# Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara

Rascafría, the El Paular monastery, the Purgatorio waterfall and the Laguna Grande de Peñalara, an hour and a quarter from Madrid.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley · Revisado: 2026-11-12

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.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: The Central System, Unusual places to stay in Spain
- Cerca: Navacerrada Pass and Cercedilla (a 17.0 km), Manzanares el Real and La Pedriza (a 18.3 km), Segovia (a 20.7 km), Madrid's Sierra Norte: Patones, Buitrago and the Montejo Beech Forest (a 22.8 km)

## Qué hacer
- **El Paular Monastery** (1 h 15 · Everyone · Desde 7 € per person): At the head of the Lozoya valley, next to Rascafría, the Trastámara royal house founded the first Carthusian monastery in Castile in 1390. The Carthusians lived there until the confiscation of church property in 1836; it was declared a historic-artistic monument in 1876, is now a Bien de Interés Cultural, belongs to the State and lies within the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. Since 1954 a community of Benedictine monks, of the Subiaco Congregation, has lived there, and in 1996 its restoration began under a master plan.
What you visit
There are two ways to see it, always with a reservation:

Guided monastic area and cloister exhibitions. The guide shows the church, with its alabaster high altarpiece, the chapter house, the tabernacle and the sacristy, the refectory and the Recordación cloister. The monastery gives a duration of between 1 h 15 and 1 h 30. Some departures, such as those at 12:30 and 16:30, begin with half an hour free to see the exhibitions and continue with a 30 or 45-minute guided visit.
Main cloister and Espacio Paular Contemporáneo, self-guided. In the main cloister hangs Vicente Carducho's "Serie cartujana": more than fifty canvases of about 3.45 by 3.15 metres, painted between 1626 and 1632 for this very cloister, on the life of Saint Bruno, life in the order and the martyrdoms of the Carthusians. After the confiscation they were scattered among museums across Spain, and the Prado Museum restored and recovered them from 2002. The old cells host contemporary art exhibitions.

Hours and prices
In winter it opens Wednesday to Sunday. Guided visits leave Wednesday to Friday at 12:00, 12:30 and 16:30; on Saturdays at 12:00, 12:30, 16:00 and 16:30, and on Sundays and public holidays at 12:30, 16:00 and 16:30. Self-guided cloister visits run from 11:00 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 17:30. It is closed Monday and Tuesday, except public holidays, and on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. Times may change because of cultural or liturgical events.

Guided monastic area: €7 general, €4 over-65s and groups, €3 children.
Cloister and contemporary exhibition: €5 general, €3 over-65s and groups, €1 children.

Book on the monastery website or on 91 869 19 58; capacity is limited.
Rules and Masses
Photos and videos are not allowed, animals are not admitted and the visit must finish a quarter of an hour before closing. It is a working community: keep quiet in the areas where the monks live. Masses are Monday to Friday at 19:30, Saturdays at 8:00 and 19:00, and Sundays and public holidays at 12:00, sung.
Getting there and parking
The monastery is on the M-604, kilometre 27.5, at the exit from Rascafría. Parking is for visitors only, with number-plate control: it opens 20 minutes before the visit and closes 10 minutes before it starts, so enter your number plate when you book. By bus, line 194 reaches Rascafría from Plaza de Castilla; see buses from Madrid.
What to combine
Opposite are the Perdón bridge and the Giner de los Ríos Arboretum, and from there the walk to the Purgatorio waterfall starts. In summer, a short step away, you can swim at Las Presillas.
- **Laguna Grande de Peñalara via the Zabala area** (1 h 45 · 4.7 km · Families · Free): The short route in the Peñalara massif, the PNSG-033 "Zona del Zabala", leaves the Los Cotos pass and climbs to the Zabala refuge, inside the glacial cirque and above the Laguna Grande de Peñalara. It is 4.7 km there and back, with 279 m of cumulative ascent and 1 h 45, and the National Park classifies it for beginner walkers. It is the simplest way to see up close the best-preserved glacial remains in the Sierra de Guadarrama.
The route
You set out from the Peñalara Visitor Centre or the Cotos car park along a forest track with a gentle climb, leaving the Gitana viewpoint and the Depósito shelter on your right. The natural Scots pine forest gradually gives way to scrub, mat-grass and high-mountain pasture. After a couple of bends the track forks: you keep straight on and climb in zigzags up a steep slope to the 2,100 m junction. There you take the right-hand branch and, about 700 metres later, you reach the Zabala refuge area, with views of the glacial cirque and the Laguna Grande. You return by the same way.
The highest point is at 2,083 metres and the average gradient is around 12%. On the MIDE scale, the Park gives it a 2 out of 5 for severity, travel and effort, and a 1 for orientation. In June the broom flowers, tinting the slopes yellow.
Rules of the massif
The cirque and its lakes are fragile ecosystems, and Peñalara has its own rules:

You must not go into the water, neither the lake nor any stream or pool, not even with dogs: it harms the amphibians.
You must not leave the marked paths, and you must not pick plants, mushrooms, flowers or stones.
Dogs on a lead at all times.
No camping. Bivouacking without a tent is only permitted next to the Zabala refuge, and never with dogs.

Quota, parking and winter
The massif admits 945 visitors a day; when it is full, no one else is let in until the next day. There is no online booking: at weekends it is advisable to phone the visitor centre beforehand, on 918 520 857, which opens every day from 8:00 to 18:00. The Cotos car park has 250 free spaces, open 24 hours, which at weekends and public holidays usually fill between 9:00 and 11:00, and earlier if there is snow. With snow and ice the route becomes more difficult: ask at the centre before going up.
With children who already walk, it is a good first mountain route; the zigzag section is the hardest.
Getting there
By car, take the A-1 to exit 69 and the M-604 to the Los Cotos pass, or the AP-6, the M-601 to the Navacerrada pass and the SG-615. By bus, the 691 from Moncloa and, at weekends and public holidays, the 819 from Rascafría. The C9 Cercanías line has been closed for works since May 2024, with a replacement bus from Cercedilla. More at buses from Madrid and the Peñalara Visitor Centre.
What to combine
Anyone with more energy can continue to the summit on the climb to Peñalara peak, which shares the first stretch. On the way down to the valley, the El Paular monastery and, in summer, a swim at Las Presillas.
- **Purgatorio Waterfall from El Paular** (4 h · 10 km · Families used to walking · Free): The classic walk of the El Paular valley. Rascafría town council calls it one of the valley's most emblematic routes, and its only difficulty is the length: a little over six kilometres to the waterfall, which you then have to retrace to get back. Allow half a day with the return by the same path. It is free and waymarked, with information panels from the regional Environment Department.
The route
The council's map of the walk marks six points of interest:

El Paular and the Perdón bridge. You set out opposite the monastery and cross the Lozoya by the 18th-century Perdón bridge.
The Rascafría oak woods. The first kilometres follow the Camino Viejo de Madrid, which linked the charterhouse with the court and is now Ruta Verde 6 towards La Morcuera, among oaks exploited for centuries for charcoal and firewood. Close by on the way is Las Presillas.
The Aguilón river. You follow upstream one of the streams that feed the Lozoya, with pools and small rapids set between cliffs.
Livestock. In the clearings of the oak wood cows graze, with the Avileña Negra as the main breed.
The Majada Grande cliffs. On the last stretch the valley narrows between rock walls.
El Purgatorio. The path winds among large boulders beside the stream to a wooden viewpoint facing the waterfall, a drop of water that carries flow almost all year.

When to go
According to the council, the waterfall looks best in the rainy months and with the thaw, in spring. In summer it carries less water, but the walk goes almost entirely in the shade of the oak and pine woods. In winter, with ice, the final stretch of stones calls for care.
Bring water, something to eat and mountain footwear: the end is rocky. Respect the gates of the estates and leave them closed, as the map asks. With children who walk well it is a good outing; with little ones, better to stay at Las Presillas or the arboretum. Dogs on a lead: it is a National Park and there is loose livestock.
Getting there
The starting point is next to the monastery, on the M-604. By car from Madrid, take the A-1 to Lozoyuela, at kilometre 69, and the M-604; also by the M-611 from Miraflores and the La Morcuera pass, or over the Navacerrada pass and Cotos. By public transport, line 194 from Plaza de Castilla to Rascafría or the 194A from Buitrago: see the page on buses from Madrid. From the Rascafría stop to El Paular you walk along the path beside the road.
What to combine
Before or after, a guided tour of the El Paular monastery or a while at the El Paular Visitor Centre. For lunch in Rascafría, Casa Briscas or the Restaurante Caldea.
- **Perdón Bridge, visitor centre and Giner de los Ríos Arboretum** (1 h · Everyone · Free): Opposite the El Paular monastery, a path crosses the Lozoya by the Perdón bridge. On the other side is the El Paular Visitor Centre, of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, and next to it the Giner de los Ríos Arboretum. It is a flat one-hour walk, free and accessible, which works well with children and as a complement to the monastery visit.
The Perdón bridge
According to Rascafría Town Council, the present bridge was built by the charterhouse, at its own cost, in the first half of the 18th century, to replace an older one and ease the way to the monks' paper mill. It has three arches, all of granite ashlar, and is on the M-604, kilometre 26.6. The name comes from the earlier bridge: there the sentence of the condemned was reviewed on the way to the gallows house.
The visitor centre
It is on the M-604, kilometre 27.6. Inside there is an information point and the permanent exhibition "The Carthusians' paper mill", as well as temporary exhibitions throughout the year. Outside, in the breeding season, screens broadcast live the nests of black vultures and booted eagles, with cameras managed by the park together with SEO/BirdLife; the rest of the year videos of the park are shown. The centre organises guided activities for groups and individuals, and is accessible to people with reduced mobility.

November to March: weekends and special days only, from 9:00 to 16:30. In 2026 the special days were 1 and 6 January and 30 and 31 March.
April to October: every day, from 9:00 to 19:00.

The telephone is 918 691 757. There are more details on the page for the El Paular Visitor Centre.
The Giner de los Ríos Arboretum
Next to the centre, the arboretum brings together about 200 species of trees and shrubs of great ornamental value, from deciduous woodlands of Europe, Asia and America. You walk it on your own; groups must book beforehand.
Rules and getting there
Dogs must be on a lead and stay on the paths. Wild camping is not permitted in the Community of Madrid.
By car, take the A-1 to Lozoyuela and the M-604 towards Rascafría. By bus, line 194 leaves Plaza de Castilla and the 194A leaves Buitrago del Lozoya, both to Rascafría; from the stop you walk along the path beside the road or by the Camino Natural. See the page on buses from Madrid.
What to combine
The bridge is the start of the walk to the Purgatorio waterfall, which passes near Las Presillas. Opposite, the guided visit to the El Paular monastery. To sleep in the same valley, the Albergue Juvenil Los Batanes is next to El Paular.
- **Climb to Peñalara peak** (3 h 50 · 10.2 km · Experienced walkers · Free): The highest summit in the Sierra de Guadarrama, at 2,428 metres according to the National Park. The official route, the PNSG-032, climbs from the Los Cotos pass by forest track and a final path: 10.2 km there and back, about 610 m of cumulative ascent and 3 h 50 for an average walker. The National Park classifies it for advanced walkers.
The route
You set out from the Peñalara Visitor Centre, next to the Cotos car park, along the forest track that climbs gently among pine woods, leaving the Gitana viewpoint and the Depósito shelter on your right. After several bends, the track forks: you keep straight on and climb a steep slope to the 2,100 m junction. There you leave the turn-off to the Zabala refuge on the right and take the left-hand track, which climbs in zigzags to Dos Hermanas. From there you follow the ridge to the peak. The descent is by the same way.
On the way the landscape changes from mountain pine forest to scrub and high pastures, with views of the glacial remains of the massif. The average gradient is around 13%, and on the MIDE scale the Park gives a 3 out of 5 for environment severity and effort, a 2 for difficulty of travel and a 1 for orientation.
Before you climb

The quota. The Peñalara massif admits 945 visitors a day, counting climbers and bivouackers too. Once it is full, no one else is let in until the next day. There is no online booking: at weekends, phone the visitor centre beforehand, on 918 520 857.
Parking. Cotos has 250 free spaces, open 24 hours. On weekdays it almost never fills, except with snow; at weekends and public holidays it usually fills between 9:00 and 11:00, and earlier if it has snowed.
Winter. With snow and ice it is a high-mountain route, which the Park advises against for anyone without experience, knowledge and technical equipment. Ask at the centre before setting out.
The rules. You must not leave the path to take shortcuts, especially on the zigzags, an area of heavy erosion under restoration. Dogs always on a lead. You may not enter any lake or stream, pick plants or stones, or camp; bivouacking without a tent is only permitted next to the Zabala refuge, and never with dogs.

Getting there
By car, take the A-1 to exit 69 and the M-604 to the Los Cotos pass, or the AP-6, the M-601 to the Navacerrada pass and the SG-615. By bus, line 691 leaves the Moncloa interchange for Valdesquí with a stop at Cotos, and the 819 goes up from Rascafría at weekends and public holidays. The C9 Cercanías train has been closed for works since May 2024 and is replaced by a bus between Cercedilla and Cotos. More at buses from Madrid and on the page for the Peñalara Visitor Centre.
What to combine
If the day or your legs do not stretch to the summit, the short route to the Laguna Grande de Peñalara shares the first stretch. On the way down to the valley, the El Paular monastery is about 15 km away on the M-604.
- **Las Presillas, Rascafría** (3 h · Families in summer): A series of stepped pools on the Lozoya river surrounded by meadows, a short step from the El Paular monastery. Rascafría Town Council describes the Las Presillas recreation area as an area of broad meadows with three natural pools where swimming is permitted, and the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park notes that they are, with Las Berceas in Cercedilla, the only bathing areas around it. It is managed by the town council.
An official bathing area
Las Presillas is one of the four natural bathing areas registered in the Community of Madrid, along with Los Villares, in Estremera, the San Juan reservoir and the Alberche beach. The health authority samples the water throughout the season, which in 2026 ran from 15 May to 15 September; all samples that summer came out suitable, and the water quality is listed as "good" in all the annual classifications from 2021 to 2025. The results are published on the Community of Madrid bathing areas page.
Outside the three pools, swimming in the river is not authorised. Within the National Park, moreover, you may not enter any lake, stream or pool.
Swimming tips
They are river pools, with cold mountain water, stone bottoms and changes of depth. The Community of Madrid's recommendations for its bathing areas are simple: do not jump or dive in head first where you cannot see the bottom or there is little water, get in slowly, always watch children even if the water is shallow, do not swim at night or after drinking alcohol, and get out of the water as soon as you feel cold or tired. Anyone who does not swim well is better off with a life jacket than with inflatable floats.
In summer, especially at weekends, the place fills up. Arrive early if you want shade on the meadow. The council does not publish the season's parking hours or fees on its website: phone 91 869 11 17 beforehand to confirm whether parking is paid or has a capacity limit that day. Dogs, if you take one, always on a lead.
Getting there
Las Presillas is next to the M-604, between Rascafría and El Paular. By car, take the A-1 to Lozoyuela, at kilometre 69, and the M-604 towards Rascafría. By bus, line 194 leaves the Plaza de Castilla interchange and ends in Rascafría; the 194A comes from Buitrago del Lozoya. More details on the page for buses from Madrid. From the village or the monastery you can walk there along the path that follows the river.
What to combine
The pools appear on the council's map of the walk to the Purgatorio waterfall, which starts at the Perdón bridge, right opposite the El Paular monastery. A full summer day could be a visit to the monastery in the morning, lunch in Rascafría, for example at Casa Briscas, and a swim in the afternoon.

## Dónde comer
- **Caldea Restaurant** (Restaurant, Rascafría, €€€). Qué pedir: 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** (Restaurant, Rascafría, €€). Qué pedir: homemade ham croquettes and, in summer, the house grilled sardines
- **Casa Briscas** (Restaurant, Rascafría, €€). Qué pedir: Sierra de Guadarrama meat or suckling pig; at the bar, raciones and tostas

## By car: 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.
Presupuesto orientativo: 55–110 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Rural El Valle** (Small hotel, desde 80 € / night): A family-run mountain hotel
The Hotel Rural El Valle is on avenida del Valle, in Rascafría, at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama and about 2 km from the El Paular Monastery. It is a two-star, family-run hotel, with about 30 rooms of different sizes and numbers of beds. Around it are the pine and oak woods of the National Park, and the ski resorts of Valdesquí and Navafría are close by.
Rooms and prices
The prices it publishes on its website, including VAT, are for low season; for high season (June to September, long weekends and public holidays) you need to ask.

Double, with a double bed or two beds: €80 a night (€160 for two nights). There are doubles adapted for people with reduced mobility.
Triple: €100 a night (€200 for two nights).
Economy single: €55 a night (€110 for two nights).
Attic suite for two, with a skylight and open-plan kitchen: €160 for one night, €280 for two. They recommend it for a weekend as a couple.
Apartment for three or four people, with two bedrooms, a separate kitchen and a lounge with a fireplace: €210 for one night, €300 for two. Designed for families with children or groups of friends.

The accommodation has views of the sierra. Cancellation is free if cancelled more than ten days in advance; for bookings made further ahead, what was agreed with the hotel applies.
Services
The hotel has private parking, a landscaped area with swings and a summer terrace. Inside there is a social lounge with a fireplace, television and bar, a glazed lounge also with a fireplace, a games room with table tennis, billiards and board games, and a library with documentation on the area. There is wifi and a meeting room for companies or family celebrations.
What sets it apart for those who come to walk is that it offers a mountain guide, tailor-made excursions and scheduled activities. It also publishes on its website the timetable of the bus from Rascafría to the Cotos pass, useful for going up to the Laguna Grande de Peñalara or the Peñalara Peak without a car.
Who it is for
It suits families, because of the swings, the triples and the apartments, and walkers who want a base in the valley with their own parking. Nearby you have Las Presillas for swimming in summer, the Perdón Bridge and arboretum and the El Paular Visitor Centre. To eat in the village, Casa Briscas or, at weekends, La Pradera.
Reservations on 91 869 12 13 or at reservas@hotelruralelvalle.com.
- **Hotel El Rincón de Rascafría** (Small hotel, desde 95 € / night): Ten rooms in the centre
It is on plaza Dos de Mayo, in the built-up area of Rascafría, inside the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park and a few kilometres from the El Paular Monastery. The hotel was built with the beams of an 18th-century Breton convent and keeps a rustic style with colonial touches. Its registration number is HR-242.
There is a shared lounge with a fireplace, books and games. Heating is underfloor, with backup radiators; there is no air conditioning, which is hardly needed in this valley.
Rooms and prices
There are ten, each decorated differently, in three types. The average rates the hotel publishes are per double room per night, with breakfast and VAT:

Classic (€95): two ground-floor rooms, with wood and brick walls. Subject to availability, you can ask for a 2 × 2 m king-size bed or a bed that can be set up as a double or as two singles. One of them has wider doorways.
Premium (€110): four rooms of 30 m² on the first floor, with small balconies that give them plenty of light.
Superior (€120): four rooms of 30 m² on the top floor, in the attic, with the 18th-century wooden beams and a large skylight with an electric blind for looking at the stars.

Children under two do not pay; the cot has a charge and the extra bed costs from €40 per day depending on age. The hotel also advertises family rooms.
Services and rules
Breakfast is included. You can have it in the little lounge or in your room at no extra cost, choosing the time between 9:00 and 11:00. There is free public parking nearby.
Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out before 12:00. There is no 24-hour reception, so you must check in online before arriving. Payment is made on arrival, with no advance payment, and cancellation is flexible according to its published policy.
Who it is for
It suits couples and walkers who want to sleep in the village and set out on foot. From here you can walk to the Perdón Bridge and arboretum, to Las Presillas and, with more time, to the Purgatorio Waterfall. By car, the Cotos pass is about 15 km away on the M-604, the starting point for the Laguna Grande de Peñalara. Without a car, see the buses from Madrid.
For dinner, right in the centre is Casa Briscas, on plaza de España.
Reservations on 682 802 528 or at reservas@elrinconderascafria.com.
- **Los Batanes Youth Hostel** (Hostel): Sleeping next to the monastery for little
It is a hostel in the Community of Madrid Youth Hostels Network on the Los Batanes estate, opposite the El Paular Monastery, about 2 km from Rascafría and 98 km from Madrid. It has views of Peñalara and is next to the path to Las Presillas and the route to the Purgatorio Waterfall. Although it is called a youth hostel, it admits all ages; the price changes.
Rooms
It has 120 beds in 44 rooms with sheets and blankets: with one, two or three beds in beds, and four or eight in bunks. There are four places adapted for people with reduced mobility. The small rooms are the option for couples or families who want privacy without paying for a hotel; the bunk rooms, for groups and schools.
Reception is open from 8:00 to 21:00, although the hostel is open 24 hours.
Rates
The official prices, including VAT, depend on age:


Under 2525 to 30Over 30


Bed and breakfast€14€15.40€19.80
Half board€23€25.30€30.80
Full board€28—€41.80
Single lunch or dinner€9€9.90€13.20


Children under three do not pay. There is a 25% discount with the Carné Joven or the hostel membership card, and discounts for youth activities organised by public or non-profit bodies. Booking is by form on the Community of Madrid website, which also publishes the booking and use conditions.
Facilities
The dining room serves breakfast at 8:30, lunch at 14:00 and dinner at 20:00, and prepares a packed lunch if you give notice beforehand, handy for a day on Peñalara. There is a café lounge with drinks and snack machines, a sitting room with television, activity rooms, wifi in the common areas, left-luggage, cots and highchairs. They lend board games, table tennis, table football, bicycles and snowshoes. Outside there is an outdoor area and patios, and parking for cars and bicycles. At reception they issue the Carné Joven free of charge, from 9:00 to 20:00.
Getting there
By car, take the M-604. By bus, line 194 leaves the Plaza de Castilla interchange and stops in Rascafría, and the 194A comes from Buitrago de Lozoya; from the village it is about 2 km on foot. More detail on buses from Madrid. Next door is the El Paular Visitor Centre, with the arboretum, and the Perdón Bridge.
Telephone 918 691 511, email losbatanes@madrid.org.
- **Monte Holiday Treehouses** (Campsite): Four ways to sleep among the treetops
Monte Holiday is a campsite in the Sierra Norte, in the municipality of Gargantilla del Lozoya, which as well as pitches and bungalows has wooden cabins raised on platforms beside the trees. They are 4 metres off the ground, and those built on the slope reach 7. From the terrace you see the upper Lozoya valley and the Sierra de Guadarrama.
They are not all the same, and it pays to choose carefully:

Nest cabin without a toilet: 3 × 2 metres, a 110 cm mattress, light, a microwave and a heater. It is handed over without sheets or towels: bring a sleeping bag. It is for two.
Family cabins with a toilet: 12 m², a 120 cm bed, bunks or trundle beds for the children, a microwave, a mini fridge and a heat pump. The toilet has a basin and WC, but no shower.
Large cabin with shower: 18 m² and a 12 m² terrace, a 135 cm bed and three 80 cm beds. It is the only raised one that admits a dog.
Panoramic cabin: full bathroom and air conditioning, for two adults and two children.

The maximum rate published for 2026 runs from €72 a night in the nest cabin to €296 in the large one with shower and in the panoramic. The actual price depends on the date, and the minimum number of nights changes with the calendar.
What the night up there is like
In winter the sierra freezes, and the difference between cabins is noticeable. Those with a toilet or bathroom have a heat pump; the nest cabin has only an electric heater, so bring a winter sleeping bag. If your cabin has no shower, the shared shower and toilet block is nearby, with hot water and heating 24 hours a day. At night, going down the steps to the bathroom is part of the plan.
With small children, the terraces have railings and the stairs have gates that close at the top and bottom; if your child is small and sleeps in a bunk, ask beforehand about the top bunk. The cabins are in a pedestrian area: you park in your space and walk the last stretch with your luggage.
Mobile coverage is weak and wifi only reaches reception and the restaurant properly. Do not expect to be able to work remotely.
What works in each season
The site is open all year, but the services are not. On weekdays in winter, the restaurant El Fogón de Guille and the children's entertainment close; they open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The pool opens at weekends in June and every day during the school holidays. The farm, the rope course and the zip line are paid separately and booked on the website. Every morning you can order bread at reception.
Reception is open from 8:00 to 23:30, and at that time the car barrier closes (at midnight in the pool season). If you arrive later, the car stays outside and you walk in. The Alsa bus between Madrid and Rascafría stops at El Tomillar, about a 20-minute walk away.
By car, Rascafría is about 20 minutes away. From there you have the El Paular monastery and, going up to Cotos, the Laguna Grande de Peñalara.
### Servicios
- **Peñalara Visitor Centre and Cotos car park**: Los Cotos pass, M-604 km 42 · free car park of 250 spaces open 24 h · daily quota for the massif

## Car-free: 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.
Presupuesto orientativo: 45–95 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Rural El Valle** (Small hotel, desde 80 € / night): A family-run mountain hotel
The Hotel Rural El Valle is on avenida del Valle, in Rascafría, at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama and about 2 km from the El Paular Monastery. It is a two-star, family-run hotel, with about 30 rooms of different sizes and numbers of beds. Around it are the pine and oak woods of the National Park, and the ski resorts of Valdesquí and Navafría are close by.
Rooms and prices
The prices it publishes on its website, including VAT, are for low season; for high season (June to September, long weekends and public holidays) you need to ask.

Double, with a double bed or two beds: €80 a night (€160 for two nights). There are doubles adapted for people with reduced mobility.
Triple: €100 a night (€200 for two nights).
Economy single: €55 a night (€110 for two nights).
Attic suite for two, with a skylight and open-plan kitchen: €160 for one night, €280 for two. They recommend it for a weekend as a couple.
Apartment for three or four people, with two bedrooms, a separate kitchen and a lounge with a fireplace: €210 for one night, €300 for two. Designed for families with children or groups of friends.

The accommodation has views of the sierra. Cancellation is free if cancelled more than ten days in advance; for bookings made further ahead, what was agreed with the hotel applies.
Services
The hotel has private parking, a landscaped area with swings and a summer terrace. Inside there is a social lounge with a fireplace, television and bar, a glazed lounge also with a fireplace, a games room with table tennis, billiards and board games, and a library with documentation on the area. There is wifi and a meeting room for companies or family celebrations.
What sets it apart for those who come to walk is that it offers a mountain guide, tailor-made excursions and scheduled activities. It also publishes on its website the timetable of the bus from Rascafría to the Cotos pass, useful for going up to the Laguna Grande de Peñalara or the Peñalara Peak without a car.
Who it is for
It suits families, because of the swings, the triples and the apartments, and walkers who want a base in the valley with their own parking. Nearby you have Las Presillas for swimming in summer, the Perdón Bridge and arboretum and the El Paular Visitor Centre. To eat in the village, Casa Briscas or, at weekends, La Pradera.
Reservations on 91 869 12 13 or at reservas@hotelruralelvalle.com.
- **Hotel El Rincón de Rascafría** (Small hotel, desde 95 € / night): Ten rooms in the centre
It is on plaza Dos de Mayo, in the built-up area of Rascafría, inside the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park and a few kilometres from the El Paular Monastery. The hotel was built with the beams of an 18th-century Breton convent and keeps a rustic style with colonial touches. Its registration number is HR-242.
There is a shared lounge with a fireplace, books and games. Heating is underfloor, with backup radiators; there is no air conditioning, which is hardly needed in this valley.
Rooms and prices
There are ten, each decorated differently, in three types. The average rates the hotel publishes are per double room per night, with breakfast and VAT:

Classic (€95): two ground-floor rooms, with wood and brick walls. Subject to availability, you can ask for a 2 × 2 m king-size bed or a bed that can be set up as a double or as two singles. One of them has wider doorways.
Premium (€110): four rooms of 30 m² on the first floor, with small balconies that give them plenty of light.
Superior (€120): four rooms of 30 m² on the top floor, in the attic, with the 18th-century wooden beams and a large skylight with an electric blind for looking at the stars.

Children under two do not pay; the cot has a charge and the extra bed costs from €40 per day depending on age. The hotel also advertises family rooms.
Services and rules
Breakfast is included. You can have it in the little lounge or in your room at no extra cost, choosing the time between 9:00 and 11:00. There is free public parking nearby.
Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out before 12:00. There is no 24-hour reception, so you must check in online before arriving. Payment is made on arrival, with no advance payment, and cancellation is flexible according to its published policy.
Who it is for
It suits couples and walkers who want to sleep in the village and set out on foot. From here you can walk to the Perdón Bridge and arboretum, to Las Presillas and, with more time, to the Purgatorio Waterfall. By car, the Cotos pass is about 15 km away on the M-604, the starting point for the Laguna Grande de Peñalara. Without a car, see the buses from Madrid.
For dinner, right in the centre is Casa Briscas, on plaza de España.
Reservations on 682 802 528 or at reservas@elrinconderascafria.com.
- **Monte Holiday Treehouses** (Campsite): Four ways to sleep among the treetops
Monte Holiday is a campsite in the Sierra Norte, in the municipality of Gargantilla del Lozoya, which as well as pitches and bungalows has wooden cabins raised on platforms beside the trees. They are 4 metres off the ground, and those built on the slope reach 7. From the terrace you see the upper Lozoya valley and the Sierra de Guadarrama.
They are not all the same, and it pays to choose carefully:

Nest cabin without a toilet: 3 × 2 metres, a 110 cm mattress, light, a microwave and a heater. It is handed over without sheets or towels: bring a sleeping bag. It is for two.
Family cabins with a toilet: 12 m², a 120 cm bed, bunks or trundle beds for the children, a microwave, a mini fridge and a heat pump. The toilet has a basin and WC, but no shower.
Large cabin with shower: 18 m² and a 12 m² terrace, a 135 cm bed and three 80 cm beds. It is the only raised one that admits a dog.
Panoramic cabin: full bathroom and air conditioning, for two adults and two children.

The maximum rate published for 2026 runs from €72 a night in the nest cabin to €296 in the large one with shower and in the panoramic. The actual price depends on the date, and the minimum number of nights changes with the calendar.
What the night up there is like
In winter the sierra freezes, and the difference between cabins is noticeable. Those with a toilet or bathroom have a heat pump; the nest cabin has only an electric heater, so bring a winter sleeping bag. If your cabin has no shower, the shared shower and toilet block is nearby, with hot water and heating 24 hours a day. At night, going down the steps to the bathroom is part of the plan.
With small children, the terraces have railings and the stairs have gates that close at the top and bottom; if your child is small and sleeps in a bunk, ask beforehand about the top bunk. The cabins are in a pedestrian area: you park in your space and walk the last stretch with your luggage.
Mobile coverage is weak and wifi only reaches reception and the restaurant properly. Do not expect to be able to work remotely.
What works in each season
The site is open all year, but the services are not. On weekdays in winter, the restaurant El Fogón de Guille and the children's entertainment close; they open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The pool opens at weekends in June and every day during the school holidays. The farm, the rope course and the zip line are paid separately and booked on the website. Every morning you can order bread at reception.
Reception is open from 8:00 to 23:30, and at that time the car barrier closes (at midnight in the pool season). If you arrive later, the car stays outside and you walk in. The Alsa bus between Madrid and Rascafría stops at El Tomillar, about a 20-minute walk away.
By car, Rascafría is about 20 minutes away. From there you have the El Paular monastery and, going up to Cotos, the Laguna Grande de Peñalara.
### Servicios
- **Buses from Madrid**: Line 194 Plaza de Castilla – Rascafría; 691 Moncloa – Valdesquí via Cotos; 819 Rascafría – Cotos at weekends

## On foot: 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.
Presupuesto orientativo: 45–90 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're on foot
- **Hotel Rural El Valle** (Small hotel, desde 80 € / night): A family-run mountain hotel
The Hotel Rural El Valle is on avenida del Valle, in Rascafría, at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama and about 2 km from the El Paular Monastery. It is a two-star, family-run hotel, with about 30 rooms of different sizes and numbers of beds. Around it are the pine and oak woods of the National Park, and the ski resorts of Valdesquí and Navafría are close by.
Rooms and prices
The prices it publishes on its website, including VAT, are for low season; for high season (June to September, long weekends and public holidays) you need to ask.

Double, with a double bed or two beds: €80 a night (€160 for two nights). There are doubles adapted for people with reduced mobility.
Triple: €100 a night (€200 for two nights).
Economy single: €55 a night (€110 for two nights).
Attic suite for two, with a skylight and open-plan kitchen: €160 for one night, €280 for two. They recommend it for a weekend as a couple.
Apartment for three or four people, with two bedrooms, a separate kitchen and a lounge with a fireplace: €210 for one night, €300 for two. Designed for families with children or groups of friends.

The accommodation has views of the sierra. Cancellation is free if cancelled more than ten days in advance; for bookings made further ahead, what was agreed with the hotel applies.
Services
The hotel has private parking, a landscaped area with swings and a summer terrace. Inside there is a social lounge with a fireplace, television and bar, a glazed lounge also with a fireplace, a games room with table tennis, billiards and board games, and a library with documentation on the area. There is wifi and a meeting room for companies or family celebrations.
What sets it apart for those who come to walk is that it offers a mountain guide, tailor-made excursions and scheduled activities. It also publishes on its website the timetable of the bus from Rascafría to the Cotos pass, useful for going up to the Laguna Grande de Peñalara or the Peñalara Peak without a car.
Who it is for
It suits families, because of the swings, the triples and the apartments, and walkers who want a base in the valley with their own parking. Nearby you have Las Presillas for swimming in summer, the Perdón Bridge and arboretum and the El Paular Visitor Centre. To eat in the village, Casa Briscas or, at weekends, La Pradera.
Reservations on 91 869 12 13 or at reservas@hotelruralelvalle.com.
- **Hotel El Rincón de Rascafría** (Small hotel, desde 95 € / night): Ten rooms in the centre
It is on plaza Dos de Mayo, in the built-up area of Rascafría, inside the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park and a few kilometres from the El Paular Monastery. The hotel was built with the beams of an 18th-century Breton convent and keeps a rustic style with colonial touches. Its registration number is HR-242.
There is a shared lounge with a fireplace, books and games. Heating is underfloor, with backup radiators; there is no air conditioning, which is hardly needed in this valley.
Rooms and prices
There are ten, each decorated differently, in three types. The average rates the hotel publishes are per double room per night, with breakfast and VAT:

Classic (€95): two ground-floor rooms, with wood and brick walls. Subject to availability, you can ask for a 2 × 2 m king-size bed or a bed that can be set up as a double or as two singles. One of them has wider doorways.
Premium (€110): four rooms of 30 m² on the first floor, with small balconies that give them plenty of light.
Superior (€120): four rooms of 30 m² on the top floor, in the attic, with the 18th-century wooden beams and a large skylight with an electric blind for looking at the stars.

Children under two do not pay; the cot has a charge and the extra bed costs from €40 per day depending on age. The hotel also advertises family rooms.
Services and rules
Breakfast is included. You can have it in the little lounge or in your room at no extra cost, choosing the time between 9:00 and 11:00. There is free public parking nearby.
Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out before 12:00. There is no 24-hour reception, so you must check in online before arriving. Payment is made on arrival, with no advance payment, and cancellation is flexible according to its published policy.
Who it is for
It suits couples and walkers who want to sleep in the village and set out on foot. From here you can walk to the Perdón Bridge and arboretum, to Las Presillas and, with more time, to the Purgatorio Waterfall. By car, the Cotos pass is about 15 km away on the M-604, the starting point for the Laguna Grande de Peñalara. Without a car, see the buses from Madrid.
For dinner, right in the centre is Casa Briscas, on plaza de España.
Reservations on 682 802 528 or at reservas@elrinconderascafria.com.
- **Los Batanes Youth Hostel** (Hostel): Sleeping next to the monastery for little
It is a hostel in the Community of Madrid Youth Hostels Network on the Los Batanes estate, opposite the El Paular Monastery, about 2 km from Rascafría and 98 km from Madrid. It has views of Peñalara and is next to the path to Las Presillas and the route to the Purgatorio Waterfall. Although it is called a youth hostel, it admits all ages; the price changes.
Rooms
It has 120 beds in 44 rooms with sheets and blankets: with one, two or three beds in beds, and four or eight in bunks. There are four places adapted for people with reduced mobility. The small rooms are the option for couples or families who want privacy without paying for a hotel; the bunk rooms, for groups and schools.
Reception is open from 8:00 to 21:00, although the hostel is open 24 hours.
Rates
The official prices, including VAT, depend on age:


Under 2525 to 30Over 30


Bed and breakfast€14€15.40€19.80
Half board€23€25.30€30.80
Full board€28—€41.80
Single lunch or dinner€9€9.90€13.20


Children under three do not pay. There is a 25% discount with the Carné Joven or the hostel membership card, and discounts for youth activities organised by public or non-profit bodies. Booking is by form on the Community of Madrid website, which also publishes the booking and use conditions.
Facilities
The dining room serves breakfast at 8:30, lunch at 14:00 and dinner at 20:00, and prepares a packed lunch if you give notice beforehand, handy for a day on Peñalara. There is a café lounge with drinks and snack machines, a sitting room with television, activity rooms, wifi in the common areas, left-luggage, cots and highchairs. They lend board games, table tennis, table football, bicycles and snowshoes. Outside there is an outdoor area and patios, and parking for cars and bicycles. At reception they issue the Carné Joven free of charge, from 9:00 to 20:00.
Getting there
By car, take the M-604. By bus, line 194 leaves the Plaza de Castilla interchange and stops in Rascafría, and the 194A comes from Buitrago de Lozoya; from the village it is about 2 km on foot. More detail on buses from Madrid. Next door is the El Paular Visitor Centre, with the arboretum, and the Perdón Bridge.
Telephone 918 691 511, email losbatanes@madrid.org.
### Servicios
- **Peñalara Visitor Centre and Cotos car park**: Los Cotos pass, M-604 km 42 · free car park of 250 spaces open 24 h · daily quota for the massif
- **Buses from Madrid**: Line 194 Plaza de Castilla – Rascafría; 691 Moncloa – Valdesquí via Cotos; 819 Rascafría – Cotos at weekends

## As a family: 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 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

### Qué hacer as a family
- El Paular Monastery
- Laguna Grande de Peñalara via the Zabala area
- Purgatorio Waterfall from El Paular
- Perdón Bridge, visitor centre and Giner de los Ríos Arboretum
- Las Presillas, Rascafría

## With teenagers: 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 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

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Laguna Grande de Peñalara via the Zabala area
- Purgatorio Waterfall from El Paular
- Climb to Peñalara peak

## Consejos

### Go up to Cotos before nine
At weekends the car park fills by mid-morning and the massif has a quota.

### Call the Peñalara centre first
On 91 852 08 57 they tell you whether any quota is left and what the snow is like.

### Book El Paular on its website
The guided visits run to a calendar and change with the liturgy.

### Eat early on Sunday
Caldea is open from 12:00 to 17:00 and La Pradera from 12:30 to 18:00.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.