# Sunday on Peñalara: Laguna Grande, a Roast House in Rascafría and El Paular

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.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/lozoya-valley/itineraries/penalara-laguna-grande-roast-lunch-in-rascafria-and-el-paular · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 07:45 · Salida: 1 h 15 by car (via the M-601 and the Puerto de Navacerrada to Cotos)
- 09:00 · Laguna Grande de Peñalara via the Zabala area (4.7 km return · 1 h 45 · arrive before it fills up)
  - 15 min by car, 17 km
- 12:00 · Perdón Bridge, visitor centre and Giner de los Ríos Arboretum (descent to the valley via the M-604)
  - 2 min by car, 1,8 km
- 13:30 · Caldea Restaurant (grill restaurant · €€ · booking on its website) · Caldea Restaurant, €€€
  - 4 min by car, 2,2 km
- 16:00 · El Paular Monastery (guided tour, 1 h 15 · advance booking) · Monasterio de Santa María de El Paular, From €7 per person
- 17:30 · Vuelta (You reach Madrid around 19:00)

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.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
Via the Navacerrada pass to Cotos and back down the valley and the A-1. In winter, check the state of the passes.

### Without a car
Bus 691 from Moncloa to Cotos and, at weekends, 819 from Cotos to Rascafría; on the way back, 194 to Plaza de Castilla. Check the Sunday timetables.

## Consejos

### Arrive at Cotos before nine
On Sundays the car park fills up between 9:00 and 11:00.

### Bring warm clothes
At Cotos you are over 1,800 m up and it is quite a lot colder than in Madrid.

### Book lunch and the monastery at the same time
Both are booked online.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.