Some of Spain's most famous towns sit within about an hour of Madrid, and so do the big theme parks. Stand under Segovia's Roman aqueduct, walk the top of Ávila's medieval walls, fly a zip line over the Tajo in Toledo, or spend the day at Puy du Fou or Parque Warner. Here's what we checked, from El Escorial to the river pools at Las Presillas.
Segovia's Roman aqueduct strides through the city center on stacked granite arches, and kids can stand right beneath them in Plaza del Azoguejo. At the far end of the old town, the Alcázar is a turreted castle on a rock above two rivers, with suits of armor inside and a 152-step spiral climb up the Torre de Juan II. The city tourism office also runs free treasure-hunt gymkhanas for families.
Toledo is a walled hilltop city wrapped on three sides by the Tajo river gorge, with steep cobbled lanes, a Gothic cathedral and the square-towered Alcázar on top. Kids can fly over the river on an urban zip line, ride a little tourist train out to the Mirador del Valle viewpoint, or play the free Guardianes de Toledo game, a 26-challenge clue hunt across the old town.
San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a mountain town built around Felipe II's vast 16th-century monastery and palace, where the kings of Spain are buried. Families can solve the free En Busca del Templo de Salomón phone gymkhana, 14 riddles over 2 km, then walk out through the royal La Herrería forest to the Silla de Felipe II, a rock seat with the whole monastery spread out below.
A history park in the hills outside Toledo where the day is built around big outdoor shows, not rides. Kids watch knights clash, horses gallop and falcons and eagles swoop over the crowd, then wander period villages with farm animals, craftspeople and two playgrounds. The free park app translates the shows live into English, so bring earphones. On show nights, El Sueño de Toledo replays 1,500 years of Spanish history.
Parque Warner Madrid is a movie theme park in San Martín de la Vega with five areas: Hollywood Boulevard, Cartoon Village, Old West Territory, DC Super Heroes World and Movie World Studios. Young kids spend most of the day in Cartoon Village, with Bugs Bunny's burrow, Tweety and Sylvester's house, small coasters, water rapids and a Flintstones driving school, while older kids head for the big coasters.
Aranjuez is a royal riverside town on the Tajo, ringed by the palace gardens of the Spanish kings. Kids can run the paths of the Jardín del Príncipe, the biggest of them, see the decorated barges the royal court once sailed in at the Museo de Falúas Reales, take a 45-minute boat trip on the river, or loop the town on the Chiquitren tourist train.
Ávila is ringed by a complete medieval wall with 87 towers, and you can walk along the top of about 1.7 km of it, looking down into gardens and across the rooftops to the plain. Kids can spot Roman tombstones and carved stone boars reused as building blocks in the east wall, then cross the river to Los Cuatro Postes, where the whole walled city fits in one view.
Safari Madrid is a drive-through wildlife park near Aldea del Fresno. Families drive their own car along a route where giraffes, zebras, rhinos, elephants, bison and lions roam around the vehicles, then park and walk the rest: a petting corner, a reptile house, a crocodile grotto, a mini zoo and the bird of prey show, the first free-flight one in Spain when it began in 1978.
La Pedriza is a maze of granite boulders, domes and rock towers in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. The park's visitor center sits at its entrance, with an exhibition on the sierra and a two-hectare garden holding a rock garden, a mini Pedriza, a bird hide, an aquarium and a reptile and amphibian center. Trails into the rocks start just past the barrier.
Aventura Amazonia Cercedilla is one of Europe's biggest treetop adventure parks, in the pine woods of the Fuenfría valley in the Sierra de Guadarrama. Kids clip into a harness, do a short training course, then cross rope bridges and fly down zip lines. Seven circuits run from Kids and Explorador up to X-Trem, with 114 challenges and 33 zip lines; Canopy is all zip lines, over 470 meters.
Three natural pools on the Lozoya River, a short way from the El Paular monastery, and the only stretch of river in Rascafría where swimming is allowed. Wide lawns line the water and the Sierra de Guadarrama rises behind. The water comes from mountain snowmelt and stays cold even in high summer, so ease small kids in slowly.
A historic train runs from the Railway Museum to Aranjuez, about an hour each way. Kids ride wooden carriages built between 1914 and 1930, with slatted benches and open end balconies, while costumed crew check tickets.
Midday is free time in Aranjuez, with royal gardens, palace and river. Book the English Tour route and the guided visits in Aranjuez run in English. On the ride home, staff hand out strawberries.
Some of Spain's most famous towns sit within about an hour of Madrid, and so do the big theme parks. Stand under Segovia's Roman aqueduct, walk the top of Ávila's medieval walls, fly a zip line over the Tajo in Toledo, or spend the day at Puy du Fou or Parque Warner. Here's what we checked, from El Escorial to the river pools at Las Presillas.
Segovia's Roman aqueduct strides through the city center on stacked granite arches, and kids can stand right beneath them in Plaza del Azoguejo. At the far end of the old town, the Alcázar is a turreted castle on a rock above two rivers, with suits of armor inside and a 152-step spiral climb up the Torre de Juan II. The city tourism office also runs free treasure-hunt gymkhanas for families.
Toledo is a walled hilltop city wrapped on three sides by the Tajo river gorge, with steep cobbled lanes, a Gothic cathedral and the square-towered Alcázar on top. Kids can fly over the river on an urban zip line, ride a little tourist train out to the Mirador del Valle viewpoint, or play the free Guardianes de Toledo game, a 26-challenge clue hunt across the old town.
San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a mountain town built around Felipe II's vast 16th-century monastery and palace, where the kings of Spain are buried. Families can solve the free En Busca del Templo de Salomón phone gymkhana, 14 riddles over 2 km, then walk out through the royal La Herrería forest to the Silla de Felipe II, a rock seat with the whole monastery spread out below.
A history park in the hills outside Toledo where the day is built around big outdoor shows, not rides. Kids watch knights clash, horses gallop and falcons and eagles swoop over the crowd, then wander period villages with farm animals, craftspeople and two playgrounds. The free park app translates the shows live into English, so bring earphones. On show nights, El Sueño de Toledo replays 1,500 years of Spanish history.
Parque Warner Madrid is a movie theme park in San Martín de la Vega with five areas: Hollywood Boulevard, Cartoon Village, Old West Territory, DC Super Heroes World and Movie World Studios. Young kids spend most of the day in Cartoon Village, with Bugs Bunny's burrow, Tweety and Sylvester's house, small coasters, water rapids and a Flintstones driving school, while older kids head for the big coasters.
Aranjuez is a royal riverside town on the Tajo, ringed by the palace gardens of the Spanish kings. Kids can run the paths of the Jardín del Príncipe, the biggest of them, see the decorated barges the royal court once sailed in at the Museo de Falúas Reales, take a 45-minute boat trip on the river, or loop the town on the Chiquitren tourist train.
Ávila is ringed by a complete medieval wall with 87 towers, and you can walk along the top of about 1.7 km of it, looking down into gardens and across the rooftops to the plain. Kids can spot Roman tombstones and carved stone boars reused as building blocks in the east wall, then cross the river to Los Cuatro Postes, where the whole walled city fits in one view.
Safari Madrid is a drive-through wildlife park near Aldea del Fresno. Families drive their own car along a route where giraffes, zebras, rhinos, elephants, bison and lions roam around the vehicles, then park and walk the rest: a petting corner, a reptile house, a crocodile grotto, a mini zoo and the bird of prey show, the first free-flight one in Spain when it began in 1978.
La Pedriza is a maze of granite boulders, domes and rock towers in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. The park's visitor center sits at its entrance, with an exhibition on the sierra and a two-hectare garden holding a rock garden, a mini Pedriza, a bird hide, an aquarium and a reptile and amphibian center. Trails into the rocks start just past the barrier.
Aventura Amazonia Cercedilla is one of Europe's biggest treetop adventure parks, in the pine woods of the Fuenfría valley in the Sierra de Guadarrama. Kids clip into a harness, do a short training course, then cross rope bridges and fly down zip lines. Seven circuits run from Kids and Explorador up to X-Trem, with 114 challenges and 33 zip lines; Canopy is all zip lines, over 470 meters.
Three natural pools on the Lozoya River, a short way from the El Paular monastery, and the only stretch of river in Rascafría where swimming is allowed. Wide lawns line the water and the Sierra de Guadarrama rises behind. The water comes from mountain snowmelt and stays cold even in high summer, so ease small kids in slowly.
A historic train runs from the Railway Museum to Aranjuez, about an hour each way. Kids ride wooden carriages built between 1914 and 1930, with slatted benches and open end balconies, while costumed crew check tickets.
Midday is free time in Aranjuez, with royal gardens, palace and river. Book the English Tour route and the guided visits in Aranjuez run in English. On the ride home, staff hand out strawberries.
