7 essential places to see in Rascafría

Within the community of Madrid there are many charming towns, worthy of a good visit in a weekend, among them is Rascafría, a beautiful town nestled in the Sierra de Guadarrama, with unprecedented postcard-perfect landscapes.

Rascafría is also a town of medieval origin, which has among its charms works built on the splendor of the fifteenth century. It is also a very autonomous community, with a strong economy dedicated to livestock and agriculture.

Discover its most beautiful corners, with this perfect travel guide to save time and explore it completely.

What to see in Rascafría?: The places you cannot miss

Monastery of Our Lady of Santa Maria

It is one of the most beautiful monuments of this town. So much so that it was declared a National Historic Artistic Monument.

This was built in the 14th century, but its first stone was laid in 1930.

Some time later it was abandoned, until the Benedictine monks decided to recover it. Currently, its façade is very well preserved, and in the surroundings the monks have a type of market where they offer the products that are found in the area, such as liqueurs, cheese and honey.

Town square and town hall

Every medieval town has a square that is part of the nerve center of the city.

It also happens with Rascafría, here you can see the Plaza de la Villa, which next to Plaza España, has an imposing neo-Mudejar style building, which is part of the city council.

Parish Church of San Andrés Apóstol

If you continue your tour through the city center, you cannot miss this imposing building from the 16th century.

This is characterized by having a tower over 20 meters high, which, despite the fact that it suffered some damage during the Civil War, was quickly restored.

Inside we can see some vaults that remain in the best of their Gothic art. It also highlights a bell tower that was built with metal from airplanes, which crashed in the area in 1955.

By 1982, this church had already been declared a Site of Cultural Interest.

Artinuelo Creek

A stream that starts at the Collado de la Flecha and flows into the Lozoya River, is undoubtedly one of the best things to see in Rascafría. This runs parallel to the main street of the town, on the M-604 road or Avenida del Paular. It is a section of three pedestrian steps that take place over the stream.

bridge of forgiveness

You cannot leave Rascafría without taking one of the best photos walking across the Puente del Perdón.

We are talking about a work built at the request of the Carthusian community of the monastery of El Paular, which was built during the first half of the 13th century; but it was rebuilt in the 18th century.

The new works began with the incorporation of granite in three semicircular arches, in order to replace the original work that was already deteriorated.

Finnish Forests

As we mentioned before, if something stands out in the community of Rascaría, it is its landscapes. In this, we cannot fail to mention the Finnish Forest, which overlooks the bridge of forgiveness.

It is one of the most visited natural places in the Sierra de Madrid. It counts as a small wooded area, which has a great similarity to the forests of Northern Europe. It is full of birch, poplar and fir trees. It is known as one of the most photogenic areas of Rascafría.

Las Presillas Natural Pools

Another of the most beautiful places to see in Rascafría is to visit the natural pools of Las Presillas.

This is an option for those who want to take a nice bath, with a beautiful natural background.

They are the most famous natural pools in Madrid. What's better, near the area there is a recreational area known as the Island, where visitors can have a picnic, and have a good time.

This area is divided into three natural pools, all located in the Loyola riverbed. It is one of the most beautiful places, where you can go on a family picnic, or just enjoy a day outdoors, with the wonderful views of Pico Peñalara.

How to get to Rascafría?

There are two practical ways to get to Rascafría, they are by car and by bus.

• By car from the A-1 highway, taking the Lozoyuela route (Km 69), the M-604; making way for the M-611. This by making the route from Miraflores de la Sierra, crossing the Morcuera pass, taking the M-601, until reaching the Navacerrada Port and Los Cotos (M-604), along the M-637 from Segovia. Crossing the Navafría bridge, to Lozoya, connecting with the M-604.

• By bus you can get there via line 194 from the Plaza de Castilla interchange in Madrid, or line 1941 from Buitrago de Lozoya.