Bus 191 Madrid – Buitrago del Lozoya

Line 191 links the Plaza de Castilla interchange with Buitrago del Lozoya and continues to Somosierra. It is operated by ALSA, and the ticket is bought on the bus. Buitrago is about 75 km north of Madrid; according to the Transport Consortium timetable, the journey takes between an hour and a half and a little over an hour and three quarters, depending on the service. Patones and the Hayedo de Montejo have no useful bus for a same-day return: for them you need a car. Check Sunday timetables at crtm.es.

Route

It leaves the underground interchange at Plaza de Castilla and passes along Paseo de la Castellana, the La Paz Hospital, the Infanta Sofía Hospital in San Sebastián de los Reyes, San Agustín del Guadalix, El Molar, Venturada, Cabanillas de la Sierra, La Cabrera, El Berrueco, Sieteiglesias and Lozoyuela before reaching Buitrago. Some services continue to La Serna del Monte, Robregordo and Somosierra.

Weekend timetables

On working Saturdays there are a dozen departures from Madrid, from 7:55 to 22:30. The morning ones, at 7:55, 8:00 and 9:00, reach Buitrago in time for a day visit; the 10:30 arrives after 12:00. Some services go via Cabanillas and La Cabrera and others do not stop at every village: check the marks for each service in the timetable. On Sundays and public holidays the timetable is similar, with the first departure also first thing.

Check beforehand at crtm.es or alsa.es; ALSA can be reached on 91 177 99 51. On Friday nights and the eves of public holidays there is also a night service.

On arriving in Buitrago

Cars of non-residents cannot drive in the walled enclosure. In Buitrago you walk to the wall, the Picasso Museum and the Arrabal bridge and the River Lozoya. The tourist office is on Calle Tahona; from there you book the monumental guided tour. The Mendoza castle remains temporarily closed, according to the town council website.

In summer, the Riosequillo pool is the afternoon plan, and for lunch you have the Asador Las Murallas.

Beyond Buitrago

From Buitrago, other lines continue towards the Lozoya valley and Rascafría, but with few departures. For the Hayedo de Montejo, moreover, you have to collect the pass at the information centre in Montejo de la Sierra, 8 km from the beech forest, and for Patones de Arriba the line is another, the 197 from Plaza de Castilla. If you only have a day and no car, Buitrago is the easiest destination in the Sierra Norte.