Sierra del Rincón, Somosierra, Pedraza and Segovia

Biosphere Reserves: a campervan route through the lesser-known mountains north of Madrid and the medieval towns of Pedraza and Segovia.

This route that we propose today from Vanyou Madrid is one of our favourites — it has it all and it's a stone's throw from our city. A circular route crossing Biosphere Reserves and taking us to little-known medieval villages where roast suckling pig and lamb are the specialty.

As we explained in the intro, three days is enough time to do the route and enjoy it calmly.

We start this campervan route leaving Madrid via the A1 towards Buitrago de Lozoya, our first stop. Since it's a circular route, you can choose to start at the end if you prefer.

In Buitrago de Lozoya you can park easily and walk into the village, where the first attraction you'll see is the Pablo Picasso museum, located in the lower part of the town hall and created thanks to a donation by Eugenio Arias Herranz, who was the artist's barber and friend for more than 26 years. A friendship forged during their exile in France after the Spanish Civil War.
The village also deserves a good walk around its walls, which border the river Lozoya.
At the end of the village, there's a company that rents kayaks and, if the weather allows, it's the best way to get to know the river and its surroundings. We rented one and visited the beaches and rocks of the river where we enjoyed a few good dips.

We continue our route towards Puebla de la Sierra, a village whose houses are made of slate and which gives its name to what, as we head into the province of Guadalajara, is known as the "black villages".

Puebla is in the heart of Sierra del Rincón, a Biosphere Reserve. It's an abrupt and sparsely populated landscape that has shaped the development of the area. It's undoubtedly one of the great unknowns of Madrid — when you drive its roads you'd think you've changed country, as the landscape has nothing to do with the rest of the province.

From Puebla, after crossing the mountain pass, it's worth a stop in Montejo de la Sierra to visit its spectacular beech forest, which together with others in Spain is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its historical importance and as a representative of what the humid forests of the Central System used to be — of which only three remain today. It's a journey back in time and of tremendous beauty. Worth seeing, bearing in mind that in busy periods you need to request permission in advance.
Here's the link.

We continue our route past the Somosierra mountain pass, one of the connections between the northern plateau and Madrid. At 1,440 m it's a place where care is needed if snow is forecast.
As soon as we descend the pass, already in the province of Segovia, we take the N-110 towards Segovia capital and after about 25 km we reach the village of Pedraza.
You can park outside the walls or drive up to the castle car park. If you choose the latter, you'll have to drive skilfully and carefully through the narrow streets.

Pedraza is a medieval village with a single entrance and exit. At the entrance and tower of the wall there's the old prison, which can be visited.
The place has several roast-houses where we recommend stopping to eat some of the best roast suckling pig and lamb you'll find in Spain.
Afterwards, the best plan is to visit the castle esplanade and from there see the vulture nests on the other side of the road — a couple of them flew low right over us and it was spectacular.

We continue to the last point of the route, the city of Segovia. You can go directly via the N-110 or via La Velilla, passing through Pajares de Pedraza and, before reaching Rebollo, turn onto the SG-V-2312 until you meet the N-110 at Sotosalbos.
It's a country road but with spectacular lonely landscapes — you'll pass well-kept hermitages and villages that seem from another era.

Arriving in Segovia, there's a car park on the outskirts where vehicles can park — we slept there. From here you can visit the city, but don't miss going to the esplanade of the San Marcos viewpoint before or after, to see a perspective of the Alcázar that not many visitors to Segovia know.
In Segovia, the must-do walk goes from the Aqueduct up to the Alcázar, and on the way you can stop in bars, restaurants and shops at your own pace.

All that remains is the return to Madrid. If you go via the AP6 with the €8 toll, you can do it in just over an hour. Quite recommended if you don't want to climb the Leones pass — which is also recommended if you've got time, as the passage through San Rafael usually has hold-ups.

We hope you enjoy the weekend plan and that your Vanyou camper in Madrid sees you again soon for the next adventure.

And remember — interact respectfully with locals and leave the place better than you found it if you can. Leave no trace.