Why this ride
A 139 km one-way ride from near Arroyomolinos, about 2 h 25 of riding. On the way it passes Boadilla del Monte and Scenic stretch near Colmenar Viejo. near Navalcarnero is the high point. It tops out at about 1,150 m.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Alto Tajo Gorge Ride · part 1
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 139 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 25
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Fuel stop in Arroyomolinos
Planning note
Alto Tajo Gorge Ride is where the day begins. Next is High point near Navalcarnero.
2. High point near Navalcarnero
Navalcarnero has one of the finest arcaded squares in the Madrid region, the Plaza de Segovia, with wooden balconies, stone columns and a lively atmosphere on market days. The town has royal connections too: in the seventeenth century, King Philip IV's wedding to Mariana of Austria was celebrated here, and the house where the event took place is still pointed out. Today it is a busy market town on the southwestern edge of the Madrid metropolitan area.
Read the complete High point near Navalcarnero write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
You top out here; the road stops climbing. Next is Alto Tajo Gorge Ride checkpoint 8.
3. Near Boadilla del Monte
The M-501 west of Madrid has a reputation. Known to everyone as the carretera de los pantanos, the road of the reservoirs, it runs from the edge of the city towards the Sierra de Gredos past a string of lakes, and on weekends it fills with motorcycles heading for the mountains. This finish lies at its eastern end, near Boadilla del Monte, where the capital's wealthy suburbs meet the pine and holm oak of the Monte de Boadilla.
Read the complete Near Boadilla del Monte write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 139 km. Next is Scenic stretch near Colmenar Viejo.
4. Scenic stretch near Colmenar Viejo
Planning note
Scenic stretch near Colmenar Viejo, late in the day. Next is Photo stop near Venturada.
5. Photo stop near Venturada
Venturada is a small municipality about fifty kilometres north of Madrid, just off the A-1 motorway to Burgos. It sits on the first rise of land where the plain begins to climb towards the Sierra de Guadarrama and the Sierra Norte de Madrid, and from the hills around it you get long views back across the plain to the city and forward to the mountains.
Read the complete Photo stop near Venturada write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Finish at Photo stop near Venturada. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Fuel stop in Arroyomolinos to High point near Navalcarnero
Fuel stop in Arroyomolinos → High point near Navalcarnero is 23 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
High point near Navalcarnero to Near Boadilla del Monte
High point near Navalcarnero → Near Boadilla del Monte is 48 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Scenic stretch near Colmenar Viejo to Photo stop near Venturada
Scenic stretch near Colmenar Viejo → Photo stop near Venturada is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.