If you are a hiking lover or simply enjoy venturing throughout the natural environment, however, reside in Madrid, then city’s surroundings offer you several options. Yet, the most appealing one would be traveling to the Sierra de la Guadarrama. There, it’s possible to find the National Guadarrama Park, a vast amount of territory protected by the government filled with marvelous nature and continuously open for any trekkers.
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The options
First of all, in order to enjoy a memorable hike, it is necessary to know how to get there! But even here there’s a twist! The problem is that la Sierra can be reached from two sides: from Madrid and from Segovia. Both options propose different experiences. If you enjoy encountering human activity and occasional stops, then the option from Madrid would be more suitable. If you would like to enjoy the quiet and pacific environment, then the Segovia alternative would be better.
Madrid’s la Sierra
Reaching la Sierra from Madrid is relatively simple. There are a number of ways of getting there. Bus, train or car – it all depends on your preference. The simplest and most effective would be going by train. First of all, Renfe offers hourly trips from the Cercanias stations around the city. The route is numbered as C8 and it’s most comfortable option as an origin would be Pitis. From there, the journey will take about an hour and a half, leaving you at Cercedilla, a little town with much to see. Various forms of entertainment can be found there, ranging from skiing to horseback riding.
Segovia alternative
If human activity disparages the adventure, and the surrounding wildlife creates a tranquilizing effect on you, then the Segovia option would be more suiting. Keep in mind, that this option requires equipment such as mountain boots, a backpack with supplies and a priorly defined route (or a GPS). Unlike the simplicity of the journey to the Madrid side, this one is definitely more complex due to its lack of direct infrastructure to the other side of the park. You need to reach Segovia to begin the trekking trip.
The next step is to get on the bus that will take you to the village of la Granja de San Ildefonso. From there, you are ready to begin your real hiking trip! Simply walk around the Royal Palace of San Ildefonso, and you will find yourself in front of a mountain, ready for your hike. Choose a trail and hike all the way to the top. Along the way there is a tiny shelter where adventurers can rest and contemplate the gorgeous view from which the town of Segovia is transformed into a minuscule piece of a puzzle, combining with the endless fields.
Both are great choices, it all depends on yor preference. The Madrid side offers a variety of activities with already developed infrastructure. The Segovia option opens up the natural world of la Sierra de la Guadarrama and allows you to enjoy a real hiking journey to the top.
