Madrid has no sea and no beach: what you'll find nearby are rivers and reservoirs, and swimming is only allowed in areas officially registered by the Community of Madrid. In 2026 there are four, with five sampling points: Las Presillas (Rascafría), Los Villares (Estremera), the Playa del Alberche (Aldea del Fresno) and El Muro and Virgen de la Nueva (San Martín de Valdeiglesias). The bathing season runs from 15 May to 15 September, so as of 5 November 2026 it is closed at all of them. Here's which spot to choose, how to get there, how much parking costs and what you can do without getting wet.
Before you set off: swimming closed out of season and access roads cut
- Season over. The official bathing period in the Community of Madrid runs from 15 May to 15 September; as of 5 November 2026, no area is in season.
- Virgen de la Nueva (San Martín de Valdeiglesias). Access remains prohibited after the Sierra Oeste fire; the blaze destroyed an outdoor adventure company and spread from the area around the Wakea restaurant to the road behind La Ermita restaurant.
- Montes de la Sierra Oeste. Since 3 September 2026, the Community of Madrid has temporarily restricted the passage of visitors and vehicles along tracks and forest roads in twelve burnt woodlands in Fresnedillas de la Oliva, Navas del Rey, Pelayos de la Presa, Robledo de Chavela, San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Villa del Prado.
- Río Eresma in Valsaín. Swimming and walking in the riverbed are prohibited at Boca del Asno, Los Asientos and other areas of the Valsaín woodlands.
- Reservoirs of the Sierra Norte. Puentes Viejas and El Atazar are not among the registered bathing areas: swimming is not allowed in them.
How to choose a spot based on what you're after
If what you want is a legal dip, the starting point is the list of registered swimming areas: outside it, across the whole European Union, swimming is only allowed in officially registered bathing areas. With that clear, the practical criteria are distance and the kind of plan:
- With kids and no walking: Playa del Alberche, in Aldea del Fresno, with the river shallow across almost the whole area, shaded picnic areas, three beach bars and showers.
- Mountain river pools: Las Presillas, in Rascafría, with three designated natural pools.
- A large reservoir with water facilities: San Juan, in San Martín de Valdeiglesias, with El Muro beach among the registered areas.
- Tagus River: Los Villares, in Estremera, with water classified as "Good" every year from 2021 to 2025.
- Without a car: Las Presillas have a direct bus from Madrid, and El Atazar is also reachable by public transport, although you can't swim there.
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Las Presillas (Rascafría): three pools on the Lozoya
The Las Presillas area is a riverside zone with three pools where swimming is allowed, and only there: you can't swim in any other stretch of river in the municipality. It's on the M-604 road, kilometre 28.600.
Parking. The car park has 450 spaces for cars and 25 for coaches, with a barrier and paid entry until the maximum capacity is reached. It opens Monday to Sunday from 09:00 to 21:00 according to the schedule published by Rascafría Town Council, which extends the one in the by-law published in the BOCM on 22 May 2026, which sets 10:00 to 21:00 with the possibility of extension. The 2026 rates per vehicle per day, excluding VAT, are €20 for cars, €5 for motorbikes and €50 for coaches from June to September; the rest of the year, €10 for cars, €2 for motorbikes and €30 for coaches. You can book a space online for cars and coaches, with limited spaces each day; motorbikes can't be booked and pay at the car park itself. As of 5 November 2026 the car park is operating and bookings are open. Social Security or Red Cross healthcare assistance vehicles, ambulances and public vehicles on official business are exempt, and registered residents who apply get a 90% discount.
Getting there without a car. Intercity bus line 194 connects the Plaza de Castilla interchange with Rascafría. In 2026 the first departure from Madrid leaves at 10:00 Monday to Friday and at 08:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, and the last at 18:00 Monday to Saturday and at 15:15 on Sundays and public holidays.
Area rules. Pets, music, tables and chairs, ball games, fires or barbecues, camping, awnings and glass containers are not allowed.
If you want to make a day of it, the Monastery of El Paular only admits visitors with a prior booking, opens from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00, closes on Mondays and Tuesdays that aren't public holidays and on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. In 2026 the guided tour "Monastic Zone + Cloister Exhibitions" costs €7 general, €4 for over-65s and groups and €3 for children. To park on the grounds you have to include your number plate in the booking.
Playa del Alberche (Aldea del Fresno): the most comfortable one with kids
Playa del Alberche is one of the region's four authorised swimming areas. In summer 2026 the Community of Madrid banned swimming at the end of July because of the Sierra Oeste fire, but on 7 August Public Health declared the water fit for swimming and the beach reopened until the end of the season on 15 September. There is no ban in force because of the fire.
Parking. The municipal car park, run by the town council, costs €3.50 on weekdays and €5 at weekends.
Facilities. Shaded picnic areas, three beach bars and showers; the river is shallow across almost the whole area, and dogs are allowed at all times on a lead.
Water quality. The 2025 annual classification was listed as "insufficient" because of microbiological results from 2023 and 2024, although every sample in the 2025 and 2026 seasons came back fit for swimming, and in 2026 Public Health increased the number of samples as a precautionary measure.
San Juan Reservoir: El Muro and Virgen de la Nueva
San Juan Reservoir provides two of the region's five sampling points: El Muro and Virgen de la Nueva, both in San Martín de Valdeiglesias. The 2026 bathing season ended on 15 September.
Virgen de la Nueva. Access remains closed following the Sierra Oeste fire, and an outdoor tourism company was completely destroyed. The fire advanced from the area around the Wakea restaurant and stopped at the road behind La Ermita restaurant.
Parking. To park in the regulated recreation areas you need an authorising permit: a ticket obtained at the access control point, a permit requested from San Martín de Valdeiglesias Town Council, an authorisation for registered residents' vehicles, or a special authorisation for an activity, property or service. The by-law governing this was approved by a full council agreement on 27 May 2026 and published in the BOCM on 10 June 2026.
Getting there. CRTM line 551 appears in the official 2026 information as "551 Madrid (Cuatro Vientos)-San Martín de Valdeiglesias-El Tiemblo/Cebreros". By car, it is 78.9 km from Madrid to the Virgen de la Nueva beach, or 1 h 19 min with no traffic.
Boating. In the buoyed bathing areas, sports and recreational boating and the use of any boat propelled by sail, motor or oars are prohibited; motorised craft must operate at no less than 100 m, and within the area you must not sail at more than three knots.
El Burguillo Reservoir (Ávila): the big reservoir on the Alberche
El Burguillo Reservoir sits on the Alberche River, and its waters cover 910 hectares across El Tiemblo, El Barraco, Navaluenga and San Juan de la Nava (Ávila). The Tagus River Basin Authority (Confederación Hidrográfica del Tajo) allows recreational uses such as swimming and water sports, and there is an area where you can go nude. You can check information on swimming areas in the Tagus basin with the Confederación Hidrográfica del Tajo, and water quality and official profiles on NÁYADE, the National Bathing Water Information System of the Ministry of Health.
How to get there. From Madrid it's 89.4 km and 1 h 26 min by car with no traffic to the dam, in El Tiemblo. From Ávila it's 41.3 km and 38 minutes.
Equipment rental. At elburguillo.com you can rent double or single canoes by the hour for €10, paddleboards from €10 an hour and a sailboat for €100 for two crew members, no sailing licence required.
Background on the area. The Burgohondo fire started on 22 July 2026, was brought under control on 15 August and was declared out on 3 October after 73 days; it affected 37,818 hectares, 33,943 of them woodland. In summer the water level drops a lot. In August 2026, 110 volunteers took part in work days organised by El Tiemblo Town Council to build fascines against erosion and the washing away of ash next to the reservoir.
Eresma River (Valsaín and La Granja): where you can and where you can't
On the Eresma River as it passes through the Valsaín mountains (Boca del Asno, Los Asientos and other areas), swimming or walking in the riverbed is prohibited: article 41 of the PRUG of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park only allows swimming in two small special-use areas, and the Valsaín Visitor Centre answers "No" when asked whether you can swim in the pools at Boca del Asno.
The only two areas where the PRUG expressly allows swimming are the surroundings of the Cañito de Don Pedro, next to the weir at the Puente de los Canales, and the surroundings of the Puente de Valsaín, both in the municipality of the Real Sitio de San Ildefonso; in August 2026 the town council had asked the Duero River Basin Authority for the concession to manage and regulate them.
Parking. The car park at the Boca del Asno recreation area has 135 spaces, 4 of them for coaches. Parking outside the designated areas is strictly prohibited, with possible fines or removal of the vehicle by tow truck. From 25 June to the end of September, at weekends and on public holidays vehicles may only stay from 7:30 to 22:30, and camping and overnight stays in vehicles are prohibited.
Getting there without a car. Buses leave from the Moncloa interchange for Segovia roughly every half hour, and from the Segovia bus station to La Granja de San Ildefonso there are buses every forty-five minutes.
With dogs. Throughout the National Park and its special protection area, including the Valsaín mountains and Boca del Asno, dogs and other pets must be kept on a lead.
Valsaín Visitor Centre. In summer, from the second half of June to the first half of September, it opens from 9:00 to 14:30 and from 15:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday, and from 9:30 to 14:30 and from 15:00 to 19:00 at weekends and on public holidays; the rest of the year, from 9:30 to 14:00 and from 14:30 to 16:00, and it closes on 25 December and 1 January.
Puentes Viejas and El Atazar reservoirs: water, but no swimming
Neither of the two is on the official list of swimming areas, so swimming is not allowed in them. The Community of Madrid reminds people that swimming in unauthorised areas carries risks from harmful microorganisms and from currents, drop-offs, submerged objects or conditions that increase the risk of drowning, knocks, cuts or burns. At Puentes Viejas, emergency services rescued a young man who jumped from about eight metres into an area where swimming is prohibited and suffered a heavy impact on his back.
Puentes Viejas. It lies on the middle course of the Lozoya river, has a capacity of 53 hm³ and a surface area of 280 ha, and is used for water supply and power. It sits next to Buitrago del Lozoya, Gandullas and Puentes Viejas. The dam was built in two phases: the first was completed in 1925 with a height of 43.5 metres and 22 hm³; the second, interrupted by the Civil War, was not finished until 1939, exceeding 60 metres and allowing up to 53 hm³ to be stored. Kayaking and paddleboarding are available with Aguas Tranquilas, according to the Sierra Norte Madrid tourism association.
El Atazar. It is the largest reservoir in the Community of Madrid: 425.3 hm³, 46% of the region's stored volume. Its dam is a concrete arch dam, 134 m high with a crest length of 484 m, with a surface area of 1,070 ha, and it was built between 1965 and 1972.
How to get to El Atazar by car. From the A-1 take exit 60 at La Cabrera, drive through El Berrueco turning towards Torrelaguna on the M-131 and, in less than 3 kilometres, turn left towards El Atazar and the dam on the M-133. From Plaza de Castilla it is 74.4 km and 1 h 6 min with no traffic.
How to get there by bus. Intercity bus 197 leaves from Plaza de Castilla to Torrelaguna, and there you take the 913 towards El Atazar, after passing through Torremocha de Jarama and Patones. On the 913 timetable in force from 27 October 2025, Monday to Friday working days, the departures from Torrelaguna that continue to El Atazar are those at 07:45 (via Patones de Arriba, on demand), 11:40, 16:45 and 18:40.
What to do. The Mancomunidad del Embalse del Atazar lists water sports facilities with equipment rental and kayak, paddleboarding, windsurf and sailing courses in Cervera de Buitrago and El Berrueco, and an adventure park with a 72-metre zip line. It also publishes restaurants and bars in the villages along the shore, such as Bar Mesón «Elathazar» in El Atazar and Restaurante «El Molino» in El Berrueco.
Buitrago del Lozoya: the plan without a swimsuit
The old town of Buitrago del Lozoya has been listed as a site of cultural interest in the historic ensemble category since 1993, and its walled enclosure has been a National Monument since 1931. It's about 80.6 km and 1 h 3 min by car from Madrid with no traffic.
South or Upper Wall. In 2026 it opens with an admission fee: from 1 November to 31 March, Tuesday to Friday from 11:30 to 13:45 and from 16:15 to 17:45, Saturdays in the same time slots, Sundays and public holidays from 11:30 to 13:45, and closed on Mondays; no entry in the 15 minutes before closing. It costs €5.00 standard and €4.00 reduced for over-65s, Youth Card and disability card holders, with under-10s and neighbourhood card holders free; you buy your ticket at the Tourist Information Point in Plaza de Angelines Paino.
Lower or River Wall. Access is always open and free, via stairs on Calle Hospitalillo next to Plaza del Castillo and in the Jardín Medieval.
Parking. The municipality has no restricted or regulated parking zones, but non-residents are not allowed to drive or park inside the walled enclosure; the Municipal Car Park, with entrances on Calle Tahona and Calle Real and about 65 spaces, is open from 8:00 to 21:00.
Guided tour. The monuments tour lasts about 90 minutes, includes the upper wall, the Torre del Reloj, the church of Santa María del Castillo and the exterior of the castle, runs Tuesday to Friday in the morning between 10:30 and 12:00, costs €8.00 per person with a minimum of 15 people (€6.00 reduced with a minimum of 20) and requires booking at least 15 days and at most two months in advance.
Before you get in the water: rules, water quality and safety
Where to check the rules. The official swimming areas page of the Community of Madrid publishes the analytical results for the 2026 season from the five sampling points. Monitoring is carried out by the Environmental Health Area of the Directorate-General for Public Health. You can also check water quality and the surroundings of the listed areas on NÁYADE, the National Bathing Water Information System of the Ministry of Health, which includes inland waters. The Tagus River Basin Authority (Confederación Hidrográfica del Tajo) publishes information on recreational-use areas in its basin.
Water status and flow. You can check real-time flows in the Tagus basin on the SAIH Tajo, under the river gauging section and the reservoirs and releases section. The threshold values shown on the website are provisional until they are agreed with Civil Protection and the hydrological warning protocol is approved. The thirteen reservoirs of Canal de Isabel II began November 2026 at 59.4% of their capacity, with 560.8 cubic hectometres stored.
Risks. Swimming outside authorised areas exposes you to harmful microorganisms and to currents, drop-offs and submerged objects. In properly buoyed swimming areas, sport and recreational boating and the use of any boat or floating craft propelled by sail, motor or oars are prohibited; motorboats must operate at least 100 m from the swimming area, and within it you must not navigate at more than three knots.
What to bring. Footwear you can get wet, water, sun protection and a bag to take your waste home with you. At Las Presillas, also leave glass, awnings, tables and pets at home: they are not allowed.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a sea beach near Madrid?
No. Madrid has no sea: the alternatives are rivers and reservoirs, and swimming is only authorised in officially registered areas, four in the Community of Madrid with five sampling points.
Can you swim in any reservoir in the region?
No. Puentes Viejas and El Atazar are not on the list of registered areas, so you can't swim in them. The Tagus River Basin Authority does allow recreational uses such as swimming in El Burguillo.
How much does parking cost at Las Presillas?
In 2026, from June to September, it's €20 per car per day, €5 per motorbike and €50 per bus; the rest of the year, €10, €2 and €30 respectively. Cars and buses can book a space online, and motorbikes pay at the car park itself.
Can I get to any of these places by public transport?
Yes. Line 194 reaches Rascafría from Plaza de Castilla, and CRTM line 551 connects Madrid with San Martín de Valdeiglesias. For El Atazar you have to combine the 197 to Torrelaguna with the 913.
Where can I check whether the water is safe for swimming?
On the Community of Madrid's swimming areas page, with the analyses for the current season, and on NÁYADE, the national system run by the Ministry of Health.
Can I bring my dog?
At Playa del Alberche your dog can always come in, on a lead. At Las Presillas pets are not allowed, and in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park dogs must be kept on a lead.
Book the boat party at El Burguillo Reservoir — Music, a barbecue and nature on the waters of the Alberche.
