Chris Pearrow
Great hiking near Madrid
If you're just visiting in Madrid (or, if you're a local without a car), the Maciza de Peñalara National Park is perhaps the best hiking area you can find. You can get there on the Cercanias line to Cercedilla (leaving from Nuevos Ministerios) and then you catch an old-school nature train up the mountain to the park. You have you buy your nature-train tickets at Nuevos Ministerios because the train only has a couple of cars and it fills up quickly.
Once you arrive, it's like being a million miles from the dry, urban streets of Madrid. If you go in May and April, you'll still be in time to have snow-covered peaks and trails and plenty of ponds and waterfalls.
Your best plan (if you're of average ability and not looking to wear yourself out) is to take the trail towards the glacial lagoon (trail 3). It's a more-or-less flat trail that leads to a lovely lagoon surrounded by absolutely spectacular snow-covered bluffs. The whole thing is quite epic. Luckily, the trails aren't too crowded and, while you'll probably never be the only person in eyesight, you can still go at your own pace without any noise excepts the trickling brooks and chirping birds. It's amazing. Just go!
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