Beech forests are rare in the Spanish interior, and the Hayedo de la Tejera Negra, in the Sierra de Ayllón, is one of the southernmost in Europe, a relic of a colder age that has survived on the shaded north slopes of the range. It lies in the province of Guadalajara, about eight kilometres from Riaza and just across the border from Segovia, at an altitude of well over a thousand metres, and is protected as a natural park. In October the leaves turn gold and copper, and the forest becomes one of the best autumn spectacles in central Spain, so popular that the park limits visitors and asks you to book.
The Sierra de Ayllón is a high, rounded range of slate and quartzite, the north-eastern extension of the Sistema Central, with its highest summit, Pico del Lobo, a little over 2,200 metres. The slopes are covered with oak, pine and heather, and the valleys hold villages of dark stone that look as if they were built to blend in with the rock. Wolves, deer and wild boar live in the woods, and golden eagles and griffon vultures patrol the ridges.
For riders, the approach from Riaza is a delight. The road from Segovia climbs over the Sierra de Guadarrama and drops into the wide, windswept plain around Riaza, then turns up into the mountains in a series of fine bends. Surfaces are generally good, traffic is light, and the villages are little visited. Winters are hard, with snow and ice on the high roads, and the best seasons are late spring and early autumn. Note that the park itself is for walkers and its track is not open to motorbikes.
Fuel and food are easiest in Riaza, a town of about two thousand people with an arcaded main square used as a bullring, and Ayllón, a medieval town farther west, is another useful stop. Riaza has bars where you can have roast lamb or the local sausages. Book your visit to the beech wood in advance if you are going in October, bring warm clothing, and expect cold mornings even in late spring.