Madrid Road Trip: Tour the Underexposed Heart of Spain

Difficulty

547 miles/881 km

Distance

7

Recom. Days

Adventure, Culture

Trip type

Man standing on a mountain
Carlos Peñalba

Freelance travel writer and photographer who has lived in London and New York and spent 18 months backpacking throughout Asia. His travel memoir The Year I Became a Nomad narrates his Asian adventures.

Madrid Road Trip Itinerary: Madrid Round-Trip

Madrid Road Trip map itinerary

Google Maps

This Madrid round-trip itinerary heads southwest to discover two of the least visited areas of Spain: Extremadura and Castilla La Mancha.

Madrid is not only Spain’s geographical heart but also the centre of its radial road system. This makes most parts of the country easily reachable by road from Madrid and gives campervan enthusiasts many options for exploring the rich and diverse Spanish geography.

Start your Madrid itinerary in nature, at Parque Nacional de Monfragüe, the world’s largest and best-preserved Mediterranean forest. From there, visit some of the oldest towns in the region. Trujillo, Cáceres, and Mérida are all magnificent examples of Extremadura’s rich past.

Finally, before getting to the cities of Ciudad Real and Toledo, you’ll have the chance of chilling out at Puerto Peña Reservoir, a perfect spot for water-sports lovers. 

White Windmills at Consuegra a must see on the Madrid Road Trip

Pick-up in
Madrid Pick-up center
1

Parque Nacional de Monfragüe, a Mediterranean Forest

Monfragüe, one of Spain’s 15 National Parks, is the world’s largest and best-preserved patch of Mediterranean forest. At the confluence of the Tagus and Tietar Rivers, the park is home to 280 species of vertebrates. Over 200 of them are birds, with the Iberian Imperial Eagle the star of Monfragüe. 

Bring binoculars and spend the afternoon birdwatching, one of the most unique activities the park offers and a perfectly zen way to begin your Madrid road trip.

A green landscape of Monfragüe National Park in Spain, a pitch stop on the Madrid Road Trip

Besides spotting the diverse wildlife, other activities worth enjoying at Monfragüe are hiking, biking, and horse riding. There are several well-marked paths to explore although you’ll need to request a permit to access some. 

Watersports are prohibited within the park, but there are several kayaking options in the outskirts of Monfragüe, both on the Tagus and on the Tietar rivers.

Visiting

Monfragüe National Park

2-3

Recom. Days

Main route

160 miles

from Madrid pick-up center

2h20min

drive

Signal

Eat at

Restaurante Monfragüe

$$$

Only restaurant inside the park area.

Carbajal

$$

South of the park at Torrejón El Rubio village.

Signal

Stay at

Camping Parque Nacional de Monfragüe

$

North of the park at Malpartida de Plasencia.

2

Trujillo & Caceres, Land of Conquistadores

Extremadura’s two most important contributions to Spain have been conquistadores and jamón ibérico. From this land were some of the leading conquerors of America. Hernán Cortés, Pizarro, Nuñez de Balboa, and Orellana, just to name a few, all come from the region. 

Your second stop on this Madrid road trip takes you to Trujillo, a stunningly well-preserved medieval town. Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of Peru, and Francisco de Orellana, the first person to entirely navigate the Amazon River (first named Orellana River) were both born here. 

Spend half a day admiring the main square, old palaces and churches, and its castle. Sample some jamén ibérico at one of the bars on Plaza Mayor, the town’s main square with the imposing Pizarro statue.

A landscape image of a medieval stone castle at Trujillo

Resume your road trip and head to the province capital, Cáceres, which old quarter is one of the officially best-preserved in the continent. 

As soon as you walk through Cáceres narrow old streets, you feel as you’ve travelled back to medieval times. Palaces, churches, and convents built in beautiful golden stones will transport you to its glorious past. 

Visiting

Trujillo and Cáceres

2

Recom. Days

Main route

80 miles

from Monfragüe

1h30min

drive

You can find Indie Campers RV rentals in more than 40 different cities and destinations across Europe.

Visit

Trujillo

Walk around this medieval old town. Visit the main churches and its castle.

Cáceres

Churches, palaces, convents, gates, towers, and arches. There’s so much to see!

Signal

Eat at

Bizcocho Plaza

$$

Great views of Trujillo’s Plaza Mayor.

La Cacharrería

$$

Fantastic tapas in Cáceres.

RV icon

Parking

Aparcamiento Ciudad Deportiva Caceres

20-min walk from city center

Signal

Stay at

Caceres Camping

$$

5 km (~3 miles) from old Cáceres, facilities include WiFi, pool

3

Mérida and Puerto Peña Reservoir

Let’s travel back in time some more, from the Middle Ages to the Roman Empire. Your next stop in this wonderful Madrid road trip is Mérida, a town founded in 25 BC under the name of Emerita Augusta by order of Emperor Augustus. 

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, Mérida’s archaeological ensemble is one of the most impressive in the country. The Roman theatre and the amphitheater, the Roman circus, the bridge over the Guadiana River, the aqueduct, and many other buildings and remains are mind-blowing due to their state of preservation and beauty.

A landscape image of the Castle Puebla de Alcocer at Puerto Pena enroute Madrid Road Trip

Leave the old architecture behind and give yourself rest in nature. Drive your campervan East towards Puerto Peña Reservoir, a hidden spot only known by locals and ideal for watersports. Swimming, canoeing, and motorboating are all fun activities to do at the reservoir. 

Close to Puerto Peña, pay a visit to the old town of Puebla de Alcocer, which castle offers spectacular views of the reservoir and the whole region.

Visiting

Merida & Puerto Peña

2-3

Recom. Days

Main route

116 miles

from Cáceres

2h15min

drive

You can find Indie Campers RV rentals in more than 40 different cities and destinations across Europe.

Visit

The Roman Archeological Ensemble

A spectacular collection of Roman buildings.

Puebla de Alcocer

Great views of Puerto Peña Reservoir from the castle.

Signal

Eat at

De Tripas Corazón

$$

Quality local food with a twist in Mérida.

Playa Puerto Peña

$

Fantastic location by the reservoir.

RV icon

Parking

Parking Teatro Romano

$$

Large car park in historic center.

Signal

Stay at

Camping Puerto Peña

$

Right on the reservoir

4

Ciudad Real, the Capital of La Mancha

We exit Extremadura to enter La Mancha, Don Quixote’s land. Your next stop on this Madrid road trip is at one of La Mancha’s main cities, Ciudad Real often called The Capital of La Mancha. 

Ciudad Real is a small city, perfect to explore on foot. The Romanesque cathedral and Santiago’s Church are both impressive buildings worth visiting. Toledo’s Gate, at the North end of the old city, is a magnificent gothic gate of military origins. 

The city also boasts Don Quixote’s Museum, a small free museum that combines an artwork exhibition related to the novel and multimedia presentations about the Cervantine period.

A landscape image Don Quixote’s Museum enroute Madrid Road Trip

A traditional dish worth trying is migas, which literally means bread crumbs. Shepherd-style migas are small pieces of stale white bread mixed with garlic and bacon that has been sauteed in lard or olive oil. 

Don’t forget that Manchego cheese is one of the most famous Spanish cheeses and that La Mancha also produces plenty of good quality red wines. There you have your lunch for the day! After, head to Toledo instead of spending the night in Ciudad Real.

Visiting

Ciudad Real

1

Recom. Days

Main route

87 miles

from Puerto Peña

2h

drive

You can find Indie Campers RV rentals in more than 40 different cities and destinations across Europe.

Visit

The cathedral and Santiago’s church

Wonderful Romanesque architecture.

Toledo’s Gate

Impressive military gate.

Don Quixote’s Museum

Small free museum about the world’s famous novel.

Signal

Eat at

Mesón Octavio

$$

If available, try migas.

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Parking

Ciudad Real

$$

Several private parking lots in the city centre.

5

Three Cultures unified in Toledo

Toledo is known as the City of the Three Cultures because for many years Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived peacefully together in its narrow hilly streets. 

The old city sits on a mountaintop surrounded by the Tagus River on three sides. As you reach the city by campervan, the view of Toledo in the distance is unforgettable.

view of the city of Toledo

An hour’s drive from the capital, Toledo is last on your Madrid road trip. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, it’s packed with medieval churches, synagogues, and mosques. The old city walls and gates still stand, as do the iconic Roman Alcántara and San Martin Bridges.

Visiting

Toledo

1

Recom. Days

Main route

75 miles

from Ciudad Real

1h30min

drive

You can find Indie Campers RV rentals in more than 40 different cities and destinations across Europe.

Visit

The cathedral

Do not miss its impressive art collection.

The mosque of Cristo de la Luz and the synagogue of St. María La Blanca

Some of the oldest in Spain

Mirador del Valle

Great views of Toledo across the river

Signal

Eat at

El Trebol

$$

Good traditional tapas

Bar Ludeña

$

Try Carcamusas, a local delicacy

RV icon

Parking

Parking de Safont

Free parking close to city centre

Signal

Stay at

Camping El Greco

$$

Outisde the city by the river

Drop-off in
Madrid Pick-up center

45 miles

from Toledo

1h05min

drive