El Escorial Sierra de Guadarrama © Copyright “name”, 2010. All Rights Reserved Created by Stephen Fernandez Osmunda Consulting    Made with Xara Web Designer Sierra de Guadarrama In and around the mountains of Madrid The town of El escorial (San Lorenzo de El Escorial) lies to the extreme west of the Guadarrama range and is easily reached from Madrid by the A6 motorway.  It is the largest town along the Guadarrama and is a popular tourist centre, due to the presence of the El Escorial Monastery where almost every king and queen of Spain is buried in the crypt (the exceptions being Felipe V, Ferdinand VII and Amadeus) and the nearby "Valley of the Fallen" El Escorial has a wide range of hotels and restaurants, however, it's location to the western extreme of the Guadarrama makes it a less than ideal base if you wish to explore the Sierra de Guadarrama without too much dependence on a car.  That said if you need a break from tramping over the mountains or the weather is against you then it is certainly worth a visit. Outside of the town itself then a trip towards the pass at Cruz Verde is something to consider.  On the way out you will pass on the left the a viewpoint "Silla de Felipe II"  It is said that from here he surveyed the work being done to build the monastery.   There are also view towards Madrid from here.  There is a little place here where you can picnic on salad or baby lamb chops at a reasonable price. Fiestas in El Escorial The main fiestas “Patronales” in San Lorenzo de el Escorial are in August from the 9th to the 15th