Some day trips repay the early train. Plenty don't. These 6 day trips from Madrid are the ones that earn the hours, and each comes with an honest note on what you're really getting.
Book a TripÁvilaÁvila is wrapped in the best-preserved medieval walls in the world: 2.5 km of honey-stone ramparts with 88 towers and 9 gates, which you can walk along the top of for sweeping views. Directions
Book a TripCuencaCuenca is famous for its gravity-defying Casas Colgadas (Hanging Houses): medieval homes with wooden balconies clinging to the edge of a sheer gorge, one of Spain's most photographed sights. Directions
Book a TripSalamancaSalamanca: the «Golden City», glows honey-gold at sunset thanks to its Villamayor sandstone. Directions
Book a TripBrihuega Lavender FieldsEvery July, the fields around Brihuega: a pretty hilltop village in Guadalajara, erupt into a sea of purple lavender, drawing photographers from across Spain for one of Europe's most striking flower landscapes. Directions
Book a TripSegoviaSegovia packs three showstoppers into one walkable old town: a colossal Roman aqueduct (2,000 years old, built without mortar), a fairytale Alcázar said to have inspired Disney's castle, and a honey-coloured Gothic cathedral. Directions
Book a TripToledoToledo: the «City of Three Cultures», where Christians, Muslims and Jews coexisted for centuries, is Madrid's most rewarding day trip. Directions
Some booking links earn us a small commission. It does not change the price the partner charges you.
Book a TripToledoToledo: the «City of Three Cultures», where Christians, Muslims and Jews coexisted for centuries, is Madrid's most rewarding day trip. Directions