Circular routes with specific distance details, traces of silver mining and medieval art make Bustarviejo an interesting place to explore in different ways. The choice of routes ranges from Entre Pozas y Huertos, at 2.8 kilometres, to the 12-kilometre Ascensión al Pico Mondalindo. There is also a historic route between Bustarviejo and Manzanares El Real. Each trail has its own focus: pools and riverside woodland, old mining paths or the route of the Cañada Real Segoviana.

Circular Routes and Historic Trails

Entre Pozas y Huertos is a 2.8-kilometre circular route with an elevation gain of 78 metres. It passes the Grande, Chica and del Prado Mayor pools, as well as irrigation channels known as caceras. Riverside woodland is the predominant ecosystem along the route. It includes oaks, blackthorns, plum trees, willows and blackberry bushes. The route thus combines pools and irrigation channels with diverse riverside vegetation.

The Comunidad de Madrid’s Rutas Verdes programme for 2026 lists the Ascensión al Pico Mondalindo as a 12-kilometre circular route that starts and ends in Bustarviejo. It follows old mining paths and passes the historic silver mines of Cuesta de la Plata. The Mondalindo y Peña Negra route offers views of the Sierra de Guadarrama, the Sierra de Ayllón, the Sierra de la Cabrera and the Madrid foothills. While the Ascensión focuses on distance, its circular route and mining history, Mondalindo y Peña Negra stands out for the views mentioned above.

Another option is the route between Bustarviejo and Manzanares El Real. At 25.6 kilometres, it follows the historic route of the Cañada Real Segoviana. Thanks to public transport connections in towns such as Miraflores de la Sierra and Soto del Real, it can be completed in stages. Unlike the circular routes, it has two named endpoints and allows you to plan individual sections.

The Destacamento Penal y Viaducto route passes through Dehesa Vieja and the Los Molinos area. It recalls a penal labour camp where political prisoners who had defended the Republic worked in harsh conditions on the construction of the Madrid–Burgos railway line. Landscape and history are inseparable on this route: the trail passes through Dehesa Vieja while keeping alive the memory of the prisoners’ labour.

Mining History and Cultural Heritage

At the Mina de Plata de Bustarviejo, visitors can choose between the entrance to the mine, with remnants of 20th-century exploration, and the upper shafts. There, they can see arsenopyrite outcrops and enjoy views of the Sierra de Guadarrama. Information panels outside the mine explain the different parts of the mining and industrial complex. The mine was exploited until the end of the 19th century; the panels help visitors understand the different parts of the complex.

From a historical and artistic perspective, the Iglesia de la Purísima Concepción is the most outstanding building in Bustarviejo’s cultural heritage. Its square tower dates from the late 15th or early 16th century. Archaeological work uncovered a medieval necropolis carved into the rock, an anthropomorphic sarcophagus and 14th-century wall paintings. The church also preserves fragments of a medieval wall painting in the Linear Gothic style, depicting a warlike subject. They are considered the only surviving example of this kind in the Comunidad de Madrid.

La Torre del Indiano was built in the 17th century and designated a Bien de Interés Cultural in 1983. Together with the church and the Mina de Plata, it adds different sites connected with Bustarviejo’s architectural and mining history to the routes.

Festivals and Village Life

The traditional San Isidro festival combines a procession with traditional rosquillas, paella, music and activities for children and young people. Its blend of a religious occasion, food and activities for different age groups contrasts sharply with the hiking trails’ focus on the landscape.

During the Feria del Campo, Bustarviejo’s village square is transformed into an improvised farm. It features sheep, cows, chickens, horses and pigs. For anyone interested in the festival, it offers a different way to experience the town than through church art or mining: the focus is on the animals and activity in the village square.

Discover more destinations: Valdilecha, Ciempozuelos, Paracuellos De Jarama, Navas Del Rey, Los Molinos, El Escorial, Cubas De La Sagra, San Agustín Del Guadalix.

For the main travel overview: Madrid.