Cuenca is perhaps best known for its gravity-defying hanging houses, which sit perilously on the edge of a steep cliff. Famous for Flamenco and the traditional Spanish pastime of bullfighting. The Pyrenees are an amazing mountain range that is not high on many tourists' radars. Getting There: Trains from Madrid get you to Cuenca in about an hour. Alicante. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If you would rather take public transport, you can get buses to various towns in the region from Valladolid which is reachable from Madrid by train or intercity bus. Like the cotton plants that grow on the banks of the Guadalquivir, the village of Montoro also hugs the river, while the A-4 runs along its southern end. About 20-minutes up the road from El Escorial is The Valle de Los Cados, which translates to The Valley of the Fallen. You will do an abridged version of the Andalucia road trip above, but get a much broader view of Spain having driven from one corner to another. During your stay in Salamanca, you could surely take a quick drive to Portugal. Here's where to go if you want to see a different side of this fascinating country and be back in Madrid in time for an evening tapas crawl. Zaragoza is on the high-speed train route between Madrid and Barcelona meaning there are loads of departures from Atocha station throughout the day. The A-1 autova connects Madrid with Irn, in Guipzcoa (a province in Spains Basque country, next to the French border). It is only 45 minutes by car or a little under an hour by train. As you can imagine, this region is well known for hunting, so there is a huge variety of meats. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". If you would like to read a more in-depth guide, check out my what to see in Zaragoza post to be fully inspired. It may be the world's most expensive spice, but it's one of the region's specialties. Medina del Campo: It is just a short drive from Coca. To enjoy Madrid's idyllic side complete with classic terraces and markets, La Latina is the place to be! La Sierra de Madrid is a stunning mountain range that offers a scenic drive and a chance to immerse yourself in Spains natural beauty. And if you go on this drive through Segovia (which I highly recommend doing! Valencia 11. The palace is characterized by luxury and rich decoration. First the Plaza Mayor. While outside of Spain, there is no doubt Rioja is considered the best wine from the country, however, those in the know also talk about this smaller wine region named Ribera del Duero. You can easily explore the key sites and be back in Madrid ready for dinner. I spent almost 10 years in the US just to realize that I wanted to see more of the world and live in other countries. Drive Spain's Mediterranean coast Pestana Holidays. After exploring the historic and religiously important city, the route goes back towards the coast and passes Pontevedra on the way to the pretty town of Vigo. Segovia: As you continue on your journey towards Salamanca, make a stop in Segovia and visit the iconic Roman aqueduct 728 meters long. The towns here, however, are worth a short detour as you make your way to the seashore, Win a holiday to Lake Comos most beautiful hotel, March horoscope 2023: Which signs can expect luck in travel this month, Can I go to Spain? In around 2.5 hours, you can travel from Madrid to the Costa Blanca. There are also a few very nice cheap restaurants with good food. Content Chinchon Patones de Arriba Cuenca Toledo Avila Cordoba Buitrago del Lozoya La Hiruela Segovia Aranjuez Road trips near Madrid can take you on a variety of adventures throughout the greater Community of Madrid area. For each recommendation, I have also included information about how to get there. Best stops along Madrid to Valencia drive The top stops along the way from Madrid to Valencia (with short detours) are Parque Warner Madrid, Royal Palace of Aranjuez, and San Pablo Bridge. Getting There: Take the high-speed AVE train from Madrid (operated by Renfe, Spain's national rail service) to get there in two and a half hours. If you want to base yourself in Barcelona, instead of going on a road trip, check out our 40 day trips from Barcelona for inspiration on where you can get to! With seabirds circling overhead, the mystical ocean breezes blowing, and a plate of some of the best octopus you will ever taste sprinkled with Txakoli (the local dry sparkling white wine) and your visit to Zumaia may be more than a mere stop and instead the highpoint of your trip. Travel Tip: Kill two birds with one stone: stop in vila for a few hours on your way to Salamanca to experience two of the region's most breathtaking cities in one day. El Escorial is a town just to the north of Madrid that most people visit to see the imposing Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, and the nearby Valley of the Fallen, a Catholic basilica and controversial civil war memorial. It boasts a rich history that is reflected in its Gothic architecture and cobblestone streets. If you're going on a road trip from Madrid to Barcelona, we did the research for you and compiled some great stops along the way with Salou, Zaragoza, Sitges, Tarragona, Alcala De Henares, Soria, Lleida, and Reus and top places to visit like Castle Calatravo and Hotel Guadalope, or the ever-popular Ciudad del Motor de Aragn. Argertine peso; I have broken it all down in my other post specific to a day trip to Monasterio de Piedra. During the summer, the Madrid Mountains offer some excellent hiking opportunities and in a good Winter, there are even some pretty decent ski ports. In this little white town famous for its crafts (especially jarapa, a fabric that has been created with scraps of other fabrics a centuries-old recycling tradition), colourful balconies overlook the streets of the historic centre. It really is postcard perfect. This road trip through Spain's heartland comes in a loop that starts and ends in the Segovia province. However, my highlight is a network of alleyways called El Tubo. The area of Aranjuez was a traditional strawberry producing powerhouse, and the Strawberry Train tries to take you back to this era. The town also has some wonderful large squares and impressive Mudejar architecture. This drive will scale mountains with breathtaking views and take you to the mesmerising Mezquita cathedral in Cordoba and the unique Moorish Alhambra complex in Granada. El Escorial is about 50km by car from Madrid and will take a little over an hour to get to. I will be exploring more of Spain during the next few months and will add more road trips to this list once I check them out. 10 Best Road Trips Near Madrid Escape to the Community of Madrid This Weekend! I fell in love with the city on my visit. One other thing to bear in mind, if you are travelling with teenagers, Chinchn is really close to the Warner Brothers Theme Park. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. You get on the train at the old railway station which is now the Madrid Train Museum and an old school (read: uncomfortable) train carriage will take you to the town. Madrid is a world within a city, offering a thriving cultural atmosphere, great shopping and sightseeing, and unforgettable food. Honest Answers About the Spanish CapitalContinue, For a long time, I wanted to visit the northern coast of Spain. You can enjoy picnics and bird-watching in the peace and tranquility of the great outdoors. Segovia Cathedral a gigantic gothic masterpiece with wonderful views from the bell tower. Siguenza: A small ancient city with unique architecture and old as ages historical monuments. If you happen to be traveling in the summer, be sure to attend the Benicassim Festival. The trip continues along the north coast stopping off at Santander, Bilbao and San Sebastian before detouring off into the Pyrenees and the historic cities of Pamplona and Zaragoza. And relish taking your time amid small Spanish villages, far from the crowds. As youd expect, the town is home to the Cervantes Birthplace Museum where you can learn about the life and inspiration of the Spanish Shakespeare. Youll find it in bakeries throughout the city. The drive back to Bilbao airport is a little under 2 hours to get you back home! Hiking Trails Outside of Madrid 12. Just bear in mind, as with most of the high-speed train stations, Cuenca Train Station is located a fair way outside the city and will require a taxi ride that takes around 10 15 mins and costs in the region of 12. Protos is my personal favourite. The biggest thing in the city is the university, it was the first one in Spain and is widely recognised as one of the best in the world with students from around the globe. Consider spending more time in the city in order to fully appreciate all it has to offer. Anything in Rey de Patones an amazing restaurant, but be sure to check your bank balance first! Both Iberia and Air Europa offer direct service on this . If you are looking to get the most out of your time in Spain, that could be a really good option. If your timing is right you can enjoy the wine festival in March or the garlic festival in October. At the seaside enclave where the Urola and Narrondo rivers meet, steep streets lead down to the harbour, the centre of activity and life. Anya is originally from Ukraine but in heart she is a citizen of the world. While it is regions such as Rioja and Ribera Del Duero that dominate the Spanish wine fame, Madrid actually has their very own Denominacin de Origen Vinos De Madrid. Travel Tip: Due to its appearance on a recent season of Game of Thrones, Seville's Alcazar has become more popular than ever. Madrid to Valladolid route is only 200 kilometers long but it is full of pretty and important sites. While the towering Roman aqueduct may be Segovia's biggest claim to fame, don't just come for the sake of checking it off your list. This historic city is a must-see stop as it is famous for its impressive defensive medieval walls, which stretch over two kilometers with 87 towers and nine gates. Today the region fervently focuses on its culture. If you get out of the tourist areas, you will find local pintxo bars where the snacks are free as long as you keep buying the drinks! Day 2 Madrid Itinerary: Art + Retiro Park + Gran Via. Is it a palace, a monastery, a church or a library? For those interested in history, La Sierra de Madrid is home to the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, an impressive Renaissance-style palace and monastery built by King Philip II in the 16th century. If you love the mountains, hiking and being off the beaten track, a road trip around Catalonia is definitely the best choice in Spain. The San Sebastian Airport is just 14 miles (22 kilometers) from the city center and it takes about a half-hour to get there by cab or bus. It can take close to 2 hours to get there. If you're having issues using the site, please enable JavaScript and refresh your browser. Just before or after the visit to Toledo, I also highly recommend you not to missBarrancas de Burujn nature reserve. If you visit Cuenca, I would recommend starting in the castle area and working your way through the steep cobbled streets down into the main town. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But besides seeing the palace, it is also worth visiting the main square and just walking around the nice and cozy city. The plan with this road trip is to go all the way round the Galician coastline starting from As Catedrais beach. Trains to El Escorial leave from Atocha or Chamartn station. Years of erosion by the Rio Piedra have created some spectacular waterfalls that visitors can visit and wander around. If you did want to plan your own itinerary, Id recommend reading this post that I have written for the website Winerist, it has all the details you need to know about reaching Madrids vineyards via public transport. Well, stick with me here as it is totally possible to take day trips from Madrid to Seville, in fact, I have a whole post about it complete with a Seville in a day itinerary. Take a boat tour of the parks lagoon or enjoy a picnic on the sandy shores. In order to get a change of pace, a road trip to La Sierra de Madrid is the perfect escape from the citys fast-paced life. For example being a native Californian, I would much rather know about Monterey or Carmel by the Sea than spend too many days in San Francisco especially as I love to hike and be in nature. As a Madrid resident myself, I have spent a lot of time exploring the fringes of the city and the nearby neighbours, so I thought I would put together some of my top recommendations and share the best day trips from Madrid. It covers a length of over 70 miles through Castile-Len. The end of the trip gets you to Pedraza back in the Segovia province before taking a short drive back to Madrid's airport. 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