Fuenfría Roman road from Las Dehesas

What it is

The paved track that climbs up the Fuenfría valley towards the pass of the same name, the route that linked Madrid and Segovia before the Navacerrada road existed. You walk among pines and oaks over the same stretches of stone that muleteers and carriages travelled for centuries; very close runs the Bourbon road, from the 18th century.

What it is like

The National Park trail (PNSG-036) is about 5.5 km long and takes about three hours at an easy pace. It starts from the Las Dehesas area, in Cercedilla, next to the Fuenfría Visitor Centre, and climbs steadily but without difficult sections. From the Fuenfría pass you can link up with the Camino Schmid or return by the Camino Viejo de Segovia.

Getting there and parking

The Fuenfría Visitor Centre is at km 2 of the Las Dehesas road (M-966), in Cercedilla. The Las Dehesas recreation area car park has a maximum of 240 cars and can only be entered with a prior reservation and payment of the fee, which is handled by Cercedilla town council. Without a car: the C-8 train to Cercedilla and, from the station, on foot along the path parallel to the road, the Camino Puricelli or the Camino del Agua, or on the bus that goes up to the Hospital de la Fuenfría, which stops in front of the centre.

In snow

In winter the valley is often covered in snow. With hard snow or ice, it is better with snowshoes or a guide.