarrama
For teenagers with legs, Peñalara is a proper first summit: the highest in the Sierra de Guadarrama, with a track almost all the way.
- What works bestThe climb to Peñalara peak…
- Where to stayAlbergue Los Batanes
- Where to eatCaldea, on the way back
- Worth knowingOutside summer there may be…
What works best
- The climb to Peñalara peak, 10.2 km
- The Laguna Grande and the glacial cirque
- The Purgatorio route, with pools and cliffs
Where to stay
- Albergue Los Batanes
Where to eat
- Caldea, on the way back
Worth knowing
- Outside summer there may be snow and ice at the top
What to do with teenagers
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingwithout a carif you're on foot
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Rural El Valle
Why we like it: Family-run two-star country hotel in Rascafría, with doubles from €80 a night, triples, adapted rooms and apartments.
From €80
View details
Hotel El Rincón de Rascafría
Why we like it: Small ten-room hotel on plaza Dos de Mayo, rustic in style, with underfloor heating and balconies.
From €95
View details
Los Batanes Youth Hostel
Why we like it: Community of Madrid hostel next to El Paular, with 120 beds in 44 rooms of 1 to 8 beds and a dining room.
Monte Holiday Treehouses
Why we like it: Wooden cabins on platforms 4 to 7 metres up in Gargantilla del Lozoya, with a terrace over the valley, inside a campsite with a farm, a pool and zip lines.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Rascafría | Village, hotels and restaurants | |
| El Paular | Monastery, Puente del Perdón and Las Presillas | |
| Los Cotos pass | Peñalara and the National Park |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Caldea Restaurant
What to order: La Granja judiones (€21) or the boletus and mi-cuit "El Roble" bao bun (€15), and the roast shoulder of suckling lamb (€32) or the slow-braised leg of venison (€31)
La Pradera Restaurant
What to order: homemade ham croquettes and, in summer, the house grilled sardines
Casa Briscas
What to order: Sierra de Guadarrama meat or suckling pig; at the bar, raciones and tostas
Map
Everything on the map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Nearby
Near Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
40.78° N · 4.00° W
Navacerrada Pass and Cercedilla
By carCar-free
40.74° N · 3.88° W
Manzanares el Real and La Pedriza
40.95° N · 4.12° W
Segovia
By carCar-freeBy campervan
41.00° N · 3.64° W
Madrid's Sierra Norte: Patones, Buitrago and the Montejo Beech Forest
By car
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Go up to Cotos before nine
At weekends the car park fills by mid-morning and the massif has a quota.
- 2Call the Peñalara centre first
On 91 852 08 57 they tell you whether any quota is left and what the snow is like.
- 3Book El Paular on its website
The guided visits run to a calendar and change with the liturgy.
- 4Eat early on Sunday
Caldea is open from 12:00 to 17:00 and La Pradera from 12:30 to 18:00.
The upper Lozoya valley is the Madrid side of Peñalara: a valley of oaks, ash trees and cow pastures between the Sierra de Guadarrama and the Sierra de la Morcuera, with Rascafría as its village and the El Paular monastery at the bottom. Up above, at the Los Cotos pass, the Peñalara massif begins, the highest peak in the sierra, with lakes of glacial origin. All of it lies within the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park or on its edge.
How do you get there from Madrid?
By car, around an hour and a quarter. Along the A-1 to exit 69 and the M-604 via Lozoya, or along the M-601 to the Navacerrada pass, the SG-615 to Cotos and down to Rascafría. From Segovia, via Valsaín and the Navacerrada pass, a little under an hour. Without a car, line 194 leaves the Plaza de Castilla interchange for Rascafría; the 691 goes from Moncloa to Valdesquí with a stop at Cotos, and at weekends the 819 links Rascafría with Cotos. The Cercanías C-9 from Cercedilla to Cotos has been closed for works since May 2024, with a replacement bus.
Where to park?
At the Los Cotos pass, the National Park car park is free, with 250 spaces and open 24 hours. On Saturdays and Sundays it fills between 9:00 and 11:00, and before 8:00 when there is snow. When it is full, the road panels warn you. In the valley, the monastery and the El Paular visitor centre have space next to them, and in Rascafría you park on the street.
How much time do you need?
A day covers Peñalara in the morning and the monastery in the afternoon, or the Purgatorio route with lunch in the village. With a night, you do both without rushing and get into Cotos before it fills up.
What to do?
In the valley, the El Paular monastery, the first Carthusian monastery in Castile, founded in 1390: the Benedictine monks show it with a guide, for €7. In front, the Puente del Perdón and the National Park visitor centre with the Giner de los Ríos Arboretum. From there starts the walk to the Purgatorio waterfall via Las Presillas, the Lozoya pools where swimming is allowed in summer, and the oak woods of the Aguilón river. Up above, the short route to the Laguna Grande de Peñalara via the Zabala refuge, 4.7 km there and back, or the climb to the peak, 10.2 km and 610 m of ascent.
What are the rules on Peñalara?
The massif has a quota of 945 visitors a day; once it is reached, no one else is let in until the next day. You may not leave the paths, swim in the lakes and streams, or camp; bivouacking is allowed only next to the Zabala refuge and never with dogs. Dogs must always be on a lead throughout the National Park. At weekends, call the Peñalara visitor centre before setting out.
When to go?
From May to November. In spring the streams run full and the Purgatorio waterfall has more force; in October the oak woods and ash trees change colour and there are fewer people than in summer. July and August are for Las Presillas. In winter Peñalara is covered in snow: it is high mountain and you need equipment, which cannot be hired there.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to the Laguna Grande de Peñalara?
From the car park at the Los Cotos pass, along the Zabala route: 4.7 km there and back, 279 m of ascent and 1 h 45, according to the National Park.
Do you have to book to climb Peñalara?
No, but there is a quota of 945 people a day. At weekends, call the visitor centre before going.
Can you go with a dog?
Yes, always on a lead and without going into the water. It cannot stay at the Zabala bivouac.
Where can you swim in the valley?
At Las Presillas, beside El Paular, run by the town council in summer. In the lakes and streams of Peñalara it is forbidden.
Can you go without a car?
Yes: bus 194 from Plaza de Castilla to Rascafría, and 691 from Moncloa or 819 from Rascafría to Cotos.
How much does it cost to visit El Paular?
The guided visit to the monastic area, €7, booked on the monastery's website.