Top 5 Things to Do in Cercedilla, Madrid

The short answer

Cercedilla is where Madrid goes to walk: the last stop of the C-8 Cercanías before the rails turn into the little C-9 mountain line, and the trailhead for the Fuenfría valley — a glacier-cut amphitheatre of Scots pine crossed by a genuine Roman road that carried legions over the pass to Segovia. The town itself is an unpretentious sierra pueblo of granite houses, hiker cafés and weekend chocolaterías.

The list, ranked

1. The Calzada Romana — Walk the restored Roman road up the Fuenfría valley to the pass — 2,000-year-old paving underfoot, the Puente del Descalzo en route.

2. Siete Picos ridge — The seven granite 'peaks' of Guadarrama's most recognisable ridge — a serious but non-technical day from the Fuenfría or from Navacerrada pass.

3. Camino Schmidt — The classic pine-forest traverse to the Puerto de Navacerrada, marked a century ago by mountaineer Eduard Schmidt — descend by the C-9 train.

4. Las Berceas & the ducha de los alemanes — The valley's recreation meadows and the little waterfall pool the German hiking club made famous — family territory, ten minutes' drive or a pleasant walk up.

5. Fuenfría valley Roman loop — 10 km · 3.5 h. Puricelli info centre → Calzada Romana up to the Puerto de la Fuenfría (1,796 m) → return by the Carretera de la República forest track past the miradores. The full valley: legion road up, painters' road down.

Make a day of it

Cercanías C-8 from Atocha/Chamartín (~1 h 20); the C-9 mountain line to Puerto de Navacerrada and Cotos leaves from the same platform (check winter timetables). Drivers take the A-6 + M-622 (55 min). Trails start from town — no car needed at all.