Valle de la Fuenfría

The Fuenfría valley lies in the central part of the Sierra de Guadarrama, on its southern slope, in the municipality of Cercedilla (Community of Madrid). It runs north to south for about 6 km, with an average width of 2.5 km; its lowest point is at about 1,200 metres and its peaks exceed 2,000, with Siete Picos (2,138 m) the highest mentioned.

At the northern end is the Fuenfría pass (1,793 m), on the border between Madrid and Segovia, which the Roman road crosses. The Arroyo de la Venta, its main stream, passes under three Roman bridges. Scots pine covers most of the valley, with deciduous trees along the banks.

Cercedilla, with a commuter train station (line C-9), is the base for visiting. The valley has two recreation areas, the largest being Dehesas de Cercedilla; the Carretera de la República, a forest track with good viewpoints, climbs to the pass, and the Ducha de los Alemanes is a much-visited waterfall on the Arroyo de la Navazuela. Pine woods, meadows and trails a few kilometres from Madrid.

Source of the information: Valle de la Fuenfría (Wikipedia)