Not far from Madrid is the town of Cercedilla, a site that became popular with the tourism in the mountains towards the end of the XNUMXth century. The adventurers arrived here on a new means of transport, fast, somewhat noisy but effective: the train.
The vacationers of that time came here briefly escaping from the capital to enjoy the scenery, the fresh air, the snow in winter and the sun in summer. Since then Cercedilla is a destination for recreation.
Cercedilla
It is in the Sierra de Guadarrama, the interior mountain range of the Iberian peninsula of about 80 kilometers long and with an altitude greater than 2428 meters. It divides the Duero basin from the Tagus basin.
Cercedilla It is about 57 kilometers from Madrid so it belongs to the Autonomous Community of Madrid. It is located at an altitude of 1188 meters and has good communications with the surrounding cities. From Madrid, for example, bus lines 684 and 685 leave you here, and the RENFE commuter network also leaves you via line C8b.
Cercedilla It has just 40 square kilometers and about 6.700 people room here. Among its treasures there are some that date back to Roman times but basically it is a tourist destination in the mountains and its most emblematic buildings date back to the XNUMXth century.
Cercedilla Tourism
La Roman road of Fuenfría It is part of the route that linked Segovia with miacum, crossing the Sierra de Guadarrama through the Fuenfría Valley, its port and the Valsaín Valley. Philip V modified it quite a bit in 1722 but the original dates from the time of Emperor Vespasian, between 69 and 79 BC.
El port of Fuenfría It is a mountain pass that crosses the mountains and connects Segovia and Madrid. It has an altitude of 1796 meters and is between the Sierra de La Mujer Muerta and Siete Picos. It was created by the Romans as a means of communication and today it only has sports use. It is in the port that it crosses the old Roman road, the La Calle Alta forest track, the Carretera de la República and the trails that climb the mountains.
El Valley of the Fuenfría It is within Cercedilla, it is the natural border of Segovia. It is oriented from north to south and has a length of more or less six kilometers with a width of two and a half meters. It is crossed by many streams, but the most important is the Arroyo de la Venta, crossed in turn by three bridges of roman originor. There is a lot of vegetation, lush pine forests, for example.
Above we name the Republic Highway, also called the Puricelli Highway. It is a forest track that belongs to Cercedilla: it begins in the Las Dehesas recreation area and goes to the port of Fuenfría. If you want one, go a little longer to its real end point, the base of La Peñota. This route dates from the 30s of the XNUMXth centuryX and when the idea was built was to unite Cercedilla with Valsaín, but during the Second Republic they were suspended due to the protest of environmentalists.
Then, the pompous road was left in a simple unpaved forest track that today is very busy walkers and cyclists. It is not paved but it is firm and has a gentle slope so cyclists are in for a treat. What's more, there are many viewpoints and from them you have great views of the valley. For example, him Vicente Aleixandre viewpoint or Luis Rosales viewpoint and Mirador de la Reina, with a nice panoramic view.
All the Dehesas de Cercedilla is a recreation area, the ideal place to enjoy the pine forest. It is very popular with the inhabitants of the town and the area in general, even with the people of Madrid who come from the capital. It is really a beautiful place to walk along the Roman Road, through the wild pines, ride a bike, stay a while at the viewpoints, visit the adventure park, Eco Park, or cool off in the natural pools, rowing, climbing ...
This year the Cercedilla natural pools they open from Monday to Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm. Thousands of people enter but animals are not allowed. The water in the pools The Berceas It comes from streams in the area and is treated for the pools. If you don't have a car, you can take the Cercedilla town hall tourist bus that takes you to Las Berceas, but only on weekends and holidays. The entrance is 6 euros per adult and 7 on weekends. There are fertilizers.
Among everything that is around here you cannot miss the German shower, a waterfall that is hidden in the central area of the sierra, in the Fuenfría Valley. It is two meters high and belongs to the Navazuela stream. It is small, yes, but it is picturesque because it is surrounded by a beautiful pine forest. You arrive here by following the Roman Road after walking for 45 minutes, leaving the Dehesa de Cercedilla. Write it down.
Beyond walking or cycling you can also climb the Guadarrama electric railway. This little train runs along the south face of the Siete Picos joining Cercedilla with the Puerto de Navacerrada, passes a tunnel and reaches the Puerto de Cotos. It is none other than the C-9 line of Cercanías Madrid and it is purely tourist. It is not exactly in Cercedilla, but it is very close.
In addition to these more natural tourist places you can also visit the hermitage of Santa María which is from the XNUMXth century, the Church of Our Lady of Carmen, that of San Sebastián or that of Our Lady of the Snows which is from the XNUMXth century. There are also a handful of bridges in the town, beautiful to see, an old smithy called El Potro and a couple of fountains.
Finally, depending on the time of year you go, Cercedilla has some traditions and popular festivals such as the festivities of the Nativity of Our Lady, which last five days, the Festivities of San Sebastián on January 20, Holy Week or the Aurrulanque Festival which falls on these dates, at the end of July.