Las Presillas, Rascafría

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.