Hi everybody! Sometimes I feel it’s necessary to run away from the city. Don’t get me wrong I love city life and love even more NYC where I’m from. The accessibility to public transportation and skyscrapers are home to me. In Madrid it’s similar to that city ambiance. However, this Saturday we decided to get away from noise pollution and concrete to go hiking. 

We took the Cercanias train to stop Cercedilla and walked through the town towards a hiking center where they showed all the paths that we could take through the mountain with all different difficulty levels. We chose the Camino del Agua in which we found lots of creeks and little water streams flowing through the mountain as we walked by. 

The path consists of a total of 5.7 kilometers, with little slope, and can be completed in less than two hours, although that depends on how many stops are made throughout the trip. The path is marked with blue paint circles on the trees along the path. With good shoes, appropriate clothing (which depends on the weather), snacks, and a water bottle you’ll be ready to make this route. The Camino del Agua is called that because it is the path that has the tubing from the river to the reservoirs. In fact, you can see parts of the pipes in some sections while you walk. Along the way you can see, among hazelnuts, ferns, oaks and pines, interesting views of the Fuenfría, La Peñota or Peña Bercial. The end of the path is marked by a fence and you will pass through some shacks, after which you will arrive immediately, in about ten minutes, to the town. After the hike we got back on the train to Madrid. We slept the whole way back to Atocha station since we were so tired. 

Overall it was a beautiful and well spent Saturday. It was amazing to be able to step away from the city and all of my homework to enjoy nature. The only sounds I heard while hiking were the cow bells, birds, the cracking of the leaves under our feet, and the many many laughs. I was also born and raised in the Dominican Republic and the more I looked at the views, the more I felt like I was back home. The only thing that was missing was the heat.  If you have seen my other blogs you also know I am taking a sketchbook class and many of the plants and beautiful views that I saw throughout the hike were dying to make it to my sketchbook. I can’t wait to come back and try a more challenging path, and to bring more friends for a nature escape. Next time we will also try El Tren de la Naturaleza which is a train that comes out of Cercedilla and goes on the same route as the Cercanias but through the nature view and mountain range and who knows, maybe that will be my next post.

Mayeline Peña, student blogger primavera 2020