El Capricho B&B

B & B, only 50km from Madrid

Welcome to el-capricho

Tucked in the granite foothills of the Sierra Guadarrama to the North-West of Madrid, is the peaceful, unspoilt village of Zarzalejo. This simple Castilian pueblo typifies rural life in central Spain.

People (mostly madrileños) come to this area to walk, ride, eat and especially to relax in the clear mountain air. Many rent houses here for the whole of August to escape the summer city heat. The village has a superb outdoor pool, open from the end of June till the end of August.

Zarzalejo also provides an ideal base to explore provincial Spain, such as the ancient walled city of Ávila, Segovia with its 1st Century BC Roman aqueduct and, of course, the nearby Palace/Monastery built by King Philip II in the 16th C in El Escorial. For a more modern monument, there is the memorial to those who died in the Civil War, the extraordinary Valle de Los Caídos, the burial place of Franco.

If you feel like a day in the city, Madrid is an easy excursion, with all its cultural attractions and atmosphere. A reliable train service takes you from Zarzalejo directly to the heart of Madrid.

The house is situated high up in the village, on the 1050m contour line. The “Monte” behind, the Machota Baja, rises to 1404m and is fairly easily walkable. It is also possible to walk to San Lorenzo de El Escorial, partly along an unrestored Roman road, in approximately an hour and a half. You could see eagles, vultures and many other birds on the way.

The house is centrally heated from October to the middle of May. Temperatures in winter can go below 0º. In June July and August, when the temperature can soar into the high 30º’s, the village is a cooler option than Madrid.

In the summer months there is a swimming pool available, heated by solar panels.

The house

House from the rear

Location: Sierra de Madrid, Zarzalejo (approx 50km NW of Madrid, 10km SW of El Escorial)

How to get there?
Train (Cercania): from Madrid (Atocha, Chamartín etc) takes about an hour. The station is 5 minutes walk from the house

Car: People coming from the UK via the ferries, Brittany (Plymouth - Santander) or P & O (Portsmouth- Bilbao), would need to allow about 5 hours to drive south on the excellent motorways. Madrid makes a perfect halfway stop if you are going on to the Costa del Sol.
Similarly, coming from France, arriving in San Sebastián, but add a bit.
If approaching through France from the Girona end of the Pyrenees, via Figueres for example, allow 7/8 hours.
There is parking (uncovered) available when you arrive.

By air: Airport pickup (by request) available, approx. one hour from Madrid airport (Barajas, where BA, Easyjet, Ryanair, Jet2 and Iberia all have regular flights)
Ryanair also flies to Valladolid, which is also reasonably close for the North-West Madrid area.

Accommodation
There are two bedrooms available, both are large, airy, well equipped and with en-suite facilities.
Guests are welcome to use the garden. It gives direct access from the rear to the Machota Baja. There is also a built-in barbecue on a secluded terrace. There is a heated swimming pool.
There are laundry facilities in a heated utility room.

Activities
Riding is available at a nearby stable.

There is a beautifully situated golf course in San Lorenzo de El Escorial. The clubhouse has a restaurant with a spectacular view of the monastery. Look it up on:
http://www.golfeurope.com/euro_clubs/herreria/

The village swimming pool is open only during July and August from 12am till 8pm and costs about 2 euros per person per day. (There is an indoor pool in El Escorial)

Transport
The train to Madrid costs 6.60 euros return and takes a little over an hour. The service is infrequent from Zarzalejo, but it is also possible to begin or end the journey in El Escorial where many of the trains start/finish. Taxis between Zarzalejo and El Escorial cost 19 euros (15 minute drive). There is a frequent bus service between El Escorial and Madrid. On weekdays there is a bus from Zarzalejo to El Escorial, several times a day.