Landing at Barajas? Cercanías line C-1 from Terminal 4 stops at Chamartin with no airport supplement, and from there the C8 reaches Cercedilla in 60 to 77 minutes. At weekends 18 trains make the run, the first at 7.15am, and the last one back leaves Cercedilla at 10.31pm. Two trails of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park start opposite the station, the Puricelli path, 4.2 km, and the Camino del Agua, 5.9 km. For the Navacerrada pass or Los Cotos you swap the train for a Renfe bus, because the C-9 mountain line is closed for Adif works. The Sierra de Guadarrama National Park is the protected range north of Madrid, and it numbers its waymarked trails with the code PNSG.
Where can you hike near Madrid by train? Take the C8 from Chamartin to Cercedilla, 60 to 77 minutes, and walk straight out of the station onto the Puricelli path, 4.2 km, or the Camino del Agua, 5.9 km, both rated for beginners. Mountain routes from the Navacerrada pass and Los Cotos need a booked seat on the bus replacing the C-9, last one down at 6.40pm.
Easy trail or mountain day, which one is for you
Pick the station trails if you want a relaxed day with no deadline but the last train. Pick the mountain trails if you want to walk above 1,750 metres and are happy to plan around five fixed buses.
| Trail | What you book | Walking time | Distance and climb | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puricelli path, PNSG-018 | Nothing | 1 h 10 min | 4.2 km, +219 m | Beginner |
| Camino del Agua, PNSG-034 | Nothing | 1 h 50 min | 5.9 km, +258 m | Beginner |
| Roman road, PNSG-036, from the visitor centre | Nothing | 2 h 50 min | 5.5 km | Beginner |
| Cotos-Angostura, PNSG-031 | Seat on the bus | 3 h 15 min | 9.4 km | Advanced |
| Camino Schmid, PNSG-006, loop from the Navacerrada pass | Seat on the bus | 4 h 05 min | 12.1 km, +513 m | Advanced |
Both station trails are one-way and end at the Fuenfría valley visitor centre. Go up one and down the other for a 10.1 km loop, or take the shortest way back along forest tracks, about 2.3 km. The Puricelli path is marked with dark blue circles and the Camino del Agua with light blue dots.
How hard are the trails, and what the MIDE rating means
The National Park grades its routes with MIDE, a four-part scale from 1 to 5. The numbers cover how harsh the environment is, how hard the route is to follow, how rough the ground is, and how much effort it takes.
On the trail pages the Park publishes MIDE 1-1-2-2 for the Puricelli path, 1-2-2-2 for the Camino del Agua and 2-2-2-3 for the Camino Schmid. The jump that matters is effort: the Schmid loop climbs 513 metres and stays between 1,750 and 1,897 metres all day.
Getting to the trailhead from the airport or central Madrid
From the city centre, a Metro single ticket to Chamartin costs €1.50 to €2.00 depending on how many stations you ride, and from Terminal 4 the C-1 gets you there directly, as explained in the Madrid airport Metro supplement.
On weekdays 20 C8 trains run to Cercedilla, the first at 6.14am. The bus to Cotos accepts a ticket valid to zone C2 or a travel pass, and the zone map is in Madrid Cercanías ticket zones.
Is the Cotos bus worth it for a mountain day
It is, if you plan the walk around it. The bus, according to Renfe, leaves Cercedilla at 9.35am, 11.35am, 1.35pm, 3.35pm and 5.35pm, reaches the Navacerrada pass in 26 minutes and Cotos in 41, and comes down from Cotos at 10.40am, 12.40pm, 2.40pm, 4.40pm and 6.40pm.
Book your seat before boarding, at Renfe ticket offices or self-service machines; without one you do not get on. On the first bus you are at Cotos by 10.16am, which leaves 8 hours 24 minutes before the last bus down, enough for the 4 h 05 min Camino Schmid with long breaks. Miss the 6.40pm and Renfe has no later service down the mountain.
- Book the bus seat at a Renfe ticket office or machine before you board in Cercedilla.
- Carry a ticket valid to zone C2, or a travel pass, for the bus.
- Pack lunch: Spanish meal times run late, with lunch from about 2pm, and on the mountain you eat on your own schedule.
- Head back early: the last bus leaves Cotos at 6.40pm and the last train leaves Cercedilla at 10.31pm.
Other car-free hiking options near Madrid
Heading for snow rather than trails? Bus 691 from Moncloa goes straight to Valdesquí, set out in skiing near Madrid without a car. The park’s regulated access points are in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park access, and drivers need Cercedilla’s Las Dehesas parking booking, which walkers from the station skip.
La Pedriza has no train station and caps cars at the entrance, covered in La Pedriza car access. Rascafría’s forest is a bus trip, explained in the Finnish Forest in Rascafría, and towns you can reach by rail are in Madrid day trips by train.
Frequently asked questions about hiking near Madrid by train
What is the easiest hike from Madrid by train?
The Puricelli path, a 4.2 km trail rated for beginners that takes about 1 hour 10 minutes and starts opposite Cercedilla station, according to the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. It is marked with dark blue circles and ends at the Fuenfría valley visitor centre.
Do I need to book anything to hike from Cercedilla?
No, not for the trails that start at the station. Only the bus that replaces the C-9 line up to the Navacerrada pass and Cotos needs a booked seat, which Renfe sells at its ticket offices and self-service machines.
Is the Cercedilla to Cotos train running?
No. The C-9 line is closed for Adif works, and Renfe runs a bus instead between Cercedilla and Cotos, stopping at the Navacerrada pass. It makes 5 trips each way, the first up at 9.35am and the last down from Cotos at 6.40pm.
When is the last train back to Madrid from Cercedilla?
At 10.31pm, on the C8 to Chamartin. The ride takes 60 to 77 minutes, and at weekends there are 18 trains a day from Madrid, the first at 7.15am.
Walk from the platform when you want freedom; book the Cotos bus only when a summit is worth planning your whole day around.