This route heads northwest past El Escorial and Segovia, before heading for La Granja and a spectacular mountain pass.

Leave Madrid on the A-6; take the exit for El Escorial. This road becomes the M-505.

The massive palace of El Escorial dominates the old town with its attractive squares and narrow streets.

From El Escorial, route M-600 to Guadarrama passes the entrance to the Valle de los Caídos and heads into the tunnel beneath the Puerto de Guadarrama, 1611m above sea level. Take the N-603 for Segovia.

Don't be put off by the modern outskirts of Segovia, the old heart of the city has an undeniable charm and is an excellent place to stop for lunch, with a walk before or afterwards.

From Segovia, the CL-601, sign-posted Madrid and La Granja, leads up into the hills.

The main attraction in La Granja de San Ildefonso is Felipe V's romantic 18th-century palace, a mini-Versailles. Near by is the Riofrío Palace, built by Felipe's widow, and the Real Fábrica de Cristales. In the 18th century, this factory made spectacular chandeliers and mirrors for royal palaces. Today, the craft has been revived in the factory, school and museum.

From La Granja, the CL-601 climbs through peaceful woods, past signs proclaiming ever increasing altitudes. Admire the view at Puerto de la Navacerrada, a ski resort right at the tree line (1880m). Return to Madrid via the M-601, through Navacerrada, and the N-6.