Self-Guided Day Trip to Alpedrete, Madrid

A quaint stone-clad town in the Sierra de Guadarrama foothills, Alpedrete offers a peaceful respite from downtown Madrid in just 30 minutes. Suitable for travelers interested in seeing the Spanish countryside, learning about Alpedrete's quarrying history—stone that was even used to build Palacio Real de Madrid no less—and wandering amid the stone ruins of a 19th-century abandoned "castle."

The overall walk is 3 miles (4.8 km), and though the experience is short, there are a few sites and restaurants that'll eat up some time, including the coach bus ride there and back. With that said, give yourself about four hours to complete the experience.  

As you step off the bus, you'll retrace your steps for a beat to stop in at a local café for a simple but typical Spanish breakfast alongside the neighborhood locals. With full bellies, you'll turn north for a short stroll and begin to notice Alpedrete's stony heritage among its buildings. First, you'll check out a plaza named after a famous Spanish actor who once resided in town, then as you navigate charming (stone-laden) streets, and finally until you reach the town's central plaza and its historic (stone) buildings.

Continue your exploration up and around another plaza, once a pivotal gathering spot with a central fountain, and pause to take note of Alpedrete's history etched in Spanish on the Monumento a la Piedra (Stone Monument) en route to visit a small museum that honors the town's stonemasonry legacy.

The pace switches as you begin a gentle ascent to the northwest of town, winding through picturesque streets named for trees until you arrive at a gravel path. Turn right to see a forgotten quarry and go left to explore the day's highlight: the ruins of an abandoned manor, often referred to as a castle. Wander the grounds, exploring the many outbuildings, including the more obvious church and stable, imagining the property in its former glory. Take a walk a little farther west of the "castle" to a stone bench that offers a pretty vantage of the area.

Conclude the excursion with a taste of local cuisine at a cozy restaurant that offers dishes like a warming bowl of cocido montañés (mountain stew) before crossing the street to pick up an order of sweet treats from a local bakery for the return trip to Madrid.