• Region: Madrid
• Declared a Biosphere Reserve: 2005
• Protected area: 15,230.8 ha Includes the Hayedo de Montejo beech forest.
• Towns and villages: Horcajuelo de la Sierra, Montejo de la Sierra, Prádena del Rincón, La Hiruela, Puebla de la Sierra.

Points of interest

Located less than a hundred kilometers from Madrid, the Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve is a mountainous territory between the Ayllón and Somosierra massifs. It is known as one of the most beautiful and least discovered places in the Community of Madrid.

Historically, the low fertility of the land and the harsh climate were key to the emergence of a landscape dominated by forestry and livestock in a generally underpopulated area of Spain. Improvements in road and rail networks and the discovery/protection of the beech forest known as Hayedo de Montejo has generated a fair amount of rural tourism in the area.

Over the years, a coexistence between human activities and nature in this mountain environment has conserved a wide cultural and natural diversity difficult to contemplate so close to the capital city of Spain and here we find a spectacular landscape in which Mediterranean and Atlantic habitats range from 900 metre to 2000 metre peaks.

Find a hotel close to the Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve

The Sierra del Rincón Mountains are home to exceptional flora and fauna. Besides having a broad range of different habitats (forests of pine, oak, holm oak and beech, pastureland, rocky landscapes, etc.), this is also home to unique flora, with 833 species, 66 of which are rare, endemic or endangered. There is also a large variety of fauna: of the 194 species of vertebrates to be found, 140 are rare, endemic or endangered. Autochthonous breeds of livestock and traditional crops cultivated to this day also help to conserve the local environment.

Walking in the Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve

There is a network of trails made up of around 20 routes marked with the name “Green Paths of Madrid” (Sendas Verdes de Madrid), in addition the area is crossed by the GR88 and the GR303 footpaths that are entirely within the limits of the reserve and pass through the 5 villages.

Short promo video for the hayedo Montejo beech forest and Sierra del Rincon biosphere reserve.

The hayedo Montejo beech forest is included within the limits of the the Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve. This short video (in Spanish) shows some of the sceneries, lifestyle and places to visit.

Information Centres

Each village in the area has information points, something of ethnographic interest and they are well worth visiting but the main information point to visit is the Centro de información de la reserva de la biosphera Sierra del Rincón where they also coordinate the entrance permits for the Hayedo beech forest.

A visit to the beech forest is free and is guided. Dogs are not allowed (unless they are registered for the blind or partially sighted).

There is a permanent exhibition covering an introduction to the Sierra del Rincón (its nature, landscapes, culture, customs and gastronomy). There are two large rooms with information, exhibition panels, videos and also a scale model of the area

Address: C/Real, 64. Montejo de la Sierra
Hours: Open every day 9.30 a 15.00
Tel: 91 869 70 58
Email: info.reservabiosfera@sierradelrincon.org

Reserving a visit to the Hayedo de Montejo beech forest

The best way to do this is ask your hotel or other accomodation as many have direct access to the reservation system. Alternatively you can reserve online at the official website or at the aforementioned information centre.

Reservations here: https://www.sierradelrincon.org/reservas.html

The forest is closed to the general public on Mondays

Oficial website for the Sierra del Rincon Biosphere Reserve: https://www.sierradelrincon.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sierradelrincon/

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