Madrid's mountains get real snow most winters, and the passes are about an hour from the city. When the snow is thin or the forecast is bad, there is also an indoor snow room in town. Here's what we checked, from sledding slopes at Cotos to a snow day that never depends on the weather.
A free winter recreation area inside Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, at 1,830 meters beside the old Cotos ski area. It has two marked sledding zones, one only for children up to 7, plus open snow for snowball fights. Plastic sleds are banned. The cross-country ski track beside it is closed to sleds, walkers and dogs.
The closest ski station to Madrid, at 1,765 meters on the Sierra de Guadarrama pass. It has gentle beginner runs, a conveyor lift for first timers, a ski and snowboard school and gear rental. Non-skiers come for the snow itself and the mountain scenery. The C-9 mountain train from Cercedilla stops right at the pass.
A real-snow slope covering 18,000 m² inside the Madrid Xanadú mall, kept between -6°C and -2°C all year. Kids ride giant rubber donuts down three ice tubing lanes, try snowbikes, or learn to ski and snowboard on the beginner slope before moving up to the expert run, the chairlift and the snowpark jumps. Boots, skis or board, and a helmet come with every ticket.
Madrid's mountains get real snow most winters, and the passes are about an hour from the city. When the snow is thin or the forecast is bad, there is also an indoor snow room in town. Here's what we checked, from sledding slopes at Cotos to a snow day that never depends on the weather.
A free winter recreation area inside Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, at 1,830 meters beside the old Cotos ski area. It has two marked sledding zones, one only for children up to 7, plus open snow for snowball fights. Plastic sleds are banned. The cross-country ski track beside it is closed to sleds, walkers and dogs.
The closest ski station to Madrid, at 1,765 meters on the Sierra de Guadarrama pass. It has gentle beginner runs, a conveyor lift for first timers, a ski and snowboard school and gear rental. Non-skiers come for the snow itself and the mountain scenery. The C-9 mountain train from Cercedilla stops right at the pass.
A real-snow slope covering 18,000 m² inside the Madrid Xanadú mall, kept between -6°C and -2°C all year. Kids ride giant rubber donuts down three ice tubing lanes, try snowbikes, or learn to ski and snowboard on the beginner slope before moving up to the expert run, the chairlift and the snowpark jumps. Boots, skis or board, and a helmet come with every ticket.