The Sierra de Guadarrama National Park has countless paths which were open time ago by the residents of the surrounding villages. All kinds of visitors have travelled those paths for their enjoyment. They give shape to a network with hundreds of kilometres and dozens of possible combinations.

This section presents a range of the most popular hikes in the Park, which will lead you to the most impressive sites of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park.

Should you want to get more information on other hiking paths in the Community of Madrid, please look at www.sendasdemadrid.es. You can also refer to the website of National Parks Agency (Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales) or the one from National Centre for Environmental Education (Centro Nacional de Educación Ambiental), to get information on Mounts of Valsaín hikes.

Some of Sierra de Guadarrama hikes and trails are relatively short and they do not present great unevenness; while this does not make them less impressive. They are particularly appropriate to spend a whole day with your family, taking simple walks in which kids would enjoy the nature.

There are lots of these trails, but we suggest you a selection we have picked from different geographical areas.

Should you want to get more information on other hikes in the Community of Madrid, please look at www.sendasdemadrid.es. You can also refer to the website of National Parks Agency (Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales) or the one from National Centre for Environmental Education (Centro Nacional de Educación Ambiental), to get information on Mounts of Valsaín hikes.

National Park nature is clearly influenced by its abundance in mountains, which is reflected in the vegetation, in its fauna and its landscapes. But there are three principal topics on the geology of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains: the particular granitic landform at La Pedriza, the Seven peaks (Siete Picos) and the glacier geomorphology at the Peñalara Massif, a legacy thousands of years old, from the time in which perennial ices covered its summits.

We suggest three hikes, which will help you to get firtst-hand knowledge on these three unique sites of the National Park.

Should you want to get more information on other hikes in the Community of Madrid, please look at www.sendasdemadrid.es. You can also refer to the website of National Parks Agency (Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales) or the one from National Centre for Environmental Education (Centro Nacional de Educación Ambiental), to get information on Mounts of Valsaín hikes.

Sierra de Guadarrama most emblematic vegetation are the Scots pine groves, Albar pines or Valsaín pines (Pinus sylvestris Iberian variety), mountain broom and common junipers bushes, and hippocrepis carpetana grass living in the Sierra summits.

But in sites such as shady streams or slopes, these woods are enriched by a multitude of species which are infrequent in the Central Mountain Range. For example, specimens of some very rare species in this area grow in sites named El Sestil de Maillo and the Mojonavalle slope.

We suggest a beautiful hike, which is particularly inviting for those interested in botanics.

Should you want to get more information on other hikes in the Community of Madrid, please look at www.sendasdemadrid.es. You can also refer to the website of National Parks Agency (Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales) or the one from National Centre for Environmental Education (Centro Nacional de Educación Ambiental), to get information on Mounts of Valsaín hikes.

The Sierra de Guadarrama provides excellent birds observation opportunities, including large birds of prey such as the black vulture or the Spanish imperial eagle, as well as many forest bird species living in these mountains woods.

It is, without doubt, the most easily observable animal group, and this specially if we walk softly and we do not betray our presence. Binoculars would help our work of observation. At certain times their singing will accompany us all the way.

We suggest one of many hikes which will let you enjoy birds, through one of the sierra pine groves. 

Should you want to get more information on other hikes in the Community of Madrid, please look atwww.sendasdemadrid.es. You can also refer to the website of National Parks Agency (Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales) or the one from National Centre for Environmental Education (Centro Nacional de Educación Ambiental), to get information on Mounts of Valsaín hikes.