Great Day Trips from Madrid, Spain

Here are five great day trips from Madrid, Spain. All these trips are located from roughly an hour to four hours from Madrid. One of the great things about all these day trips is that getting to the locations listed here requires drives through the great countryside located all around Madrid, and in Spain.

I've listed three cities, and the great attractions in the cities, that can be reached with relative ease from Madrid. Each city listed is well worth a visit. I also listed a pilgrimage site located on one of the beautiful mountains in Spain.

For the fifth day trip, I listed perhaps the best preserved castle located in the area around Madrid. A couple of these day trips are pretty close to Madrid, and the others require longer drives.

Five Great Day Trips from Madrid, Spain

Visit Montserrat

Located about 125 miles southwest of Madrid is the beautiful mountain of Montserrat. The trip to Montserrat itself is great fun as you will travel through lovely picturesque villages. Located on the mountain is the famous Basilica of Montserrat, which contains the Virgin of Montserrat statue, which is also known as the Black Virgin.

The Basilica of Montserrat is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Spain. If you are lucky while visiting here at midday, you can catch the famous children's choir performing in the Basilica.

Visit the City of Valencia

Valencia is a beautiful city located about three hours east of Madrid. Valencia has many great sites to see including the City of Arts and Science Museum, Valencia City Hall and the Micalet Tower offering fantastic views of the city. If you go in March you can witness the great Fallas Festival featuring nightly fireworks and daily parades with decorated floats covered in flowers.

To top off everything else, the city of Valencia has a number of great beaches on the Mediterranean.

Visit the Museums in Bilboa

Bilboa is a city located about four hours north of Madrid by car. Bilboa is filled with many great museums including the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Fine Art, the Basque Museum, La Ria Maritime Museum, the Bullfighting Museum (Museo Taurino), the Museum of Sacred Art and the Museum of Artistic Reproductions.

There are also many churches, fine architectural buildings, parks and gardens and statues to see in Bilboa. The city sits on the banks of the Nervion River, which is a tidal river. You can also take boat tours along the river, or rent kayaks and leisurely enjoy the city while floating by.

Visit Toledo, Spain

The city of Toledo is an easy day trip from Madrid that is full of great sites to see. Some of the great sites in Toledo include the Cathedral of Toledo, the medieval Castle of San Servando, the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes and the beautiful main City Gate of Toledo that dates to 1559.

Toledo also has other city gates worth seeing including Puerta del Sol and Puerta de Bisagra. Also in the city is the famous Roman arch bridge Puente de Alcantara and the famous Alcazar (fort) of Toledo.

Toledo is located just 30 miles south of Madrid.

Visit the Castillo de los Mendoza

The Castillo de los Mendoza is a beautiful medieval castle that is located above the Santillana Reservoir at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain about 25 miles north of Madrid. The castle, which is also known as the New Castle of Manzanares el Real, was built beginning in 1475, and is one of the best preserved castles located anywhere near Madrid.

Today, the Castillo de los Mendoza is a museum open to the public. The castle is located in protected park land around the Santillana Reservoir, and the drive up to the castle from Madrid is beautiful.