Madrid is not only the city of museums, it also has beautiful towns and forests to walk around. Our motorhome can make a stop on the way and take advantage of its groves, mountains and its native fauna and flora. The best times to visit are autumn and spring due to their mild temperatures, although the other seasons can also have their charm.
Those dramatic reddish hues of the fall months and bloom are sights to see. The mountain range of the north of Madrid is a good example of this, in it we can contemplate beech, oak, chestnut or pine forests. If to this we add large masses of poplars, poplars, hazelnuts and alders, we have a perfect setting for a getaway.
In general, in addition, the access roads are quite good and in many of the main forests there are parking lots for public visits where we can leave our vehicle-house. Although overnight stays are not allowed here, luckily we have some very well located campsites next to the main 'forest recreation' centers.
Rascafría is one of Madrid's first options when it comes to cooling down in summer thanks to its temperatures in summer and its natural pools. Although in winter the access is more complicated by the cold or the snow, we will not have problems to go with our vehicle. The name of this forest also makes us understand its microclimate, since it makes us travel to an enchanted forest in other parts of northern Europe. We can find poplars, birches, firs and poplars, as well as a unique greenness thanks to the humidity of the place around the Lozoya river and the lake that crowns the landscape next to a cabin that was used as a sauna (from which the name of the forest) and a charming jetty.
We can start the walk from the Paular monastery and follow the well-known paper route that makes us cross the Perdón bridge and enter this 'Finnish' redoubt that ends with the beginning of the Giner de los Rios Forest, whose visit is also worth the visit. pain.
To stop to rest, we can opt for the compacted earth parking near the Paular Monastery, but which is reserved for visits and request a prior reservation. It has a rest area with tables and chairs.
In Rascafría, expert caravanners recommend the Los Robledos car park to spend the night. There is a water source although there are no toilets, but the spectacular views of the Lozoya and Peñalara valley make up for it.
This beech forest is a Natural Heritage of Humanity and recognized as part of the Sierra del Rincón biosphere reserve. Its trees are more than 250 years old and heights of more than 20 meters. However, due to the fragility of the beech, this place is protected and can only be visited by appointment and with a guide, but they are free.
The 50% is reserved online and the rest on the day at the visitor center on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance reservations are open for fortnights on the 1st and 16th of each month.
They have three routes of different difficulty. The simplest is the river path that has no slope and runs alongside the Jarama for 3 kilometers. The other two routes are not much longer but have an uphill and downhill slope of 10o12%. These are the Sendas de la Ladera and del Mirador. The latter, although it is the most expensive, allows us to start enjoying half a kilometer next to the river and end with a panoramic view of the entire natural park.
To spend the night we recommend the Monte Holiday campsite in Gargantilla de Lozoya, but there are also free parking areas in the villages of the sierra del rincón
Very close to the beech forest, also in the Sierra del Rincón, this magnificent oak grove also has meadows and three varieties of oak: common, albar and rebollo or melojo. The routes are simple, which makes this forest a visit suitable for the whole family. In one of them we can see an ancient flour mill.
For the visit we will have to park on the outskirts of the town of La Hiruela in front of the Dehesa. The path that begins the route to the forest passes by the Church of San Miguel and by an old reconstructed flour mill.
We will pass along the banks of the Jarama and some old charcoal pits before plunging into the lush oak grove and walking we will find many road signs with steps that will allow us to admire the Cardoso mountain range. For the night we have the same options as the Hayedo.
The specialty of Comercial Caravaning is the close relationship with our clients. You can come check it out at Comercial Caravaning in Alcorcón, very close to Madrid, Móstoles, Leganés... Very close to TI (experts in caravans, motorhomes and campers in the south of Madrid).
