Tales from the Trails : ¨La Silla de Felipe II¨ (Philip II´s chair).

Iago Garay playing in the Silla trails.

“Tales from the trails”  is a series of posts in which we will talk about riding some of the nicest trails in the Sierra de Madrid, spots that we will take you when choosing your MTB holidays with BlackTown Trails. We will talk not only about the riding, but also about all the history and legends that surround those spots, as every single trail in La Sierra, has a story to tell...

La Silla de Felipe II (Philip II ´s chair) is a spot close to San Lorenzo de El Escorial, where the legend says Philip II, King of Spain (1556-1598) used to relax while watching the construction of the El Escorial site.  Officially titled Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, it groups many functions into a single location.  It served as a monastery for monks of the Hieronymite order, royal palace for Spanish royalty and as the final resting place for numerous Spanish kings.  Today El Escorial is designated a Unesco World Heritage site. 

Some settings in the BlackTown Chalet, before heading to El Escorial.

Our trailer is the perfect way to transport mountain bikes anywhere.

Riding down a stair case with or more than 500 years old feels always special.

There are different legends that explain why Philip II chose this particular spot to build his monastery.  The first reason was the favorable climate, and ease of access to building materials.  Since El Escorial is protected by the mountains of the Sierra the weather is cool in the summer, and cold, but mostly dry, in the winter. 

​The second, and most intriguing reason, was to protect the empire from the Devil’s influence.  A medieval legend said that Lucifer, in the days between his expulsion from Heaven and his exile to Hell, lived in a cave near the base of Mount Abantos (Sierra de Guadarrama).  In the days that the rebel angel roamed the earth, it is believed he created seven doors to access the underworld.  One of those doors was believed to be located near Mt. Abantos.  For a deeply religious person like Phillip II, this would be an ideal place to locate a religious structure to protect the realm from Satan’s influence.
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The first architect, Juan Bautista de Toledo, designed the monastery in a gridiron scheme, based on the grill on which St. Lawrence of Rome (San Lorenzo), the patron of the building, was martyred.

Emilio riding his Santa Cruz Nomad through the Silla trails.

Cornering, pumping, jumping...is all about fun!

Riding under a blue sky and 15Cº in the middle of February is a gift...

Lunch in the actual Silla, with stunning views of the Sierra.

Lots of natural jumps over rocks, makes it a perfect playground for our enduro mountain bikes.

It is like a game, to chase friends along these magical trails.

It is a constant feeling of being in a playground

History and art is everywhere. Most of the trails end in this XI chapel.

The evening sun creates the best atmosphere for commenting the best moments of the day.

The Royal Site of El Escorial, a magic place full of legends....

We decided to finish with a visit to the El Escorial site and see the sunset from the balcony.

A hot drink in a winter is the perfect ingredient to listen to the stories of the day

Nowadays, El Escorial maintains its energetic atmosphere and the mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama are packed with singletrack, making it a real playground for local mountain bikers.  Locals tend to ride here in combination with a backcountry journey around the highest peaks of Abantos or Guadarrama, and then finish in the “Silla” for some flowy singletrack joy.
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It is also a great spot for winter riding, as it is rarely covered by snow, and opens lots of possibilities for connecting with other low altitude spots in the Sierra.

In BlackTown Trails we will always make sure that in your mountain bike holidays in Madrid, you have lots of fun riding in the best spots that will help you feel the magic of these places.  And, we’re sure you will return home with a smile on your face.  After all, aren’t we smile creators?

Come join us!


​Words: Félix Torija / Charlie Chewning
Photography: Ale Cubino .
Riders: Emilio García, Iago Garay, Félix Torija
Special thanks: Mariano Gon ( Santa Cruz Bicycles) , Pedro González ( LTM Racing )