Peralejo: Trails, Stone and San Matías

Peralejo combines trails through a landscape shaped by stone with a village setting where old lanes and devotion to San Matías are part of local life. When choosing where to stay, it helps to decide what you want to focus on during your trip: exploring routes and landscapes, learning about the village’s history, or experiencing its traditional festivities. These aspects of Peralejo complement one another, but each offers a distinct reason to visit.

Hiking among stone and historic routes

The Ruta de las Canteras de Peralejo leads to an active quarry, where cuttings in the rock can be seen. Access and operating conditions at the quarry may change; check them before your visit. Another circular route explores the origins of the stone that shapes Peralejo’s landscape.

The circular route “Caminos y vías pecuarias en los alrededores de Peralejo” begins and ends in Peralejo. It follows paths that connected Peralejo with Zarzalejo, and Robledo de Chavela with El Escorial. The hike from Peralejo to the Lagunas de Castrejón and back follows a different route: it takes a forest track and has a gentle elevation change of about 80 metres.

The different focuses make it easy to choose: the Ruta de las Canteras centers on the quarry and visible cuttings in the rock; the hike to the Lagunas is defined by its landscape destination, forest track, and gentle elevation change. The historical circular route, by contrast, highlights former connections between villages. If you are planning a specific hike, check trail conditions and practical information in advance.

Lanes and protected cultural heritage

Peralejo’s lanes are home to old corners and centuries-old stones. The village setting also includes a small church dedicated to its patron saint. The Iglesia de San Matías and the Crucero are protected as integral elements. The lanes and protected features therefore offer a cultural point of interest distinct from the hiking trails. If the formal protection status is important to your visit, check the latest information.

San Matías: a tradition with a changing programme

Peralejo holds traditional festivities in honour of San Matías. The municipal programme for May 2025 included a procession carrying the saint, accompanied by dulzaina and tamboril music, and a popular aperitif in the Plaza de la Iglesia. Individual activities and food offerings may vary from year to year. If you are planning your visit around the festivities, check the current dates and programme.

This gives you several different ways to plan your stay: the routes lead to the landscape and local history, while the San Matías festivities offer a time-specific reason to visit. Whether you want to discover Peralejo mainly on foot or focus on its cultural heritage, you can plan your visit around the destinations and traditions described here.

Discover more destinations: Paracuellos De Jarama, Manzanares El Real, Villalbilla, Los Molinos, Bustarviejo, El Gasco, Robregordo, Colmenarejo.

For the broader travel overview: Madrid.