Central Spain Road Trip: the musts around Madrid

Difficulty

500 km

Distance

5 - 7 days

Recom. Days

Culture, Adventure

Trip type

Man standing on a mountain
Carlos Peñalba

Travel writer and photographer. Has lived in London and New York, spent 18 months backpacking throughout Asia. His travel memoir The Year I Became a Nomad narrates his Asian adventures.

Central Spain Road Trip Itinerary

Central Spain Road Trip map itinerary

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Madrid is the perfect place to start a Central Spain road trip and explore some of Spain's most interesting historical sites. Ever since King Felipe II moved the Spanish capital from Toledo to the more centrally-located Madrid in the 16th century, the city at the heart of the Old Kingdom of Castille has blossomed under its crossroads condition.

Toledo, Avila, Segovia and Salamanca are all full of history and boast some of the most stunning old architecture in the country. Besides historical sites, Madrid lies to the east of Sistema Central,  a beautiful mountain range worth exploring and sadly (or luckily?!) ignored by many.

On this magical road trip itinerary, explore the historical heart of Spain and visit some of its most breathtaking mountains and natural landscapes in the process.

Segovia's Alcazar is a Central Spain waypoint
Pick-up in
Madrid depot
1

Toledo, the City of the Three Cultures

Toledo is known as the City of the Three Cultures because for many years Christians, Jews and Muslims lived peacefully together in its narrow hilly streets. The old city sits on a mountaintop surrounded on three sides by a bend in the Tagus River. As your campervan approaches the city, its view from the distance are unforgettable.

Toledo is the first waypoint on your Central Spain road trip

A one-hour drive from Madrid, make Toledo the first stop on your Central Spain road trip. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, the city is packed with medieval churches, synagogues and mosques worth visiting.

The old city walls and gates still stand, as do two stunning bridges over the river: the Roman Alcántara Bridge and San Martin Bridge.

Visiting

Toledo

1 - 2

Recom. Days

Main route

55 miles

from Madrid pick-up center

1h

drive

You can find Indie Campers RV rentals in more than 40 different cities and destinations across Europe.

Visit

The cathedral

Do not miss its impressive art collection

Mirador del Valle

Great views of Toledo across the river. Selfie time!

Mosque Christ of Light & Synagogue Sta Maria la Blanca

one of the oldest religious buildings in Spain

Signal

Eat at

El Trebol

$$

Good traditional tapas

Bar Ludeña

$

Try Carcamusas, a local delicacy

RV icon

Parking

Parking de Safont

Free parking close to city centre

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Stay at

Camping El Greco

$$

Outisde the city by the river

2

Sierra de Gredos, home of Spain's wild goat

Surprisingly Spain is, after Switzerland, Europe's most mountainous country. Many associate Spain only with beach holidays despite offering a wide range of unmatched natural landscapes.

Sierra de Gredos, still unknown to many Spaniards, is a gorgeous mountain range west of Madrid and home to the Iberian Ibex, the Spanish wild goat.

Sierra de Gredos is your second stop on a Central Spain road trip

As you leave Toledo on your Central Spain road trip, drive towards Talavera de la Reina and from there to Arenas de San Pedro, a perfect place where to take a rest or have lunch. One of the main attractions of Sierra de Gredos is the hike to its glacial lake, Laguna de Gredos. From the Plataforma Gredos parking, it takes around two hours to hike to the lake.

The trail is well marked and gentle, though stony at times. Spotting wild goats from the trail is normal, particularly during off-peak season.

There are many trails to explore in Sierra de Gredos. For experienced and fit hikers, one of the most beautiful is the one to Cinco Lagunas (Five Lakes). The return hike is 25 km long, so start very early if you want to complete it in one day, or spend a night camping by one of the lakes.

Visiting

Sierra de Gredos

1 - 2

Recom. Days

Main route

110 miles

from Toledo

2h

drive

You can find Indie Campers RV rentals in more than 40 different cities and destinations across Europe.

Visit

Laguna de Gredos

Gorgeous views on mountain hike to this glacial lake

Cinco Lagunas

Tough and long hike that is worth the effort

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Eat at

La Mira de Gredos

$$

Great food, great views of the mountains

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Parking

Parking Plataforma Gredos

Public parking

Signal

Stay at

Camping Gredos

$$

Perfect location for exploring the mountains

3

Ávila, a medieval walled city

Another of Spain’s many UNESCO World Heritage sites, Ávila is famous for the walls that surround the old city. Started in 1090, the walls have a perimeter of 2,516 metres (~8,255 feet), an average height of 12 m (~42 feet), and a total of 9 gates.

It’s possible to walk on the walls themselves for half their circumference. It’s also said that the walls are the largest fully illuminated monument in the world. — so why not try a night walk on the walls?

Ávila is a must-visit on a Central Spain road trip

Don’t just admire them from outside the city but adventure inside them and walk around this small cute city full of history. An impressive collection of old churches, monasteries and museums will teleport you to medieval Castile. 

And while all are worth a visit, pick the main cathedral and the Monastery of Saint Thomas if you’re sticking to the Central Spain road trip itinerary and only staying for the day. If you do, leave Ávila at night to head for your final destination, Segovia.

Visiting

Ávila

1

Recom. Days

Main route

44 miles

from Sierra de Gredos

1h

drive

You can find Indie Campers RV rentals in more than 40 different cities and destinations across Europe.

Visit

The cathedral of Ávila

Magnificent gothic architecture

The walls of Ávila

Admire them from outside the city before traversing them

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Eat at

Los Candiles

$$

Avila is famous for its beef. Get a steak!

Siglodoce

$$

Great quality local food

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Parking

Palacio de Congresos

Public parking outside the walls

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Stay at

Camping Valle de Iruelas

$$

In the mountains near Ávila

4

The Roman city of Segovia

Segovia’s main symbol is its Roman aqueduct, still used today to deliver drinking water to the city. Due to its length, beauty, and location it’s considered the most impressive Roman structure in all of Spain.

Built with 25,000 granite blocks held together without any mortar, it spans 818 meters (~2,684 feet). With more than 170 arches, the highest being 29 metres (~95 feet) high, the aqueduct is an imposing engineering wonder.

Don't miss the Roman aquaduct on your Central Spain road trip

Besides the aqueduct, Segovia is also well known by the Alcazar, the Royal Palace that Walt Disney used as inspiration for Cinderella’s Castle, and its stunning gothic cathedral. Do not miss the chance of tasting Segovia’s main dish, roasted suckling pig, the perfect closing meal to your Central Spain road trip. 

And if you’re still in the mood for more exploration before driving your campervan back to Madrid, it might be worth heading to Pedraza, a well-preserved medieval village considered one of the most beautiful in the whole of Spain.

Visiting

Segovia

1 - 2

Recom. Days

Main route

45 miles

from Ávila

1h

drive

You can find Indie Campers RV rentals in more than 40 different cities and destinations across Europe.

Visit

The Alcazar and the cathedral

Impressive with Disney qualities

Pedraza

Medieval village at 40 km (~25 miles) from Segovia, worth the detour

Area de Segovia Parking

15 min on foot to city centre

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Eat at

Taberna Lopez

$$

Try the suckling pig

El Sitio

$$

Another great place to have suckling pig

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Stay at

Camping El Acueducto

$$

In the city outskirts

Drop-off in
Madrid depot

80 Miles

from Segovia

1h45min

drive