La Pradera Restaurant
What to order: homemade ham croquettes and, in summer, the house grilled sardines
geocalia
Day itinerary · 40.90° N · 3.88° W
The El Paular oak woods in autumn, to the Purgatorio waterfall.
A half-day among oaks and Ávila cattle along the Aguilón river to the Purgatorio waterfall, mountain-village lunch on the edge of Rascafría and the Giner de los Ríos arboretum at dusk.
Leaving from
Part of Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and PeñalaraThe Central SystemUnusual places to stay in Spain
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car1 h 15 each way
WalkingHalf a day · about 10 km there and back
DifficultyMedium
Cost€25–40 pp
Best timeOctober – November
With a dogYes, on a lead
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Madrid 1 h 15 by car
from Madrid via the M-607 and the Puerto de Navacerrada, or via the A-1 and the M-604
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1
Purgatorio Waterfall from El Paular
from the Puente del Perdón along the Camino Viejo and the Aguilón river · about 5 km each way · return the same way
- 5 min by car3 km
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2
La Pradera Restaurant
La Pradera, on the M-611 · croquetas and mountain cooking · €€ · booking
Calle Ejido, 1 (Ctra. M-611, km 32,8), 28740 Rascafría · +34 918 69 17 24
Restaurant €€Book - 3 min by car2,5 km
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3
Perdón Bridge, visitor centre and Giner de los Ríos Arboretum
18th-century bridge, visitor centre and arboretum · 1 h · free
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Back home
You reach Madrid around 19:00
Approximate cost
About €20–35 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Purgatorio Waterfall from El Paular
The Lozoya valley, on the other side of Navacerrada, is in autumn a mosaic of yellow oak woods, ash trees and meadows with Ávila cattle, beneath the Peñalara range. The classic walk, from the monastery of El Paular to the Purgatorio waterfall, takes in all of it in half a day and ends at a waterfall between granite cliffs. Afterwards, mountain-village cooking in a meadow with tables under the trees and a while in the arboretum, which at this time of year is a catalogue of colours.
The day, hour by hour
8:45 · Set off. From Madrid, take the M-607 and the Navacerrada pass to Rascafría; if there is ice on the pass, take the A-1 and the M-604, which is a little longer. Park next to the El Paular monastery.
10:00 · To the Purgatorio waterfall. The council's route plan starts opposite the monastery, at the Puente del Perdón, and follows the Camino Viejo de Madrid through oak woods to the Aguilón river. You go up the river among pools and rapids, with cows in the clearings; at the end the Majada Grande cliffs and the waterfall appear, with a wooden viewpoint. It is about 5 km each way and you return by the same path: allow half a day.
14:15 · Lunch at La Pradera. On the edge of Rascafría, next to the M-611 that climbs to the Morcuera: wooden tables under the trees, a vine trellis and a glassed-in dining room for when it gets cool. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 to 18:00. Book.
16:15 · The Puente del Perdón and the arboretum. Next to the monastery: the 18th-century bridge over the Lozoya, the National Park visitor centre, with the exhibition on the Carthusians' paper mill, and the Giner de los Ríos Arboretum, with about 200 species. An hour, free.
17:30 · Head home. In Madrid around seven; in Segovia, in an hour.
What to order
The home-made ham croquettes and a spoon dish if there is one, as in November you fancy it. Home-made dessert.
Distance10 km
Time4 h
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Casa Briscas
What to order: Sierra de Guadarrama meat or suckling pig; at the bar, raciones and tostas
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)
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara
In October and November the oak woods of the Lozoya valley and the trees of the arboretum change colour, and after the first rains the waterfall carries more water. La Pradera opens on Saturdays and Sundays.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Check the pass before you set off
In November the Navacerrada pass can have ice first thing; the Comunidad de Madrid reports on road conditions.
- 2Good footwear
The end of the route is stone and with wet leaves it is slippery.
- 3Dog on a lead
There is loose livestock in the meadows.
We'd skip it
If you want something short: the full route is half a day. With small children, stay at the arboretum and the Puente del Perdón and eat early.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to reach the Purgatorio waterfall?
It is about 5 km each way from the Puente del Perdón; with the return, half a day.
Is it difficult?
It is of medium difficulty: the path is easy to the river and the last stretch, of stone, needs attention.
When is there most water in the waterfall?
In spring and after the autumn rains.
Do I have to pay for anything?
The route, the arboretum and the visitor centre are free. The visit to the monastery costs €7.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley/itineraries/oak-woods-and-purgatorio-waterfall
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.