Day trips from Madrid: 6 cities you can visit in one day from Spain’s capital
Right in the center of Spain, Madrid is the perfect place to discover some amazing cities in a day trip. Our country has an efficient network of railways that makes travelling by train easy and affordable. And Madrid is the heart of it! If you’re planning to spend some days in Spain’s capital, here are some tips for day trips from Madrid. In this week’s post, The Touring Pandas have made a selection of cities that you can discover in one day. Read this post through and let us know which of these beautiful places you’ll visit first!
Segovia, too beautiful to be real
A train ride of one hour is all it takes to discover one of Spain’s most charming cities: Segovia. The highlight of Segovia is its Roman aqueduct, one of the largest and best preserved in Europe. Aqueducts are water ways that the Romans built to bring water from the mountains to the cities. This amazing monument with 167 archs goes across Segovia’s main plaza, amazing visitors and residents alike. Apart from the aqueduct, Segovia has a wonderful historic center with a gothic cathedral and an impressive Alcázar. The Alcázar was a summer residence near Madrid for the Spanish monarchy. And no question why: Segovia is very cold in winter, but in summer the temperature is perfect. With a huge green area surrounding it, the Alcazar raises like a majestic boat from a leafy forest.
Ávila, a city in a wall
Another city within an hour from Madrid is Ávila. Unlike Segovia, which is high upon a hill, Ávila is quite plain. That’s the reason why its former habitants decided to build a huge wall to defend the city from outside invasions. The wall of Ávila, build from 1090, remains almost intact and is considered the best example of a walled city in Europe. This impressive construction has 87 towers and 9 doors that run along its 2516 meters. Some of the doors lead to green trails and small hills from which you can admire the full wall. Or you can also take a tuk tuk! Anyways, the view of the wall of Ávila is one of the most amazing memories you’ll have from Spain.
Toledo, Spain’s old capital
The third city we’ve selected is just a stone’s throw away from Madrid. From Atocha station, the train to Toledo takes barely 35 minutes and less than 10€. Toledo was once the capital of Spain, until the title was moved to Madrid, called to become the center of imperial power. The medieval city of Toledo stacks up a hill on the banks of the Tajo river. At the top, the Alcázar crowns this lovely town and reminds the visitors of the many sieges Toledo has endured. The Primate Cathedral of Spain and the legacy of el Greco are also good reasons to choose Toledo when you think of possible day trips from Madrid. Our post Toledo from Madrid can help you plan your day here!
Córdoba, where the Islamic meets the Christian
The city of Córdoba, in Andalusia, is probably one of the best examples of merged cultures in the world. This small city is famous by its Mosque-Cathedral, a unique piece of heritage from the islamic past of Spain, known as Al-Andalus. The third largest mosque in the world is now use as a Catholic cathedral, but the unique architecture is a living testimony of the past ages. Córdoba is also well-known for its patios (courtyards). April and May are the best months of the year to visit this Andalusian city and witness the patios at its climax. There is a real competition to fill the walls with flowers to achieve the most colorful patio in town: don’t miss it!
Cuenca and the Hanged Houses
East of Madrid, Cuenca can be reached by train in about three hours. Even if it’s bit further than the previous options, what you’ll find is definitely worth it. Cuenca is a city hidden amid savage and amazing nature. The icons of this Spanish town are the Casas Colgadas (the Hanged Houses). These are a group of houses standing literally at the edge of a vertiginous cliff. Cuenca is also a perfect option if you want to take a day for trekking: near the city you can visit the Enchanted Visit (la Ciudad Encantada), a natural park famous for its outstanding natural beauty.
San Sebastián, the northern gem
Ok, San Sebastián is not that close to Madrid. But still… a two-day trip to Donosti, as locals call it in Basque, is well deserved. Reaching San Sebastián, in the northern coast of Spain, takes about 5 hours by train or one hour by plane. Some say that Donosti is the gastronomic capital of Spain… and we believe so! The Basques don’t mess with food, and the streets of the city center are packed with pintxos bars. With so many flavours and colours, making a decision has never been harder! Apart from excellent food, San Sebastián is just gorgeous. The architecture is amazing, and the highlight of the city is the beach of La Concha (the shell), awarded as the best beach in Europe. Near the beach, you can find one of the most magical spots in this town. It’s El Peine del Viento (the Comb of the Wind), a group of sculptures by Eduardo Chillida that soothens the wind that comes from the sea before entering Donosti. This is a perfect place to find some peace and rest during your long trip.
These are probably 6 of the most beautiful cities that you can find in Spain. None of them will fail to amaze you and they will add great moments that you’ll cheerish back home. However, Spain is full of wonderful places and one could spend a whole year visiting all of them. If you want to travel by train, we recommend you to book tickets through Renfe, the national rail company. If you prefer to travel by plane, Vueling is the local low cost company and it covers all the main destinations in Spain and Europe. Do you think we missed any important cities? Have you ever visited any of these? Leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts about our selection of day trips from Madrid!
If you liked our post about tips to enjoy Toledo from Madrid, recommend it to your friends and learn more tips in our Panda Blog! Remember you can also take our tours to discover the best attractions in Madrid and Barcelona from a local perspective. Use our Panda coupon in your language to get a 10% discount!
Coupons: CHINA10 – JAPAN10 – KOREA10 – ENGLISH10
You can also follow us on Facebook!