My husband and I plan to travel in Central Spain for a week in August. We will begin with 2 nights in Madrid, then 3 nights in Rioja. We will be flying out of Madrid, and have 2 nights left to plan for before we fly out of Madrid. We will be renting a car. Our flight departs Madrid at about 12:30, so we want to stay somewhere on the last night that is less than 2 hours from the Madrid Airport, as we will leave early for the airport. We want to avoid crowded places as much as possible, and enjoy hiking, beautiful views of nature, and interesting places with historic significance. Some places we are considering seeing include Monasterio de Piedra, Siguenza, Segovia, Cuellar Castle, Pedraza, Parque Natural de las Hoces del Rio Duraton, Parque Nacional de la Sierra de Guadarrama. Can anyone suggest a scenic drive route between Madrid and Haro, and then a suggested itinerary/route from Haro to Madrid, with 2 nights to stay somewhere along the way? Open to other places you might suggest as alternatives.

Segovia is about 1.5 hours from the Madrid airport, so that would be my choice for a place to stay the night before your flight. Two or three nights there would make for a lovely visit.

I trust you realize that 2 nights is very little for Madrid, even if you want to avoid crowds, and 3 nights if very little for Rioja.

I also trust you realize that Madrid will be HOT in August.

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Is your flight an international one or within Schengen? If international, you will need to arrive at Barajas 3 hours in advance. If within Schengen, 2 hours. If you're flying out of Terminal 4 and not familiar with the two buildings, the T4 and the T4 S (satellite), please know that it is huge.

As kja mentions, Madrid will be an OVEN in August. In August (I live here), we head for the north coast, Asturias (with an excursion into Picos de Europa), Galicia, Cantabria or the Basque Country to try to beat the Madrid heat.

I'm familiar with all the places on your wish list. And in summer they will be hot as well, as can be the Rioja, which we visit every July (the Basque Rioja Alavesa). Just a cautionary tale for the increasingly hot month of August here, that is breaking all records. If your travel plans are all set and your travel must be in August, the Sierra de Gredos, the Hoces del Duratón and Sierra de Guadarrama will be somewhat cooler.

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I'm not getting into the weather, but I do know that we spent a few nights in the Sepulveda, Pedraza area with Pedraza as our last stop before driving from there to the airport for our flight home. I LOVED that area but sadly, we had to leave for the airport too early to have one last lunch in Pedraza.

This is pretty old, but the last bit deals with that part of Spain; EL YANTAR in Pedraza no longer exists but the other hotels and restaurants remain.



Pedraza de la Sierra. With notes on Toledo, Caceres, Jarandilla la Vera and Segovia

The village of Riaza, one of the "red villages" in the Segovia province, just to the east of the A-1

Ayllón, another of the "red towns' of the Segovia province, just off the A-1

Segovia in the late fall

Segovia's majestic aqueduct
I love Pedraza, one of Spain's most beautiful medieval towns, Sepúlveda, las Hoces del Duratón (it's superb for kayaking and griffon vulture watching) and hiking down to the Ermita de San Frutos but again...it's August.
Near the Hoces, we've stayed at the Posada Rural Duratón in teeny, tiny Sebúlcor.

Another time, rather than August, especially in the fall, which is when we go, would be absolutely delightful, as the Segovia province is best toured in the fall. It and the Avila province are chock-a-block with castles, some that can be toured and others not.

Visits to the Cúellar castle are guided and in August take place at 11.00*, 13.00, 17.00 y 19.00* horas (but you should call this number to make sure that some one is even available in August to give a tour. Guides may be on their August vacation. Tel: 621195820)

But if you must go in August.....

We stayed at the Hospedería de Santo Domingo (in the blue room) Pedraza and recommended it to Eksrunchy.
No, the Yantar doesn't exist (still there but no one bought it)
but there are two fine places to have roast baby lamb in the village where we now dine on weekends (but for lunch, never at night!).
Eateries here are La Corrala de la Joaquina tucked away in a mews and Los Soportales right on the Plaza Mayor. One absolutely must reserve on weekends!
The Casa Taberna (formerly of the former mayor Don Mariano) also on the square is rather fancy, as it was been redone and taken over as a gourmet restaurant with rooms by chef and caterer Samantha Vallejo-Nájera.

And Pedraza, as you probably know has the former Zuloaga owned castle that has been taken over and made into an event space. It can be toured.

The Monasterio de Piedra is really, really your outlier It doesn't fit in at all with the other places on your wish list and sits not in the Segovia province but instead in the Zaragoza province, which is part of the autonomous region of Aragón, far from the Rioja region. Sigüenza as well sits in Castilla La Mancha in the Guadalajara province. Neither on the road to or from the Rioja region. Castilla León is the most extensive autonomous community consisting of 9 provinces and the provinces of Avila, Segovia and Burgos are the closest together.

If it were my trip, I would limit explorations to the Segovia, Avila and Burgos provinces, which are closer by. Burgos is indeed on the way to or from Rioja, as we do the trip at least 4 times a year.

The Plaza Mayor and balcony of the now closed El Yantar of Pedraza

Pedraza from outside the walls

Pedraza´s medieval square, where bullfights were held, and the Casa Taberna

A typical Pedraza street on a very quiet weekday.

La Corrala de la Joaquina on a Sunday afternoon, everyone enjoying its baby roast lamb, or lechazo.