From the capital to the main route: about 325 kilometers from Madrid over the Sierra de Guadarrama and Segovia to Sahagún, where the path joins the Camino Francés.
The Camino de Madrid is the direct route from the Spanish capital to the Camino Francés. It begins at the church of Santiago el Real in the heart of Madrid and soon climbs into the Sierra de Guadarrama, which it crosses by the old Roman pass of Puerto de la Fuenfría. Then it drops to Segovia with its famous Roman aqueduct and continues across the wide tableland of Old Castile to Sahagún, where it meets the Camino Francés.
It's a quiet route with few pilgrims, clear mountain air in the first part and endless grain fields on the meseta – ideal for starting the journey right in Madrid.
Unlike many routes, the Camino de Madrid is not a historic main road but a modern, well-marked link from the capital into the Camino network.
Ideal if you start in Madrid or want a quiet, easily reached route with a mountain opening and a taste of the meseta. It's also popular as a first stretch before the Camino Francés.
Less suitable if you need company and dense infrastructure: on the meseta the stages are long, hot in summer and cold in winter, and supplies are thinner than on the main route.
From Madrid the path leads via Tres Cantos and Manzanares el Real into the mountains. The highlight of the first part is the crossing of the Sierra de Guadarrama over the Puerto de la Fuenfría.
Beyond the mountains waits Segovia. Then the meseta opens up: wide fields, pine woods near Coca, small villages in the provinces of Valladolid and León, until the route meets the Camino Francés at Sahagún.
The only real challenge is the Guadarrama crossing right at the start; after that the route is mostly flat to gently rolling. The meseta demands mental stamina and good planning for sun and cold.
Most pilgrims need about 12 to 15 days. Waymarking is good, but plan water and accommodation ahead on the long meseta stages.
Within a few days the path climbs over the Sierra de Guadarrama – on an old Roman road across the Puerto de la Fuenfría (around 1,800 m). The climb through pine forests and the view back over the plateau of Madrid make a strong opening.
Beyond the mountains lies Segovia, with its huge, almost 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct, the Alcázar and the cathedral – a rewarding rest day.
The Camino de Madrid doesn't end in Santiago but in Sahagún – right on the Camino Francés. From here it's about another 350 kilometers on the Camino Francés to Santiago de Compostela. Many walk the Camino de Madrid for exactly this reason: as a calm, self-contained opening from the capital before joining the great stream of the Camino Francés.
The best time is spring and autumn; high summer is very hot on the meseta, and in winter the Guadarrama can carry snow. Accommodation is in albergues and guesthouses. As on all Spanish routes, you'll need a pilgrim's credential (credencial).
Budget roughly €25–40 per day. Albergues usually cost €8–15, plus food. If you stay in guesthouses, you'll pay more.
The starting point is Madrid – about as easy to reach as it gets, with an international airport and a major rail hub.
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