Three of the best-known autumn forests near Madrid cannot simply be walked into this year. Montejo hands out its free guided walks by ballot, Tejera Negra in Guadalajara needs a 4.55 euro car-park booking at weekends and holidays until 30 November, and El Castañar de El Tiemblo in Ávila only admits private cars with a ticket on weekends and holidays until 31 December, 6 euros per car and 2 euros a head, after a fire this summer.
Four more need nothing at all. La Herrería, the forest beside El Escorial monastery, is the nearest at about 49 minutes from Puerta del Sol by car without traffic, and the only one that is easy by bus.
Where should I go for autumn colours near Madrid? For a short trip with no booking, La Herrería in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, 49 minutes’ drive away and reachable by bus or train. With a car, the Finnish Forest in Rascafría or the Canencia pass are free too. Montejo, Tejera Negra and El Castañar de El Tiemblo all need a ballot, booking or ticket this autumn.
Can you see autumn leaves near Madrid without a car?
Realistically, one forest works well by public transport. La Herrería wraps around the south side of the monastery in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, reached by bus 664 from Moncloa in about 55 minutes or by the C-8 Cercanías train in about 50.
Green route 6.13 of Madrid’s transport consortium runs 3.3 km one way from the monastery through the forest to Philip II’s Seat, a viewpoint carved into the rock, about 6.6 km if you walk back the same way. If you want the monastery too, check El Escorial’s tickets and last admission first.
The Finnish Forest in Rascafría is served by bus 194 from Plaza de Castilla, about 135 minutes, leaving at 8am on Saturday and Sunday and returning at 8.30pm on Saturday or 6.45pm on Sunday; how to reach the Finnish Forest explains which day gives you a full outing. Canencia has no bus, and El Castañar has no shuttle or walk-in access on weekends and holidays this year.
Which forest suits your day?
| Forest | Drive from Sol, no traffic | Without a car | Booking | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Herrería | 49 min | Bus to San Lorenzo | None | Free |
| Puerto de Canencia | 68 min | No | None | Free |
| Montejo | 76 min | No | Ballot | Free |
| Finnish Forest | 83 min | Limited bus | None | Free |
| El Castañar de El Tiemblo | 83 min to El Tiemblo | No | Ticket | 6 euros a car + 2 euros a person |
| Duratón gorge | 99 min to Sepúlveda | No | None | Free |
| Tejera Negra | 153 min | No | Car park, in autumn | 4.55 euros a car |
The three that need booking this autumn
El Castañar de El Tiemblo. Ávila’s chestnut forest reopened on 10 October after this summer’s fire and, until 31 December 2026, takes visitors only by private car with a ticket bought in advance for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. There are three slots, 8am, 11.30am and 3pm, with 35 cars each, according to the El Tiemblo town council; under-3s go free. The 4.4 km loop from El Regajo reaches El Abuelo, a chestnut tree more than 500 years old. The council advises against going on weekdays while felling work continues.
Tejera Negra. One of the southernmost beech forests in Europe, in the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara natural park. Until 30 November, on weekends and holidays, you must book the El Casarejo car park, at 4.55 euros for a car, 2.17 euros for a motorbike and 7.61 euros for a campervan, according to the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha. The car park sits at the end of an 8 km track from the visitor centre at Cantalojas, and the booking is valid until 1pm. From there the Carretas trail loops 6.29 km in about 2 hours 10 minutes.
Montejo. The Madrid region’s only beech forest is walked with a guide, free, and places for each fortnight are drawn after the system opens at 9.30am on the 1st and 16th. How to book Montejo covers the ballot and the 60-minute confirmation rule.
The booking pages for El Castañar and Tejera Negra are in Spanish. Have your number plate and vehicle type ready: Tejera Negra turns cars away if the vehicle does not match the booking.
How long are the walks?
The shortest walks are San Frutos, 0.4 km from its car park, and the Finnish Forest, 0.75 km from El Paular. In between come Philip II’s Seat at 3.3 km one way, the 4.4 km El Castañar loop and the 4.5 km Canencia trail; the longest is the Carretas loop at 6.3 km.
Canencia is the easy half-day: the Sestil del Maíllo trail leaves the picnic area at the pass, on the M-629 at km 8, and covers 4.5 km with 251 metres of climb, according to Canencia town council. The Duratón gorge near Sepúlveda is more canyon than forest; a dirt track from Villaseca ends at a car park, and San Frutos hermitage is 400 metres further on foot, about 15 minutes. You do not need the park house to reach San Frutos; in November the park house in Sepúlveda, at Calle Conde de Sepúlveda 34, opens Monday, Thursday, Sunday and holidays from 10am to 3pm, and Friday and Saturday also from 4pm to 6pm; it costs 1 euro and closes Tuesday and Wednesday.
Can you pick mushrooms or chestnuts?
You can pick mushrooms only with a permit, and chestnut picking is not allowed at El Castañar. In the Sierra de Guadarrama, mushroom permits are issued by each town hall and are valid only for its own patches, and Rascafría, Miraflores de la Sierra, Lozoya, Bustarviejo and Canencia all require a municipal licence. In Castilla y León permits go through the Micocyl system. At El Castañar, picking chestnuts is on the council’s list of things not to do.
Making a weekend of it
The Otoño Mágico festival in the Valle del Ambroz, in northern Cáceres, is on until 29 November 2026, having opened on 23 October, with walks through the chestnut woods around Hervás. Hervás is about 290 km from Madrid, a little over 3 hours by car, so treat it as an overnight trip. For single-day ideas, see day trips from Madrid or, by train, hiking near Madrid by train.
Which day to go, and how much time to allow
- Go on a weekday if you can. All three booked forests fill on Saturdays and holidays, and at the free ones the problem is parking.
- Expect mountain driving. Canencia is a pass, Tejera Negra ends on 8 km of track and San Frutos on a dirt track, so allow extra time.
- Start early. November days are short, so begin longer walks in the morning.
- Know the rules. Parts of the national park have regulated access; see Madrid’s nature access rules and Sierra de Guadarrama access.
FAQ about autumn colours near Madrid
Where can I see autumn colours near Madrid?
The closest is La Herrería, the forest beside El Escorial monastery, about 49 minutes’ drive from Puerta del Sol without traffic and free to walk. Further out are the Finnish Forest in Rascafría and the Canencia pass, both free, and three that need booking this year: Montejo, Tejera Negra and El Castañar de El Tiemblo.
Can I see autumn leaves near Madrid without a car?
Yes. La Herrería starts next to the monastery in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, reached by bus 664 from Moncloa or the C-8 Cercanías train, and the walk to Philip II’s Seat is 3.3 km one way. The Finnish Forest has bus 194 from Plaza de Castilla, with two departures on Saturday (8am, 6pm) and two on Sunday (8am, 3.15pm). El Castañar has no bus or walk-in access on weekends and holidays until 31 December.
Do I need to book Tejera Negra or El Castañar?
For Tejera Negra, you book the inner car park on weekends and holidays until 30 November, at 4.55 euros a car. For El Castañar de El Tiemblo, you buy a ticket for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays until 31 December 2026, at 6 euros per car plus 2 euros per person.
When is the best time to see autumn colours near Madrid?
October and November, which is when Tejera Negra and El Castañar regulate access because that is when the crowds come. Go on a weekday if you can: the free forests are quieter and the booked ones are easier to get into.
A bus to El Escorial beats a ballot you did not win.