Those of you who follow my cycling escapades will know I have a soft spot for routes that look pleasantly achievable on paper. Madrid, for example. Dry. Sunny. Civilised. Tapas at regular intervals.
This flowing, anticlockwise gravel loop skirting the mountains, dipping into the countryside and rolling politely back into the capital, gave way more than I imagined. What unfolded was a sun-drenched escape in Sandy, hike-a-bike humility, mountainous dreams, and some lessons in space history.
Starting in the North East area of Madrid city and rolling out through Alcobendas, you briefly flirt with civilisation before cutting across near Santo Domingo to stock up. Always stock up. Spain is generous with beauty, less so with remote village shop opening hours. Heading toward El Salgar, the tarmac dissolves, and the sand makes its presence known. Not gentle, beachy sand. The kind that swallows tyres, dignity, and occasionally ambition, but perhaps that was just the prior wet weather they had.
There are wild horses. There are snakes. There are toros eyeing you up as if you personally scheduled this disturbance. You learn quickly that “gravel ride” in this region often translates to deploy your sand legs and smile. Eventually, dust-coated and slightly more humble, you reach San Agustín del Guadalix. A psychological checkpoint before the mountains awake.
The shift is almost immediate. Green replaces ochre. Granite replaces sand. And your breathing becomes… audible. Entering the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, Spain’s 5th largest national park, the terrain begins to rise, long and steady. Some climbs are around 1,000ft, but you are treated to pine forests, sweeping ridgelines, and the possibility of locking eyes with an eagle mid-thermal.
You drop into Soto del Real, momentarily reminded of structured society by the vast prison complex, a slightly sobering landmark before you willingly pedal back into the wild. A quick pause near Refugio La Rodela, because snacks are non-negotiable and you climb once more before descending toward the enormous Santillana reservoir, a silver blue inland sea (ok reservoir) cupped by mountains.
Manzanares el Real saved the night and the ever-wonderful Warmshowers community. Gravel hospitality is a global language!
Skirting the park’s edge, you can refuel in Mataelpino before sweeping past the vast Navacerrada reservoir. It’s the kind of stretch where the freehub purrs, the breeze softens, and for a brief moment, you believe you are a composed and capable human. Climbing toward Collado Mediano, you eventually descend into the grandeur of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Then, unexpectedly, space.
Hidden near Fresnedillas de la Oliva stands the quietly monumental Apollo Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex. This was the first station to receive contact from the Lunar Module ‘Eagle’ during its descent to the moon. Imagine pedalling through rural Spain and casually stumbling upon a key component of one of humanity’s greatest achievements. Gravel meets galaxy. You, slightly dehydrated, somewhere in between.
Rolling toward Navas del Rey, there is an opportunity for excellent coffee and questionable over-ordering of Spanish cuisine. Pace yourself. The route
does not care how many tortillas you consumed! The trail flattens blissfully along the Alberche river, a meditative stretch of calm water and dappled light. It feels like forgiveness. Then comes Cerro Agudo. Up. And up. And a little more up.
There is hike-a-bike, or two. Of course there is. Character-building hike-a-bike. The kind that makes you question tyre choice, packing weight, and past life decisions. Eventually, civilisation reappears in Navalcarnero, a 500-year-old town known for its Garnacha and Malvar grapes. A place to sit, sip, and momentarily forget the gradient percentages that preceded it.
The southern stretch flows past El Álamo, up toward Griñón, then down from Valdemoro to Titulcia. A ten-mile pull delivers you to medieval Chinchón, where the bullring Plaza Mayor doubles as the central square. Stay for dinner & try the anise liqueur. Maybe even rest your head.
Heading north again, you pass through the arid beauty of the Parque Regional del Sureste. Dusty trails, pale dunes, rough rock, and sudden silence, all unbelievably close to a capital city. Camino markers guide you home while (if you’re lucky) the white storks spiral overhead, lifting on thermals, if you miss them, you won’t miss their huge nests!
This Madrid loop is a full range of conditions, sandy, mountainous, historic, and mildly unhinged.
You’ll finish coated in dust, legs quietly trembling, wondering how something so beautiful and never farther than 50 miles from a capital city could also feel so wild.
Lindsay James
GRVL Ambassador
Instagram - @linzoo
Learn More About Lindsay - HERE
