Perdón Bridge, visitor centre and Giner de los Ríos Arboretum

Opposite the El Paular monastery, a path crosses the Lozoya by the Perdón bridge. On the other side is the El Paular Visitor Centre, of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, and next to it the Giner de los Ríos Arboretum. It is a flat one-hour walk, free and accessible, which works well with children and as a complement to the monastery visit.

The Perdón bridge

According to Rascafría Town Council, the present bridge was built by the charterhouse, at its own cost, in the first half of the 18th century, to replace an older one and ease the way to the monks' paper mill. It has three arches, all of granite ashlar, and is on the M-604, kilometre 26.6. The name comes from the earlier bridge: there the sentence of the condemned was reviewed on the way to the gallows house.

The visitor centre

It is on the M-604, kilometre 27.6. Inside there is an information point and the permanent exhibition "The Carthusians' paper mill", as well as temporary exhibitions throughout the year. Outside, in the breeding season, screens broadcast live the nests of black vultures and booted eagles, with cameras managed by the park together with SEO/BirdLife; the rest of the year videos of the park are shown. The centre organises guided activities for groups and individuals, and is accessible to people with reduced mobility.

• November to March: weekends and special days only, from 9:00 to 16:30. In 2026 the special days were 1 and 6 January and 30 and 31 March.
• April to October: every day, from 9:00 to 19:00.

The telephone is 918 691 757. There are more details on the page for the El Paular Visitor Centre.

The Giner de los Ríos Arboretum

Next to the centre, the arboretum brings together about 200 species of trees and shrubs of great ornamental value, from deciduous woodlands of Europe, Asia and America. You walk it on your own; groups must book beforehand.

Rules and getting there

Dogs must be on a lead and stay on the paths. Wild camping is not permitted in the Community of Madrid.

By car, take the A-1 to Lozoyuela and the M-604 towards Rascafría. By bus, line 194 leaves Plaza de Castilla and the 194A leaves Buitrago del Lozoya, both to Rascafría; from the stop you walk along the path beside the road or by the Camino Natural. See the page on buses from Madrid.

What to combine

The bridge is the start of the walk to the Purgatorio waterfall, which passes near Las Presillas. Opposite, the guided visit to the El Paular monastery. To sleep in the same valley, the Albergue Juvenil Los Batanes is next to El Paular.