A view of Valle de los Caídos
Funny story: a half-baked version of this article about Valle de los Caídos has been sitting in my “drafts” folder since April 29, 2017. That was only a week or two after I started this blog. I knew it was a topic I wanted to cover — it fits well with my theme of independent, intentional travel — but I couldn’t remember all the necessary details from my trip to write the article that I wanted.
So, now that I’m in Spain full-time, I recently had the opportunity to go back to this interesting place. Since I was bringing friends with me this time, I was wishing I’d finished the article two years ago so I could go back and read it. (Didn’t want to get us lost.) But once again, the trip was successful.
Spanish was one of my majors in college, and one of the classes I took was about Spain’s 1936-1939 civil war and the ensuing Francisco Franco dictatorship that ended with his death in 1975. Before taking the class, I had no idea that Spain had a civil war.
So when I went to Spain for the first time, I knew one of the sites I wanted to visit: Valle de los Caídos, or “Valley of the Fallen.” This war memorial is nestled in the mountains outside of Madrid, where 40,000 civil war soldiers are buried – as well as Franco himself, though his body rests ceremoniously at the altar inside the basilica. Above stands a 500-foot-tall stone cross. It’s the tallest cross in the world and can be seen from miles away.
The place has been highly controversial over the years. Though Franco said the monument was meant to be a symbol of peace, reconciliation, and atonement, the reality is more grim. During its 18-year construction, which began immediately after the end of the guerra civil, war prisoners were used as labor. Some Spaniards have likened the situation to a concentration camp. And ever since Franco’s death in 1975, the country has debated whether Franco’s body ought to be buried somewhere else. On certain days, right-wing extremists and fascist sympathizers make pilgrimages to the Valle, seeing it as a place of reverence.
(Update: On October 24, 2019, Franco’s body was exhumed and moved to Madrid after 44 years in the Valle’s basilica.)
For these reasons, Spain is not so sure how it feels about the whole place. It’s not a topic you bring up in polite company. I haven’t even told any of my Spanish friends that I went there recently. And because of all this, it seems the government has intentionally made it difficult for those wishing to visit. But, luckily, I was able to get there without a problem.
So, how do you get there from Madrid? Well, there are two “legs” to this journey. First, you have to get from Madrid to San Lorenzo de El Escorial. This is a really interesting town, which is home to Spain’s royal monastery, El Escorial. I recommend going out in the late morning and checking that out for a few hours, first. It’s what I’ve done both times.
Madrid to San Lorenzo de El Escorial
By Bus:
- Take the metro to Moncloa station via Line 3 or Line 6 (Circular). Depending on where you’re coming from, this should cost approximately €1.50 if you’re in Zone A (closer to the center of the city).
- Moncloa is both a metro and bus station, so from here you’ll need to get to Bus 661 to El Escorial. The ticket costs €2.50; it departs approximately every 15-30 minutes during the weekdays and less frequently on weekends. If you’re having a hard time finding it, don’t be afraid to ask someone who works at the station. A charter-style bus will transport you about an hour outside the city.
- You’ll arrive at Estación de Autobuses San Lorenzo de El Escorial. (It’s about a 10-minute walk to the monastery.)
By Train (Cercanías):
- If you’re living in Madrid and already have an abono, this is the best option, because you can get to San Lorenzo de El Escorial for “free.” If you don’t have the abono and want to take the train, you can also buy a single or day ticket at one of the kiosks inside any of the Cercanías stations, but I’m not certain of the cost.
- You have a choice of which station you want to depart from – it just has to be on the C-3 or C-3a Cercanías lines. Most likely, you’ll leave from Atocha, Sol, Nuevos Ministerios, Chamartín, or Mirasierra/Paco de Lucía. These are the easiest stations to reach via metro. The train leaves about once per hour, so make sure to check the schedule.
- After 45 minutes to an hour, you’ll arrive at Estación El Escorial. From here, you can walk about 20 minutes to the monastery.
San Lorenzo de El Escorial to Valle de los Caídos
This is important to know: There is only one bus that goes up to the Valle each day, and only one bus that comes down.
- The bus you need is 660A, and it departs from the bus station, Estación de Autobuses San Lorenzo de El Escorial – not the train station – every day at 3:15pm or 4pm (depending on the time of year — see note below). It is not widely publicized. Whatever else you’re doing in town that day, I recommend getting to the bus station around 3:00 if you can, just to make sure you know exactly where to go.
- When you board the bus, you’ll have to pay the bus driver but you’ll get a paper “ticket” which includes your return trip back down from the Valle. There’s only one bus coming down at either 5:30pm or 6pm (again, see below) so make sure you don’t miss it, or else you’re spending the night up there. (It’s kind of creepy. Would not recommend.)
- About 15 minutes into the bus ride, the bus will stop at the gates to the park. Everyone has to get off and buy their ticket for the visit. It costs €9 for general admission or €4 for students or other reduced-fare groups.
- 5-10 minutes later, you’re there! The parking lot is only a few minutes’ walk from the basilica entrance, and there’s also a café and restrooms available.
- Enjoy your visit. (Is “enjoy” the right word to use here?) Just remember, don’t miss the bus!
Note: One of my readers, Matthew, let me know in the comments about the timetable as of March 2024. On weekdays (except Mondays) from April to September, the bus leaves to Valle de los Caídos from the bus station at 4pm and comes back down at 6pm. The rest of the year, as well as weekends and holidays from April-September, the bus leaves at 3:15pm and comes back down at 5:30pm.
How to Get to Valle de los Caídos with a Group
If you don’t feel like navigating on your own, you can also get there with tour groups! Here are a few suggestions:
- Private transportation and tour of El Escorial (Viator)
- Private transportation and tour of El Escorial (GetYourGuide)
Hopefully you’ve learned a bit about recent Spanish history — a topic that still hangs uncomfortably over the country — and how to visit, whether on your own or with a group.
Have you ever heard of the Valle de los Caídos? Are you interested in visiting? Let me know in the comments!
-Cathy
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Originally Published on April 7, 2019.
Hi, I can’t find Bus 660A on any “official” website Do you know how to find out if it still runs? FYI, thank you for the detailed info on how it all works!
Yeah, I just looked again and couldn’t find anything either. Like I said in the post, it’s not really well-advertised. Once you make it to the station in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, you should find a bus schedule posted for 660A.
It’s been about 10 months since I last went, and I wouldn’t think it would have changed in that time. It was the same when I went a few years prior to that! The only thing that’s changed is that Franco has been exhumed – but I’m not sure that would make a difference. If I find out either way that the 660A bus has changed, I’ll be sure to update!
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment, by the way 🙂
-Cathy
Thanks so much!
Hi, Cathy!
Thank you so much for writing this! I went to Madrid in February and planned on visiting el Valle de los Caídos and your post was the most helpful one I could find online that also had accurate information. The only slight difference I came across was that my bus ticket to El Escorial on the bus line 661 cost more than five euros for a single.
In case anyone else is wondering, the only bus timetable I can find online to get to el Valle de los Caídos is this one below which subtly indicates with a “v” the time for going to and from the place: https://www.alsa.es/documents/10184/1163771/HORARIOS_660.pdf/41f1964c-481d-4ac4-a251-7e41fe1ed7af
This timetable can be found in the bus station of El Escorial and I also confirmed the times with the person at the information desk.
I hope you don’t mind but I put a link to this blog post of yours on my own about Madrid to help others get to el Valle de los Caídos, should they wish to go. Thank you again!
Kind regards,
Shelly
Hi, Shelly!
Thanks for your comment, and I’m glad you found this post helpful! Of course, thanks for linking it to your page as well 🙂
Have a good one!
-Cathy
Hi there Cathy. Thanks to your clear guidance I managed to visit the monument on the 660a. Because it was the summer timetable it left San Lorenzo de el Escorial at 4pm and collected us at 6pm. But without your info I would have failed! ¡Muchas Gracias!
Hi Paul!
Thanks so much for stopping by, reading, and leaving me a comment! I’m so glad you were able to visit without any trouble thanks to my post.
Since I’m not in Spain at the moment, it always helps to get updates on things I either don’t know or things that have changed! I’ll add your note about the summer timetable to the main post.
Thanks again!
—Cathy
You are most welcome. The summer timetable runs weekdays April to September, but on weekends and holidays the original times are valid all year round- just to complicate things. But whilst getting on the bus they did emphasize the return time to everyone, so hopefully nobody will get left behind! Thanks again and I hope you make it back to Spain soon! I read your post about having to leave your school and as a teacher myself I could relate entirely! Best wishes. Paul
Went to the The Valley today and can confirm the 660a still runs on this schedule. You just have to go down the ramp at the back of the station to get on the bus and they issue paper tickets. Wouldn’t have been able to get there without this advice though, so thank you so much for this post! They really don’t make it easy to know how to get there!
Hey Maxi,
Thanks for stopping by, and I’m so glad to hear you found the blog post helpful! 🙂 Enjoy your time in Spain.
-Cathy
Hi, Cathy,
Thank you so much for all the information. Just one question, when returning from Valle de los Caídos to Estación de Autobuses San Lorenzo de El Escorial, should I board the bus at the same place where I get off?
Hey there!
Yes, from what I remember, you board the bus where you were dropped off.
-Cathy
Thank you for your assistance. Wouldn’t have been able to get her yesterday without the information. When I went, the info booth was closed, but there was a schedule for the 660A only posted on the info booth window (weirdly not the other time tables with the buses that pass through). On the 660A time table lists the specifics, from Oct 1st-March 31st Tuesday to Sunday is 15:15 and 17:30, from April 1st-Sept 30th Tuesday to Friday is 16:00 and 18:00, and finally April 1st to Sept 30th Saturday Sunday and festivos is 15:15 and 17:30. Hope this helps, the bus stop is not listed but it is in the section of the station following the downwards ramp where all the buses leave.
Hey Matthew, thanks for stopping by and for your comment!
I’m so glad you found the blog post helpful, and that you shared that with me 🙂
They sure do like to change the timetable, don’t they? I wonder if they’re still trying to make it harder to visit… though I recently learned that they also just changed the name to Valle de Cuelgamuros, which means “hanging walls,” and is certainly less ominous than “the fallen.”
Anyway, I’ll update the post with the info you shared. Thank you! It’s been so long since I’ve been — now that I’m living in Spain again, though Alicante rather than Madrid, I am interested in going back and checking it out again. I haven’t been since they moved Franco, and my fiancé has never been to see it, though I’ve made him read all about it!
Thanks again!
-Cathy
Hi Cathy,
Thank you for sharing . Do you have any info on visiting the Valley of the Fallen from Avila.
Hi Paul,
Thanks for stopping by, and for your comment!
While I’ve never done it myself, it looks like there are RENFE trains from Avila to El Escorial pretty frequently, and the journey should take about 46-58 minutes on a Renfe Medium-Distance or Regional train. Tickets seem to cost about €5,65 to €7,60 each way, and you’ll arrive/depart from the Estación El Escorial station which should be the same as if you’d come from Madrid, as in my “Train” instructions in the post above.
Just keep in mind that the bus to Valley of the Fallen departs from the bus station, not the train station.
I hope this helps! Let me know how it goes, if you end up doing it.
-Cathy