El Paular Visitor Centre

The El Paular Visitor Centre is at km 27.6 of the M-604, in Rascafría, next to the Perdón bridge and very close to the El Paular monastery. It gives information on routes through the valley and on the guided activities of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, and next to it is the Giner de los Ríos Arboretum.

Opening hours

• November to March: weekends and special days, from 9:00 to 16:30. Closed on weekdays.
• April to October: every day, from 9:00 to 19:00.

The special days in 2026 are 1 and 6 January, 30 March to 3 April, 1 and 15 May and 12 October. The Park warns that hours may change. The telephone is 918 69 17 57, and for guided group activities, 91 853 99 78.

What there is

The centre has a reception point and an outdoor area. Its permanent exhibition, "The Carthusians' paper mill", recalls the mill the monks of the monastery once had, and there are temporary exhibitions during the year. In the outdoor area, screens show live, in the breeding season, the black vulture and booted eagle nests watched by two National Park cameras in collaboration with SEO/BirdLife; the rest of the year they show a selection of videos of the park.

Next door is the Giner de los Ríos Arboretum, with about 200 species of trees and shrubs from the deciduous forests of Europe, Asia and America. You visit it on your own; groups must book. The centre is accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Getting there

By car, take the M-604 to km 27.6. Without a car, line 194 runs from Plaza de Castilla to Rascafría and the 194A from Buitrago del Lozoya; from the stop you walk along the path beside the road or by the Camino Natural. At weekends, the 819 stops next to the monastery on its way to Cotos. You have the timetables on the page for buses from Madrid.

What to do from here

The Park suggests strolling through the El Paular valley and along the bank of the Lozoya, visiting the monastery, the medieval bridges and the hermitages, and seeing the traditional architecture of the villages. The only official bathing areas in the surrounding area are Las Presillas, managed by Rascafría Town Council, and the natural pools of Las Berceas in Cercedilla. Dogs must be on a lead and stay on the paths, and wild camping is prohibited throughout the Community of Madrid.

For eating nearby, see La Pradera Restaurant or Casa Briscas.