Welcome to the other side of Madrid. To the most unknown part of this Autonomous Community, which will surprise you from the first moment you step on it. The Sierra Norte mountains of Madrid are the opposite of what you might think. A real haven of peace full of nature in which rural tourism has been growing in recent years.
It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful corners of the Community of Madrid, with landscapes dotted with waterfalls, forests and lakes that make this corner, less than an hour from the centre, a treasure to be discovered.
If we had to dissect this area, we would do it in six sub regions, all of them with the Lozoya river in its surroundings adorning each of its corners and more than forty municipalities.
What are the must-see places in the Sierra Norte de Madrid?
In almost every corner of the Sierra Norte, or northern mountains of Madrid, you will find places that are worth stopping for a while, and which form part of the spectacular scenery of the Sierra Norte.
If we had to start with one of them, it would undoubtedly be the Montejo beech forest, the only beech forest in the Community of Madrid, located in the village of Montejo de la Sierra.
In this natural space there are different hiking routes through which you will find beech trees that are more than 400 years old. If you want to know when to visit, you will find the most spectacular colours in autumn.
Another must place to visit in the Sierra Norte de Madrid is the Parque Natural de las Lagunas de Peñalara, located in the Sierra de Guadarrama, where you will find lakes of glacial origin that can be reached by different hiking routes.
Keeping in line with the natural places, the Cascadas del Purgatorio waterfalls will let you contemplate two waterfalls that come from the Aguilón stream, which are one of the photographs that you cannot miss. And while you're there, next to the waterfalls is the Monastery of El Paular, one of the highlights of the historical heritage in this area.
The Royal Monastery is more than 600 years old and is perfectly preserved nowadays. Nowadays there are also exhibitions of pictorial works.
And then we come to one of Madrid's favourite destinations for breathing fresh air: La Pedriza, a corner full of cliffs and rocks that serves as a relief from the big city. In this tourist area you can practice different sports as well as do some of the hiking routes that will take you to the highest spots.
With a marked relief in the Sierra Norte de Madrid we also find the Sierra de La Cabrera, which has two high altitude points on which the summit of Cancho Gordo, which is over 1,500 metres high, stands out.
The Dehesa del Villar and the Finnish Forest of Rascafría are other areas worth a visit.
So, are you ready to enjoy the more natiral side of Madrid?
