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)
geocalia
Day itinerary · 40.90° N · 3.88° W
Sunday on Peñalara: glacial lake and monastery.
An easy route to the Peñalara glacial cirque before the visitor quota fills, a roast-house lunch in Rascafría and the El Paular charterhouse in the afternoon.
Leaving from
Part of Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and PeñalaraThe Central SystemUnusual places to stay in Spain
Add to my trip
Total time10 h
By car1 h 15 each way
Walking4.7 km · 1 h 45
Ascent279 m
DifficultyEasy
Cost€35–55 pp
Best timeMay – 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
via the M-601 and the Puerto de Navacerrada to Cotos
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1
Laguna Grande de Peñalara via the Zabala area
4.7 km return · 1 h 45 · arrive before it fills up
- 15 min by car17 km
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2
Perdón Bridge, visitor centre and Giner de los Ríos Arboretum
descent to the valley via the M-604
- 2 min by car1,8 km
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3
Caldea Restaurant
grill restaurant · €€ · booking on its website
Avenida de El Paular, 37, 28740 Rascafría · +34 620 454 602
Restaurant €€€Book - 4 min by car2,2 km
- 4
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Back home
You reach Madrid around 19:00
Approximate cost
About €40–65 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Laguna Grande de Peñalara via the Zabala area
The plan is organised around one rule: the Peñalara massif has a visitor quota and the Cotos car park fills up on Sundays by mid-morning. So you start early, do the short route to Laguna Grande with the mountains still empty and go down to the valley for lunch and to see the monastery at leisure.
The Day, Hour by Hour
7:45 · Departure. From Madrid, along the A-6 and M-601 to the Navacerrada pass and the SG-615 to the Puerto de Los Cotos; from Segovia, via Valsaín. Free National Park car park, 250 spaces. If you want to be sure on Saturday, call the Peñalara visitor centre, on 91 852 08 57.
9:00 · Laguna Grande de Peñalara. The Zabala route: 4.7 km there and back, 279 m of ascent and 1 h 45 for a beginner hiker. It climbs by track to the Zabala refuge, inside the glacial cirque, above the lake. About 700 m further on you see the whole cirque. You do not leave the path or touch the water.
12:00 · Down to El Paular. Along the M-604 to the valley floor. Cross the Puente del Perdón and pass the visitor centre and the Giner de los Ríos Arboretum.
13:30 · Lunch at Caldea. A regional-cooking roast house in Rascafría: oven-roast shoulder of milk-fed lamb, mountain meats, large white beans. On Sundays it is open from 12:00 to 17:00 and is booked only on its website.
16:00 · El Paular Monastery. A 1 h 15 guided visit by the Benedictine monks, €7: the church with the alabaster altarpiece and the cloister with Carducho's series. Book on its website.
17:30 · Return. Along the M-604 and the A-1, around an hour and a quarter to Madrid.
If Peñalara Is Full or Snowed Under
Stay in the valley: from the Puente del Perdón the walk to the Purgatorio waterfall leaves by Las Presillas and the oak woods of the Aguilón river, half a day there and back.
With Children and Dogs
The Zabala route is the easiest in the massif and suits children who walk. Dogs can go, always on a lead and without entering the water.
Distance4.7 km
Ascent279 m
Time1 h 45
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
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
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
From May to November. In winter the lake is under snow: swap the route for the Puente del Perdón and the Purgatorio.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Arrive at Cotos before nine
On Sundays the car park fills up between 9:00 and 11:00.
- 2Bring warm clothes
At Cotos you are over 1,800 m up and it is quite a lot colder than in Madrid.
- 3Book lunch and the monastery at the same time
Both are booked online.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is the route to Laguna Grande hard?
No: 4.7 km there and back and 279 m of ascent, for beginners according to the National Park.
Do you have to pay to go up?
No. The car park is free, but there is a visitor quota.
Can I take a dog?
Yes, on a lead, without entering lakes or streams.
What if it rains?
Swap the route for the monastery and the El Paular visitor centre.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley/itineraries/penalara-laguna-grande-roast-lunch-in-rascafria-and-el-paular
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.