landmark
El Escorial
A vast granite royal monastery and palace at the foot of the Guadarrama mountains, burial place of Spanish kings.
10 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeSpainMadrid
Guadarrama
Madrid, Spain · Europe
About Guadarrama
Guadarrama is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Los Molinos, 16km from Sierra de Guadarrama National Park.
Guadarrama is in Madrid, Spain, with about 15,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Los Molinos, about 5 km away.
Guadarrama is a town and municipality in the Cuenca del Guadarrama comarca, in the Community of Madrid, Spain.
Its population is 17,063 according to the Continuous Register of 2023; the population swells to approximately 60,000 in summer. In the 2023 Spanish general election, for the Congress of Spain the residentsRead more
voted 41.29% for the People's Party, 24.54% for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, and 19.45% voted for Vox.
Its name comes from Arabic Wadi-l-ramla river (the sandy river).
Guadarrama achieved the status of "villa" under Fernando V of Castile (II of Aragon) on November 22, 1504. Fernando VI ordered the building of a road to A Coruña through the Guadarrama Pass, through which passed the Grande Armée with Napoleon searching for John Moore's Army in 1808.
This town was absolutely destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, as it was for almost three years a battlefront. All one can see in this town today is new, built in the mid-20th century.
It was the location for some scenes in the 1964 film The Fall of the Roman Empire.
It is close to Sierra de Guadarrama, a mountain range that is visited by Madrid residents seeking cooler temperatures, especially in summer.
Where to Stay in Guadarrama
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Guadarrama?
Within an hour or so of Guadarrama: El Escorial (10 km), Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (16 km), Aqueduct of Segovia (31 km), Alcázar of Segovia (31 km).
Are there any good drives near Guadarrama?
The nearest famous roads are Puerto del Pico.
Where is Guadarrama?
Guadarrama is in Madrid, Spain, about 5 km from Los Molinos.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 14,800
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Spain
- Region
- Madrid
- Timezone
- Europe/Madrid
- Coordinates
- 40.6727, -4.0895
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Spain
Guardia Civil (traffic police): 062. Two warning triangles required in vehicles.
Full driving guide for SpainTags
Worth the detour from Guadarrama
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
national park
Sierra de Guadarrama National Park
Granite peaks and pine forests north of Madrid, with the Puerto de Navacerrada pass beloved by drivers and skiers.
16 km · about 20 min drive
ancient ruins
Aqueduct of Segovia
A stupendous Roman aqueduct with 167 arches of unmortared granite blocks, standing perfectly after nearly 2,000 years.
31 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Alcázar of Segovia
Fairy-tale medieval castle perched on a rocky crag that inspired the design of Disney's Cinderella Castle.
31 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Plaza Mayor
Grand 17th-century rectangular plaza in central Madrid surrounded by three-storey residential buildings with 237 balconies.
43 km · about 50 min drive
landmark
Royal Palace of Madrid
Largest functioning royal palace in Europe with over 3,400 rooms, the official residence of the Spanish royal family.
43 km · about 50 min drive
racetrack
Circuito del Jarama
A tight, twisting 3.4km circuit north of Madrid designed by John Hugenholtz that hosted nine Spanish Grands Prix. Still active for club racing and track days, largely unchanged since the 1970s.
43 km · about 50 min drive
museum
Museo Reina Sofía
Spain's national museum of 20th-century art, home to Picasso's monumental anti-war painting Guernica.
44 km · about 50 min drive
Driving in Spain
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.55/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€4.00/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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