# Madrid's Sierra Norte: Patones, Buitrago and the Montejo Beech Forest

Patones de Arriba, the wall of Buitrago del Lozoya and the Montejo Beech Forest, with a free pass: Madrid's quietest sierra, an hour along the A-1.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/sierra-norte · Revisado: 2026-11-12

The Sierra Norte is the third of the Community of Madrid that lies north of the A-1: valleys of the Lozoya and the Jarama, reservoirs, villages of slate and granite and the Sierra del Rincón, a biosphere reserve, next to Guadalajara and Segovia. It is the Madrid sierra with the fewest people. This guide gathers its three clearest visits for a day or a weekend: Patones de Arriba, Buitrago del Lozoya and the Montejo Beech Forest.

## Which area should I choose?

Patones and the Pontón de la Oliva. To the east, an hour from Madrid. A village of black slate on a hillside, restaurants in restored houses, climbing walls for beginners and the old dam of the Pontón de la Oliva in the Lozoya gorge. It is the half-day plan with a long lunch.

Buitrago del Lozoya. To the north, an hour and a quarter along the A-1. The best-preserved walled enclosure in the region, ringed by the Lozoya, and a small museum with works that Picasso gave to his barber, who was born here. In summer, the Riosequillo swimming pool.

The Montejo Beech Forest. In the far north, an hour and a half away. A riverside beech forest beside the Jarama, a World Heritage Site, which can only be visited with a guide and with a pass.

Patones and Buitrago are about 40 minutes from each other. Buitrago and the Beech Forest, about 40 minutes via Montejo de la Sierra. Combining all three in a day is not worth it: choose two, or sleep a night.

## Do you have to book the Montejo Beech Forest?

Yes: the visit is free but always with a pass, because the beech forest has a limited number of visits a day. There are two ways. The online booking is by lottery, from the 1st to the 5th and from the 16th to the 20th of each month, on the Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve website. The other is to turn up on the same day at the Information Centre, at Calle Real 64 in Montejo de la Sierra, 8 km before the beech forest, where they hand out the passes that remain. In both cases the pass is collected there: at least one hour before the trail, at 9:30 for the 10:00 one and before 14:30 for the afternoon ones. Children count in the quota, except babies in carriers. Dogs are not allowed. It is closed on Mondays, on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 and 6 January.

## How do you get there from Madrid?

By car. For Patones, along the A-1 and Torrelaguna, around an hour; the car stays at the entrance to Patones de Arriba, and at weekends from September there is a shuttle from Patones de Abajo, from 11:30 to 19:00. For Buitrago, the A-1 to exit 74, about 75 km. For the Beech Forest, continue from Buitrago towards Montejo de la Sierra. From Guadalajara you reach Patones via Torrelaguna in less than an hour; from Segovia, Buitrago via the Navafría pass or along the A-1.

Without a car, ALSA's line 191 goes from Plaza de Castilla to Buitrago. For Patones and for the Beech Forest there is no bus that lets you go and return in the day comfortably.

## Where to park?

In Buitrago all the parking is free: the municipal car park on Calle Tahona, with about 65 spaces and open from 8:00 to 21:00, the Plaza del Belén Viviente and Calle Fuente de Arriba, among others. Non-residents may neither enter nor park inside the walled enclosure. At Riosequillo there are 700 free spaces. In Patones de Arriba the village is pedestrian: park at the entrance.

## When to go?

The Beech Forest is in demand above all in autumn, when the beeches turn yellow, in October and November: it is when it is hardest to get a pass. Spring is the best time for Patones and for climbing; in summer, the Riosequillo pool is the plan with children, and the walls at Patones burn at midday. In winter it may snow in Montejo and the wall at Buitrago opens only in the morning on Sunday.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: The Central System
- Cerca: Pedraza (a 21.2 km), Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara (a 22.8 km), Manzanares el Real and La Pedriza (a 35.0 km), Navacerrada Pass and Cercedilla (a 38.9 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Guided path through the Hayedo de Montejo** (Families and walkers; children count in the booking except babies in backpacks): A riverside beech forest beside the River Jarama, on the border with Guadalajara, which forms part of the 'Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe', declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It lies within the Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve, about 100 km from Madrid. The Community of Madrid considers it a highly sensitive protected natural area, so it admits only a limited number of visits a day, always guided and free.
The three paths
The beech forest is walked with a guide along one of three itineraries, all following the course of the Jarama: the viewpoint path, the hillside path and the river path. Each has its own departure times, which you see when booking. The river path is the simplest and the only one that can be done in a wheelchair, for roughly its first kilometre: the ground is earth with small stones and roots, the streams are crossed on wooden walkways and there are benches at intervals. The slope at the entrance, however, does not meet accessibility requirements.
During the visit you may not leave the marked paths or pick plants, leaves, mushrooms or fruit. In October and November the beeches turn ochre and reddish, and that is when passes are most in demand.
How to get the pass
The visit is free, but always with a pass. There are two ways:

Online booking, on the Sierra del Rincón website. The system opens on the 1st and 16th of each month at 9:30 and places are allocated by draw after a five-day window, from the 1st to the 5th and the 16th to the 20th.
In-person pass, handed out the same day at the Reserve Information Centre, at Calle Real, 64, Montejo de la Sierra, about 8 km before the beech forest.

Online passes must also be collected in person at that centre, at least an hour before departure: for the 10:00 path, at 9:30, when it opens; for the afternoon ones, before 14:30, because the centre closes at 14:45. Those not collected are cancelled and go on sale in person. Children count in the booking, except babies carried in a backpack. It is best to arrive at the beech forest 10 to 15 minutes early.
It is closed on Mondays, or the first working day of the week, and on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 and 6 January. Dogs cannot enter, except assistance dogs with their documentation.
Schools, associations and employment workshops book separately, by phone, in groups of up to 60 people from Tuesday to Friday morning.
Getting there
By the A-1 to kilometre 76 and the M-137 towards Prádena del Rincón and Montejo de la Sierra. First you stop in Montejo, for the pass, and then continue to the beech forest. Information on 91 869 70 58 or at centrorbsr@madrid.org.
What to combine
The information centre in Montejo has a permanent exhibition on the natural and cultural heritage of the Sierra del Rincón, with models, dioramas and an ethnographic collection; while you wait for your path time, it is worth it. On the way back to Madrid, the A-1 passes Buitrago del Lozoya: its wall and Picasso Museum are also closed on Mondays, so the good day is Tuesday to Sunday.
- **Patones de Arriba, the black slate village** (1 h 30 · Everyone; slopes and cobbles, no easy pushchair access): Patones de Arriba is the old core of the municipality, a hamlet of black slate on a hillside above the Jarama valley. It was left almost empty in the 20th century, when its residents moved down to live in Patones de Abajo, and today it is a Site of Cultural Interest, with cobbled streets, threshing floors and several restaurants in restored houses. It can be walked at an easy pace in an hour and a half.
A little history
According to the Sierra Norte tourism website, shepherds from Uceda founded in the 16th century a small hamlet to which they gave the surname of its founders, Patón. For a long time it was a forgotten district of Uceda, and tradition says its residents named their own king to govern themselves, until Charles III gave them independence. In the surroundings there are much older remains: on the Cabeza hill, traces from the Neolithic and Bronze Age were found.
What to see on the walk

The old church of San José. It began as a hermitage with a bell gable in 1653, became a church in 1753, was abandoned in the 19th century and was rebuilt in the 1990s as a cultural centre. Unlike the houses, its walls are of limestone. Inside is the tourist office, with an exhibition hall and a model of the village.
The Fuente Nueva and the wash-house, from 1908, with two spouts and a large trough.
The threshing floors, stone terraces where grain was threshed, which now serve as viewpoints.
The tinados and arrenes, slate buildings in the upper part for livestock and harvest, with good views.
The wood-fired ovens. In the mid-20th century about twenty were working; about six remain, almost all on Calle del Despeñadero.
The slate houses, some of two storeys with Arabic-tile roofs from the 18th century.

How to get up: car, shuttle or on foot
Car access to Patones de Arriba is reserved for residents and authorised vehicles, with camera control and a fine for anyone entering without permission. Park in the free car park at Patones de Abajo or in the park-and-ride one on Calle Arzobispo Baltasar Moscoso, which is unattended. From there there are two ways to go up:

The shuttle. It links the Patones de Abajo car park with the village at weekends and public holidays, from 11:30 to 19:00, without stopping except for the driver's break from 15:15 to 15:45. Seats are booked through the booking centre on the Patones tourism website, where timetables and price are published.
On foot, by the Barranco path, about 800 metres of climb. It is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

People with a blue reduced-mobility card can request a special authorisation from the town council, on 91 843 20 26, Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00.
By car from Madrid you take the A-1 to exit 50, the N-320 towards Torrelaguna and the M-102 to Patones de Abajo. By bus, ALSA lines 197 and 197A stop at Patones.
Tourist office and what to combine
The Patones tourist office is at Plaza del Llano, 1, and organises guided visits with a local guide. For lunch, in the village are El Rey de Patones, El Bodegón de Patones and Las Eras; to stay overnight, the Hotel Rural La Fuente or El Bulín de Patones. Ten minutes by car away, the Pontón de la Oliva dam; and on the walls of Patones de Abajo, the introductory climbing session.
- **Buitrago del Lozoya Wall and the Clock Tower** (1 h · Everyone; under-10s free · 5): The River Lozoya surrounds Buitrago on three sides and the wall, about 800 metres long, closes the fourth. The tourist office calls it the most distinctive and best-preserved fortified complex in the Community of Madrid, and it has been a national monument since 1931. It is visited in two parts: the upper one, with a ticket, and the lower one, by the river, free.
A little history
The first wall, of rammed earth, was probably built by the Muslims or the first Christian settlers, between the 11th and 12th centuries. It was altered several times over the centuries, but always kept the same layout, which follows the meander of the river. Inside remain the church of Santa María del Castillo and the castle of the Mendoza family, which is now temporarily closed.
The upper wall: Clock Tower and siege weapons
The paid part is the southern or upper wall, with its wall-walk, the Clock Tower and an exhibition of medieval weapons and siege machines. You enter from Plaza de Angelines Paino, next to the church of Santa María del Castillo, and the ticket is bought beforehand at the tourist information point beside the staircase. Allow an hour at an easy pace.

Price: €5 general; €4 reduced for over-65s, youth card holders and people with disabilities, with proof; free for under-10s and for holders of the residents' card.
1 April to 31 October: Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 to 13:45 and 16:15 to 17:45; Saturdays, 11:30 to 13:45 and 16:30 to 18:45; Sundays and public holidays, 11:30 to 13:45.
1 November to 31 March: Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30 to 13:45 and 16:15 to 17:45; Sundays and public holidays, 11:30 to 13:45.

It is closed on Mondays, as well as 1 and 6 January, 15 August, the local festivals in August and September and 24, 25 and 31 December. You cannot enter in the last quarter of an hour before closing.
If you prefer to have it explained, the town council organises the visit 'Two Millennia of Artillery', 1 h 15 min, on the weapons and siege machines, leaving from the information point next to the church: Fridays, Saturdays and eves of public holidays at 12:00 and 16:30, and Sundays and public holidays at 12:00, at the same prices.
The lower or river wall
It can be walked free and at any time. You climb by stairs from Calle Hospitalillo, near Plaza del Castillo, or from the Medieval Garden, at the northern end. It is the stretch seen from the Arrabal bridge and from the Ribera del Lozoya promenade, which has two viewpoints over the enclosure.
Getting there and parking
Buitrago is about 75 km from Madrid by the A-1, exit 74, and the 191 bus arrives from Plaza de Castilla. Cars of non-residents cannot enter the enclosure. Park free in the municipal car park on Calle Tahona, of about 65 spaces, next to the tourist office, or on Calle Puente Nuevo.
What to combine
The Picasso Museum, free, on the town hall square, fits into the same morning. For lunch inside the enclosure, the Asador Las Murallas; to sleep right against the walls, La Beltraneja.
- **Introductory climbing and abseiling in Patones** (4 h · Beginners, families with children from age 6 and groups · Desde 45 € per person): The limestone walls of Patones de Abajo are one of the classic climbing schools near Madrid, and the Sierra Norte tourism website lists introductory sessions, guided climbs and training in the municipality. For a first time on rock, PlanetSport Multiaventura, a company from Talamanca de Jarama, organises its introductory climbing and abseiling session here.
What the session is like
It is an introductory, level 1 activity, designed for any age and fitness. It is 4 hours on rock starting at 10:00: the guide explains the equipment, teaches the basic techniques of progression and belaying and it finishes with an abseil, coming down the rope. The company runs it at Patones de Abajo and also at Torrelodones; when booking you choose the place and date.
It includes:

Climbing guide.
Technical equipment: harness, rope, slings, helmet, figure-of-eight and carabiners.
Civil liability and accident insurance.
Photo report.

Transport can be added as an extra, at additional cost.
Price, group and age
PlanetSport publishes a price of €45 per person (€55 without the offer) and €40 per person for groups of 10 or more. The minimum group is 4 people. Children from 6 years old can take part, accompanied by an adult. Book on its website, with a date or without, paying a deposit, or by phone and WhatsApp on 699 361 161. The cancellation conditions are on its website.
The Sierra Norte tourist office also publishes a short 2-hour climbing course for €35, for those who want something briefer.
What to bring

Trainers or hiking boots. Climbing shoes are optional: if you do not have any, they are not needed.
Stretchy clothing suited to the season.
Small rucksack, 20 to 30 litres.
Sun cream and sunglasses.
Water, energy bars and food.

In summer the limestone heats up and the morning is the best time; spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons for climbing at Patones.
Getting there
Patones de Abajo is an hour from Madrid by the A-1 to exit 50, the N-320 towards Torrelaguna and the M-102. There is free parking in the village, and ALSA lines 197 and 197A stop at Patones. The exact meeting point is given by the company when confirming the booking.
What to combine
After the climb, go up for lunch at Patones de Arriba, 800 metres along the Barranco path or on the weekend shuttle. There are El Bodegón de Patones, El Rey de Patones and Las Eras. In the afternoon, the Pontón de la Oliva dam is ten minutes by car.
- **Pontón de la Oliva Dam** (1 h · Everyone): Downstream from the El Atazar reservoir, the River Lozoya cuts a limestone gorge in which the Pontón de la Oliva dam was built in the mid-19th century. The Community of Madrid presents it as the first attempt to supply Madrid with quality water from reservoirs. Today it is out of service and is not part of the Canal de Isabel II supply system, but it remains as an ashlar wall between rocks, on the border with Guadalajara, about ten minutes by car from Patones.
What you see
A stone dam wedged between cliffs, with the riverbed at its foot and the landscape of scrub and woodland around. In spring 2026, with the heavy rains of March and April and the releases from El Atazar, it almost filled.
The short stop is an hour: get out of the car, look over the dam and stroll a little along the bank. The Lozoya and Alto Jarama canals, the GR-10 and the Senda del Genaro (GR-300) also pass through this area, and the Sierra Norte tourism website also cites the La Parra dam, the Navarejo one and the Valdentales weir.
The water routes
In October 2025 the Canal de Isabel II and the Community of Madrid opened the Pontón as the first space of their free app 'Rutas del Agua Multimedia', for Android and iOS. It has two signposted routes:

Linear: 3.5 km, 120 m of ascent and about 2 hours.
Circular: 8 km, 360 m of ascent and about 3 h 30.

At the dam car park there is an information panel where you can download the app before you start. The app has geolocated maps, audio, video, augmented reality and an offline mode, useful because coverage is poor in the gorge.
With children, the linear one is the one that fits; the circular one needs legs. Take water and hiking footwear, and in summer set out early: the limestone gets very hot. Dogs on a lead.
Getting there
From Madrid, take the A-1 to exit 50, the N-320 towards Torrelaguna and the M-102 to Patones de Abajo. From there continue along the road towards Valdepeñas de la Sierra to the dam, where the car park is. ALSA buses 197 and 197A stop at Patones, and the dam is a few kilometres further on, by road.
What to combine
It combines very well with a walk around Patones de Arriba and lunch in the village, for example at El Rey de Patones or at Las Eras. If you fancy some rock, the walls of Patones de Abajo are a school for beginner climbing. Route information at the Patones tourist office.
- **Picasso Museum – Eugenio Arias Collection** (40 min · Adults and teenagers): It is a small museum with a story of friendship behind it. Eugenio Arias was born in Buitrago in 1909 and worked in the village as a barber until the Civil War. He then went into exile in France and, around 1946, opened his barbershop in Vallauris, on the Côte d'Azur, where Picasso lived with Françoise Gilot. He was his barber and friend for 26 years, and what the painter gave him between 1948 and 1973 he donated to his home village in 1982.
What you see
The collection brings together about sixty pieces: ceramics, lithographs, exhibition posters, drawings, gouaches, pyrographs, photographs and books inscribed by Picasso to Arias. The Community of Madrid highlights an anthropomorphic amphora painted by Picasso, a plate with the dedication 'To my friend Arias' and a door painted with a bullfighting scene. It was the first museum created by the Community of Madrid and opened on 5 March 1985 in the basement of the town hall, at Plaza de Picasso, 1.
It can be seen in under an hour, and works well with children because of its size: it does not tire. According to the Community of Madrid, the museum is accessible to most visitors with physical, sensory or cognitive disabilities; inside only identified guide and assistance dogs are admitted.
Hours and price
Admission is free, as are the guided tours and temporary exhibitions.

Tuesday to Friday: 11:00 to 13:45 and 16:00 to 18:00.
Saturdays: 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 19:00.
Sundays and public holidays: 10:00 to 14:00.

It is closed on Mondays, 1 and 6 January, Easter Sunday, 24, 25 and 31 December and on local festivals: in 2026, 14 August and 15 September. On Sundays, except in August, there is a free guided tour from 12:00 to 13:30 without booking. Hours may change for special events, so if you are going on a tight schedule call first on 674 381 275 or 918 680 056 (extension 4), or write to museopicasso@buitrago.org.
At Calle Tahona, 19, the municipal exhibition hall hosts temporary shows; the tourist office publishes its programme in the cultural agenda.
Getting there
Buitrago is about 75 km from Madrid by the A-1, exit 74. The 191 bus leaves from the Plaza de Castilla interchange. Leave the car in the municipal car park on Calle Tahona, next to the tourist office: you cannot park inside the enclosure.
What to combine
The museum and the wall with the Clock Tower fill a morning; watch out, because both are closed on Monday. Afterwards, a walk to the Arrabal bridge and lunch at the Asador Las Murallas.
- **Arrabal Bridge and a walk beside the Lozoya** (45 min · Everyone): North of Buitrago's medieval enclosure, the Arrabal bridge, which in the village is also called the Old Bridge, crosses the Lozoya with a single semicircular arch. It is the walk for after lunch or for stretching your legs before climbing the wall: free, with no opening hours and five minutes on foot from the square.
What you see
The tourist office describes it as entirely of granite, in rubble and ashlar masonry, resting on a single arch over the river. On the north face it has two buttresses; on the south face it keeps some small attached arches, remains of an old aqueduct that carried drinking water to the arrabal, the district that grew outside the walls. The town council website does not publish a construction date, so do not trust signs that attribute it to a specific century without a source.
From the bridge and from the bank you understand how Buitrago is built: the Lozoya surrounds the village on three sides and the wall closes the fourth. Across the water you have the lower wall, the river one, which can be walked freely at any time. You climb by some steps from Calle Hospitalillo, next to Plaza del Castillo, or from the Medieval Garden, at the northern end of the enclosure.
Walks that start here
The bridge is the starting point of one of the routes published by the town council, that of the Calicanto bridge and the Trinidad bell gable: about 4 km and 1 h 30 on foot. If you prefer not to stray from the water, the Ribera del río Lozoya promenade is short, about 560 m. It leaves from Paseo del Río Lozoya, next to Juan Pablo II park, skirts the river before it reaches the Puentes Viejas reservoir and has two viewpoints over the walled enclosure. Those who want something longer can link it with the Gariñas pine wood route, 8 km and about 2 h 30, which runs partly along the reservoir shore.
It is a flat walk suitable for all ages. With a pushchair, the bridge and the river promenade are fine; the steps of the lower wall are not. Dogs on a lead.
Getting there and parking
Buitrago is about 75 km from Madrid by the A-1, exit 74, or on the ALSA 191 bus from the Plaza de Castilla interchange. Cars of non-residents cannot enter or park inside the walled enclosure, but there is no blue zone: the municipal car park on Calle Tahona has about 65 spaces and is open from 8:00 to 21:00, and there are other free areas on Calle Puente Nuevo, the cemetery road or Plaza del Belén Viviente.
What to combine
Join the walk with the wall and Clock Tower and with the Picasso Museum, which is free. For lunch inside the enclosure there is the Asador Las Murallas, and in summer, 2 km away, the Riosequillo pool.
- **Riosequillo recreation area pool** (4 h · Families in summer): The pool at the Riosequillo recreation area is Buitrago del Lozoya's summer plan: a sheet of water of about 4,500 square metres, which the town council presents as one of the largest in Spain, with lawn, pine shade and a capacity of 2,305 people a day. It is about 2 km from the village, next to the A-1.
What there is
Two pools supervised by lifeguards, the large one and a children's one, lawns with shade and a pine wood. There is a bar with a terrace and an ice-cream stand, and you can bring your own food and use the picnic tables in the green area. Your own parasols, well secured, and folding chairs or loungers are allowed if they do not cause a nuisance. There is a first-aid post with a medical service, two hydraulic chairs for getting into the water, a ramp into the pool and adapted toilets and parking spaces. There is no play centre or children's area with monitors.
Speakers and loud music are not allowed, and pets cannot enter, except accredited assistance animals.
Season, hours and prices
In 2026 it opened from 30 June to 30 August, Tuesday to Sunday; closed on Mondays. Dates change every year: check the recreation area's website before going.

Tuesday to Friday: access from 11:00 to 20:00; large pool from 11:20 to 19:35 and children's pool from 12:00 to 19:00.
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: access from 10:30 to 20:30; large pool from 10:45 to 20:00 and children's pool from 11:50 to 19:00.

General admission costs €9 on weekdays and €14 at weekends and public holidays. The reduced rate, for children aged 3 to 15, over-65s, people with a disability of 33% or more and large families, costs €6 on weekdays and €10 at weekends, with proof at the entrance. Groups of 25 or more pay €6 from Tuesday to Friday, with prior booking. Under-16s enter with an adult.
Before you go
Tickets are sold only at the ticket office, one per person present, and are not refundable; if you leave, you must pay again to re-enter. When capacity is full, no one is admitted for the rest of the day, so at weekends it is best to arrive early and for the family or group to arrive together.
Getting there
By car, take the A-1 to exit 74; parking is free, with about 700 spaces, a motorbike area and reserved spaces, and you cannot reserve a space. By bus, the 191 and other lines that stop at Buitrago leave you less than a quarter of an hour's walk away; the most direct from Madrid is the 191 bus from Plaza de Castilla.
What to combine
Late in the afternoon, when the sun goes down, go up to the village to see the Buitrago wall or stroll beside the river to the Arrabal bridge.

## Dónde comer
- **El Rey de Patones** (Restaurant, Patones de Arriba, €€). Qué pedir: suckling kid or migas, and whatever is in season at the weekend
- **Las Eras Restaurant** (Restaurant, Patones de Arriba, €€). Qué pedir: chargrilled meat with sautéed vegetables, or migas with chorizo
- **El Bodegón de Patones** (Restaurant, Patones de Arriba, €€). Qué pedir: a spoon dish and whatever the garden gives that week
- **Asador Las Murallas Restaurant** (Restaurant, Buitrago del Lozoya, €€). Qué pedir: Torreznos or ham with beans to start, a roast Sierra de Guadarrama meat and, for dessert, French toast with ice cream

## By car: By car along the A-1
The Sierra Norte is done by car: Patones, the Pontón de la Oliva, Buitrago and the Hayedo de Montejo are far from each other and have no bus linking them. The A-1 is the backbone: exit 74 for Buitrago and Riosequillo, and the turn-off via Torrelaguna for Patones.
Presupuesto orientativo: 50–100 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Rural La Fuente** (Small hotel, desde 40 € / night): Four rooms in the slate village
La Fuente is a very small hotel inside Patones de Arriba, at Calle del Despeñadero, 7, in a traditional village house. It has four double rooms, each with its own bathroom, and a shared space with a fireplace and a full kitchen that works as a family living room. It is accommodation for those who want to sleep inside the village, walk out to dinner at the restaurants on the neighbouring streets and have the hills at the door.
La Higuera, La Acacia, La Encina and La Sabina
The rooms are named after trees and have wifi and ambient music. According to the description the hotel published on its blog in 2023:

La Higuera, on the ground floor, with its own door to the outside, so you do not pass through the common areas; the hotel recommends it for those travelling with a pet.
La Acacia, on the second floor, very bright, with views of the village and a whirlpool bath.
La Encina, also on the second floor, with a cast-iron bath.
La Sabina, the largest, attic-style, with a balcony over the village, jacuzzi and air conditioning.

On that blog the rates ranged from €80 to €105 a night per room with breakfast for two, with a discount from two nights; the Sierra Norte tourist office advertises it from €40. These are prices to confirm, because the current website does not publish them: ask on 659 39 90 69.
La Higuera, for those arriving with a pet
It accepts pets, and La Higuera, with direct access to the street, is the room the hotel itself assigns to those travelling with them.
Car below, suitcase up the Barranco Path
By car, take the A-1 and Torrelaguna to Patones. Car access to Patones de Arriba is reserved for residents and authorised vehicles, with a camera and fine: ask when booking whether the hotel arranges a permit for guests and, if not, leave the car in the free car park at Patones de Abajo and go up the Barranco Path, about 800 metres, or on the weekend shuttle explained by the tourist office.
For climbing at Patones de Abajo, the introductory climbing session is five minutes by car; for eating, Las Eras and El Bodegón de Patones are a few steps away.
- **El Bulín de Patones** (Apartment, desde 40 € / night): Four studios named after stones
El Bulín de Patones is four rural-tourism studios in a single house at Calle de las Escuelas, 6, in Patones de Arriba, with a shared outdoor courtyard. Each has its own kitchen and bathroom; there is no common lounge. They are named after stones:

Granito and Pizarra, on the ground floor: one bedroom with a double bed and a sofa bed, for two adults and a child.
Mica, a duplex between the ground and first floors: two bedrooms, with a double bed and two singles, for two adults and two children.
Cuarzo, a duplex on the top floor: the same as Mica, for two adults and two children.

Booking all four sleeps up to 14 people, with a maximum of 10 adults and 4 children, so it works for a family or friends' get-together in the village.
What they have inside
The kitchens have a ceramic hob, microwave, fridge and Nespresso and Italian coffee makers. There is central heating, air conditioning, wifi and Smart TV with Netflix and Prime Video. There is no fireplace, barbecue or pool. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00, with free late check-out if available; in Patones there is no Sunday check-in. Access is by digital lock, with the details arriving when you check in online.
Two dogs per stay, except in Cuarzo
They accept up to two dogs per stay in Granito, Pizarra and Mica, for €20 per stay, if you mention it when booking. In Cuarzo they are not accepted.
The car and the village
Car access to Patones de Arriba is reserved for residents and authorised vehicles. As a guest you can request in advance a permit from the 'Mi Estancia' area to park in the residents' car park at the village entrance, although the permit does not guarantee a space. Otherwise, park free at Patones de Abajo and go up the Barranco Path, about 800 metres.
Who runs it
It is part of El Bulín, which manages more than forty houses in twelve villages of the Sierra Norte of Madrid and Segovia, with direct booking on its website and service on 918 699 200 or at reservas@elbulin.es. Price and availability are seen in its booking engine.
From the door you walk to Patones de Arriba and the restaurants, such as El Rey de Patones, a few steps away; by car, the Pontón de la Oliva is about ten minutes away.
- **La Beltraneja** (Small hotel): Two houses against the wall
La Beltraneja came from joining two humble houses at Calle del Arco, 10, in Buitrago del Lozoya, which hid in their walls original sections of the wall, the one the Arabs built around the 10th century. Restoring façades and interiors produced an irregularly shaped accommodation, with a bathroom carved into a tower and beds whose headboard is the wall itself, the wall-walk or the barbican. It is named after Juana la Beltraneja, who lived in the Mendoza castle in Buitrago. Sleeping here is sleeping inside the walled enclosure, with the Clock Tower and the Picasso Museum a few steps away.
Six rooms, each with its piece of wall

La Villa, a 16 m² double on the ground floor, bright and soundproofed, with an original stone wall and a hydromassage column in the bathroom. It is the one with no stairs.
El Arco, a 24 m² suite of wood and stone, with two balconies, a wall shared with the wall and the original bathroom carved in the tower; an extra bed is possible.
Al-Rabad, an 18 m² superior double with brick and stone walls from a turret, reading corner and rain shower.
La Barbacana, a 27 m² suite with a 2 m canopy bed and two balconies over a buttress of the barbican.
La Torre, the smallest double, 14 m², with the tower's brick exposed and an attic bathroom.
El Adarve, a 25 m² attic suite with a headboard of wall stone and five windows onto the battlements; double bed or two beds.

All have wifi, 40-inch Smart TV, a direct-line telephone, minibar with water, Nespresso machine with coffee, milk and pastries, underfloor heating and toiletries; some have air conditioning. In the common areas there is tourist information, a smokers' terrace, a water dispenser and a microwave.
How it works
You come and go as you please: online check-in and access with codes, no permanent reception. The rooms are reached without a lift, except La Villa. It does not accept pets, according to the Buitrago tourist office. Prices are on its website, which offers better conditions there than on other platforms; contact on 91 868 03 31, 630 351 886 or at info@labeltranejahotel.com.
The car, on Calle Tahona
Inside the enclosure cars of non-residents cannot drive or park: leave the car in the free municipal car park on Calle Tahona and walk in. Without a car, the ALSA 191 bus runs from Plaza de Castilla to Buitrago.
From the door, the wall and Clock Tower and the Arrabal bridge; for lunch, the Asador Las Murallas is on Plaza de la Constitución.
### Servicios
- **Buitrago del Lozoya tourist office**: On Calle Tahona, next to the free municipal car park with 65 spaces

## As a family: Slate, walls and a forest with a pass

The Sierra Norte makes for a good family day if you choose one area: Patones with its village and climbing, or Buitrago with the wall and, if you have a pass, the Hayedo de Montejo. The distances between them are long for children.

### What works best
The upper wall of Buitrago, free for under-10s

The Hayedo de Montejo with a guide; children count in the booking

The introductory climbing session at Patones, from age 6

In summer, the Riosequillo pool

### Where to sleep
El Bulín de Patones, apartments for up to four

### Where to eat
Las Eras, with a terrace at the top of the village

### Bear in mind
Patones de Arriba is cobbled and on a slope: better a backpack than a pushchair

The beech forest is closed on Mondays and does not admit dogs

### Qué hacer as a family
- Guided path through the Hayedo de Montejo
- Patones de Arriba, the black slate village
- Buitrago del Lozoya Wall and the Clock Tower
- Introductory climbing and abseiling in Patones
- Pontón de la Oliva Dam
- Arrabal Bridge and a walk beside the Lozoya
- Riosequillo recreation area pool

## With a dog: With a dog around Patones and Buitrago

Patones is one of the sierra villages where it is easiest to travel with a dog: two places to stay and two restaurants accept them. The limit is the Hayedo de Montejo, where they cannot enter.

### Walks
The streets of Patones de Arriba, on a lead

The Pontón de la Oliva and the Lozoya bank

The Arrabal bridge and the lower wall of Buitrago

### Where to sleep
Hotel Rural La Fuente, in Patones de Arriba

El Bulín de Patones, apartments

### Bear in mind
Dogs are not admitted in the Hayedo de Montejo, except assistance dogs

Las Eras and El Bodegón accept dogs; the Asador Las Murallas, only on the terrace

La Beltraneja does not accept pets

### Qué hacer with a dog
- Patones de Arriba, the black slate village
- Pontón de la Oliva Dam
- Arrabal Bridge and a walk beside the Lozoya

### Dónde dormir with a dog
- Hotel Rural La Fuente: Pets accepted, according to the tourist office
- El Bulín de Patones: Up to two dogs, €20 per stay, mention when booking; not in the Cuarzo studio

## Consejos

### Enter the lottery on the 1st or the 16th
The online pass for the Beech Forest is by lottery on those days; if you do not win, start early and go for an in-person pass.

### Do not go to the Beech Forest on a Monday
It is closed every Monday, in autumn too.

### Go up to Patones on the shuttle
At weekends the entrance to the village fills up; the bus links Patones de Abajo and de Arriba.

### Work out the wall
On Sundays, the high wall at Buitrago closes at 13:45 and you cannot go in during the last quarter of an hour.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How do you get the pass for the Montejo Beech Forest?
By lottery on the Sierra del Rincón website (from the 1st to the 5th and from the 16th to the 20th of each month) or in person on the same day at the Information Centre in Montejo de la Sierra. In both cases it is collected there.

### How much does it cost to visit the Beech Forest?
Nothing. It is free, but with a pass.

### Can you go with a dog?
To Patones and to Buitrago, yes; to the Montejo Beech Forest, no.

### What is there to see in Patones de Arriba?
The slate village, a Site of Cultural Interest since 1999, and nearby the dam of the Pontón de la Oliva. For eating, El Rey de Patones or Las Eras.

### How much does the Buitrago wall cost?
€5 for the high wall and the Clock Tower; €4 reduced and free up to age 10. The low wall, by the river, is open to all.

### Is Buitrago castle open?
No, it is temporarily closed.