Taxi & private hire in Arenas de San Pedro

Arenas de San Pedro and Valle del Tiétar

The Tiétar valley runs along the southern face of Gredos, from Sotillo de la Adrada through Arenas de San Pedro to Candeleda, with villages among chestnuts, pines and orchards and many Madrid weekend homes. It is a long way from the city of Ávila over the mountains, so many residents live their lives more towards Madrid and Talavera.

From Arenas de San Pedro to Madrid and Barajas

From the Tiétar valley nobody goes up to Ávila to reach Madrid: the valley road continues towards San Martín de Valdeiglesias and enters Madrid from the south-west, or drivers drop down to the A-5 through Toledo province. For Barajas the route crosses Madrid on the M-40 or M-50.

Around the province of Ávila

Gredos makes Ávila province work almost as two: getting from the Tiétar valley to the capital means crossing the mountains over the Pico pass or another Gredos crossing, on mountain roads. The most common internal trips are from the villages to the hospital and station in Ávila, and in the south, between valley villages where buses run only a few times a day.

Busiest times of year

• Santa Teresa fiestas (mid-October): Ávila celebrates its patron Saint Teresa around 15 October, with processions, events in the old town and many visitors from outside. There are traffic closures by the walls and it is best to set the pickup outside the walled area.
• Holy Week in Ávila (March or April): Holy Week processions fill the old town and the area around the walls, and coincide with holiday departures to the Tiétar valley. These are days of many transfers in both directions.
• Medieval Festival (early September): During the Medieval Festival the area inside the walls becomes a crowded market with closed streets. Driving into the old town on those days is difficult.
• Summer in Gredos and the Tiétar (June to September and long weekends): The Tiétar valley and the northern side of Gredos fill with summer residents and hikers from Madrid. Friday afternoons and Sundays concentrate the comings and goings with luggage.
• Snow on the passes (December to March): Snow and ice affect the Pico pass, the Gredos crossings and the Alto del León, and Ávila, at over a thousand metres, has very cold mornings. In winter, trips across the mountains need more margin.

Tip: Between Ávila and Madrid, the route via the AP-51 and AP-6 has tolls; if you prefer the N-110 and the Alto del León, say so when booking.