# Pilar long weekend from Madrid: getaways for 12 October, the National Day Four getaways with a night away and three day trips from Madrid for 12 October, the Pilar and National Day: the end of the grape harvest, the last days of the deer rut, autumn in the Arlanza and monuments open free. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/madrid/getaways/pilar-long-weekend · Revisado: 2026-11-13 Origen: Madrid - [A weekend in Peñafiel and the Ribera del Duero, two hours from Madrid](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/penafiel-ribera-del-duero-wine-weekend.md) (1 night, Peñafiel and the Ribera del Duero): In early October the Ribera del Duero finishes its grape harvest: depending on the year you will still see crews in the vineyards or the grapes fermenting in the wineries, and some villages, such as Valbuena de Duero, hold their harvest festival around the Pilar. Book the two wineries before the hotel. - [A deer-rut weekend in Sanabria and the Sierra de la Culebra](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sanabria-lake/itineraries/sanabria-culebra-red-deer-rut-weekend.md) (2 nights, Lake Sanabria and Puebla de Sanabria): The Sierra de la Culebra deer rut runs from mid-September to mid-October, so the Pilar long weekend catches its last days. Confirm the date with the guide, who knows whether the stags are still roaring, before paying for the two nights in Puebla de Sanabria. - [A birdwatching weekend in Monfragüe, three hours from Madrid](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/monfrague/itineraries/monfrague-birdwatching-weekend-from-madrid.md) (2 nights, Monfragüe National Park): In October the free guided walks return to Monfragüe, the heat has gone and at dusk you can hear the rut from the viewpoints. Birds of prey glide over Peña Falcón in mid-morning: book the guided 4x4 route for the last day of the long weekend. - [A weekend in Covarrubias and Silos, an hour from Burgos](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos/itineraries/covarrubias-silos-gregorian-chant-weekend.md) (1 night, Covarrubias and Santo Domingo de Silos): October is one of the best months in the Arlanza: juniper woods in low light, La Yecla without the heat and the chapel of San Olav still open, because it closes from December to February. In Silos, Gregorian vespers are sung every afternoon; book lunch at Casa Galín. - [Carraovejas, castle and roast lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/long-tasting-castle-and-roast-lamb.md) (Day itinerary, Peñafiel and the Ribera del Duero): In October the Pago de Carraovejas winery has the harvest freshly in and the must in the tanks, and the vineyard begins to turn red. The long tasting runs from Wednesday to Sunday: if 12 October falls on a Monday or Tuesday, do the plan at the weekend. - [El Escorial: monastery and Philip II's Chair](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/san-lorenzo-de-el-escorial/itineraries/escorial-monastery-and-philip-iis-chair.md) (Day itinerary, San Lorenzo de El Escorial): On 12 October Patrimonio Nacional opens most of its monuments free, among them the monastery of El Escorial, with tickets collected the same day until they run out. Arrive at opening and leave the Silla de Felipe II for the afternoon light. - [Ávila: wall and Cuatro Postes](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/avila/itineraries/avila-city-walls-and-cuatro-postes-at-dusk.md) (Day itinerary, Ávila): Ávila spends those days at the start of the Santa Teresa festivities, whose main day is 15 October: flower offering, concerts and the city dressed up. October is a good month for the wall walk, without the summer sun, and at night the illuminated wall can be seen from the Cuatro Postes. ## How much does 12 October give you? 12 October, the day of the Pilar and Spain's National Day, is a holiday across the country. Whether there is a long weekend depends on the year: if it falls next to the weekend you get three days, and if it falls midweek many people stretch it with a day of leave. That is why it is called the Pilar, Hispanidad or October long weekend alike. With three days or more, the further two-night getaways: the deer rut in the Sierra de la Culebra, about three and a half hours away, and Monfragüe, three. With one or two, one night in Peñafiel or in Silos. And a single day is enough for El Escorial, Ávila or a long tasting in the Ribera. ## The Ribera grape harvest: will you see it? Sometimes yes and sometimes only its end. In the Ribera del Duero the grapes are picked between September and the first half of October, and the date changes with the heat of each summer: in hot years it starts in early September. What is always there at the Pilar is the winery in full swing, with the must fermenting and the smell of grapes in the streets of Peñafiel. The villages' harvest festivals are spread between the end of September and mid-October: Peñafiel opens the season and Valbuena de Duero, next to the monastery, usually holds its own close to the Pilar. Check their programmes before choosing the day for the wineries. ## The deer rut, in its last days The deer rut begins in mid-September and fades around mid-October. In the Sierra de la Culebra the Pilar catches the tail end of the rut, and the guide is the one who knows whether the stags are still roaring; in Monfragüe you can hear it at dusk from the park viewpoints. The rule is the same in both: you go out with a guide at dawn or dusk, in silence and without leaving the tracks. If the rut is over, the Sanabria getaway is left with the Wolf Centre in Robledo, which is booked online, and the glacial lagoons, which in October can still be reached without snow. ## What is free on National Day? Every 12 October Patrimonio Nacional holds an open day at most of its sites: the monastery of El Escorial and the palace of Aranjuez have been included in other years, and the Royal Palace in Madrid is free that day for all nationalities. Free tickets are handed out at the ticket office the same day and run out: arrive at opening. Some small spaces, such as the Casita del Príncipe or the Casa del Labrador, are usually left out: check the official list for that year. In Madrid, that morning there is a military parade along the Paseo de la Castellana, with traffic closures in the centre from first thing. If you leave the city that morning, do it early and avoid the Castellana and Prado axis. ## What to book in September Whatever depends on a guide and whatever has few places. The guided deer rut in the Culebra and the Wolf Centre, first; then the rural houses in Villarreal de San Carlos and the Monfragüe 4x4 route. In the Ribera, wineries with visits fill their weekend slots in October, and the Carraovejas long tasting is bought with a date. In Silos and Covarrubias there are few beds: book them at the same time as lunch. ## October on the plateau October is mild by day and cold at night: in Peñafiel, Silos or Puebla de Sanabria it can be five degrees at dawn and twenty at midday. The first autumn rains sometimes arrive right on the Pilar, so bring footwear that can take mud for the juniper woods and the rut tracks. In return, the low light gilds the vineyards and the cliffs. ## The deer rut with children? Children who can keep quiet for an hour at dawn enjoy the rut; for the youngest, the Wolf Centre and Peñafiel castle, with its wine museum, work better. In Monfragüe, the 4x4 and the castle on the red route; in Ávila, the wall walk with its stairs and towers. Tastings, of course, are for adults. ## The return, along the A-1 and A-6 The afternoon of the last day of the long weekend is the heaviest of the autumn on the A-1, returning from Burgos and the Ribera, and on the A-6, returning from Zamora and Ávila. The A-5, from Monfragüe, goes a little better. Return after lunch or spend the last night near Madrid and come in early. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Why is it called the Pilar and Hispanidad long weekend? 12 October is the day of the Virgen del Pilar and Spain's National Day, formerly called Hispanidad Day. It is the same holiday, across Spain. ### Is the deer rut still on over the Pilar long weekend? Its last days. It usually runs from mid-September to mid-October, and in the Culebra the guide confirms whether the stags are still roaring. ### Which monuments are free on 12 October? Those of Patrimonio Nacional, such as the monastery of El Escorial and the Royal Palace, on their open day. Tickets are collected at the ticket office the same day. ### Can you see the grape harvest in the Ribera del Duero? It depends on the year: sometimes there are grapes still to pick and sometimes it is already over. Fermentation in the wineries and the harvest festivals do coincide with these dates.