Rivas-Vaciamadrid travel guide
Metro line 9 to Madrid, river lakes and gypsum cliffs
A modern commuter town on Madrid's south-eastern edge, worth it as a quieter base on metro line 9 or for walks in the Sureste Regional Park. Spring and autumn are the best months. One night is enough unless you are using it as a Madrid base. Prices are high, and Schengen rules apply.
Rivas-Vaciamadrid sits 15 km south-east of central Madrid, a commuter town of about 100,000 people that barely existed in the 1980s. Most visitors come for one of two reasons: a cheaper base on the metro into the capital, or the river country of the Sureste Regional Park, which covers almost three-quarters of the municipality.
South of the housing estates, the Manzanares meets the Jarama among old gravel lakes and pale gypsum cliffs. Laguna del Campillo is the easiest way in, with a flat path round the water and good birdwatching in winter. The cliffs of the Cortados del Piul give the best view over the valley, but there is no shade, so go early in summer.
There is no historic centre to speak of. Expect wide avenues, parks and shopping centres, and plan to eat and drink in Madrid unless you are staying out here for the countryside.
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Top things to do in Rivas-Vaciamadrid
Little to see in town itself; the draw is the river park to the south and easy access to Madrid.
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Best time to visit Rivas-Vaciamadrid
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Green river banks in spring and comfortable temperatures for walking the park trails.
Very hot and dry on the open plain; walk at dawn and spend the afternoon indoors or in Madrid.
Winter is the quiet season for people but a good one for waterbirds on the lakes of the regional park.
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Getting there
Across Madrid on metro line 9, or the A-3
Madrid-Barajas is the airport, about 25 km to the north. By public transport it means crossing the city: metro line 8 from the airport to Colombia, line 9 south through the eastern districts to its end at Puerta de Arganda, then the separate outer section of line 9 for the last stretch to Rivas. Allow well over an hour door to door, more with luggage. A taxi or ride-hailing car along the ring roads is much faster, around half an hour when traffic is light. Long-distance trains and coaches all arrive in central Madrid, at Atocha, Chamartín or the Estación Sur coach station, and from each the metro connection to line 9 is the same idea. Drivers simply take the A-3 Valencia motorway, which runs along the north of the town and straight into Madrid.
- Metro from the airport
- Line 8 to Colombia, line 9 to Puerta de Arganda, then on to Rivas
- Rivas stations
- Rivas Urbanizaciones, Rivas Futura and Rivas-Vaciamadrid
- Taxi from Barajas
- About 30 minutes in light traffic
- By car
- A-3 from central Madrid, about 15 km
- The line 9 section beyond Puerta de Arganda sits outside Madrid's central fare zone, so a standard city single does not cover it; check the fare at the machine.
Where to stay
Rivas Urbanizaciones, Rivas Futura or the old town stop
Rivas is a residential town of wide avenues and estates, and being a short walk from a line 9 station matters far more than any district. Most visitors are here either for a cheaper base for Madrid or for walks in the regional park to the south. Hotels are few, so apartments and rented rooms make up much of the choice. Expect quiet nights and few bars within walking distance.
- Near Rivas Urbanizaciones
- First stop from Madrid, the shortest ride into the city
- Near Rivas Futura
- Newer district with shopping centres and wide streets
- Near Rivas-Vaciamadrid station
- Southernmost stop, serving the older part of town
- Anywhere off the metro
- Cheaper, but you will rely on local buses or a car
Getting around
Metro spine, local buses, bike tracks
Use metro line 9, which runs along the town's spine with three stations, and the local buses that link the estates to them. Rivas grew from a few hundred people in the 1980s to over 100,000 today and was planned around the car, with long avenues, roundabouts and estates between shopping centres. Distances between districts are long enough that walking across town becomes a trek, which is another reason to stay near the metro. The regional park to the south is best reached by bike or on foot: tracks lead from the edge of town to Laguna del Campillo and on across the river plain towards the gypsum cliffs of the Cortados del Piul. Taxis and ride-hailing apps work as anywhere in the Madrid region, and the contactless Madrid public transport card covers the metro once topped up with the right fare.
- Metro line 9
- Three stations in town, change at Puerta de Arganda for Madrid
- Local buses
- Link the residential districts with the metro
- Cycling
- Park tracks run south from town to the lakes and cliffs
- Carry water and a hat on park rides; the tracks cross open plain with almost no shade.
Know before you go
What makes Rivas-Vaciamadrid worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- Laguna del Campillo in the early morning, with herons and ducks on a flooded old gravel pit.
- The Cortados del Piul, white gypsum cliffs above the Jarama with a wide view over the river plain.
- A quieter night's sleep than central Madrid, with the city still reachable by metro.
Good to know
- Bring water and a hat on the park trails; there is little shade and summer afternoons are fierce.
- Allow extra time into Madrid, since line 9 here is a separate section and you usually change at Puerta de Arganda.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Rivas-Vaciamadrid are being researched.
Laguna del Campillo and the Cortados gypsum bluffs on foot
The Sureste regional park is the reason to visit Rivas. Enter at Laguna del Campillo on the town's south side, follow the level lakeshore path, then continue across the river plain to the gypsum bluffs of the Cortados del Piul. Set off at sunrise in warm months and carry water.
Start at Laguna del Campillo, the lake that marks the easiest entrance to the park on the town's south side. A level path follows the shore, and winter brings the most birds to the water. From there, the river plain opens towards the Jarama and its gypsum cliffs.
The Cortados del Piul are the high point of a visit: pale bluffs where the land drops to the river, with a long view south and east. Paths here are exposed, so in warm months set off soon after sunrise and carry plenty of water. Cyclists can link the lake and the cliffs on park tracks. Below the bluffs, the Manzanares slips into the Jarama, and the flat land around the confluence is pocked with flooded gravel pits that now hold reed beds and ducks.
Park walk at dawn, Prado by afternoon on metro line 9
Treat Rivas as half a day. Walk or cycle the park early, while it is cool, eat an early lunch in town, then take metro line 9 into Madrid for the Retiro and the Prado in the afternoon and dinner in the centre. In July and August, keep the trails for dawn.
Herons fish the lake in the cool of the morning. Fit walkers and cyclists can reach the Cortados del Piul, above the meeting of the Manzanares and the Jarama, and still turn back by late morning.
After a shower and an early lunch in town, ride line 9 towards Madrid, changing at Puerta de Arganda. Stay on the main line to Ibiza station, which comes out beside the eastern edge of the Retiro park, and cross the park on foot to the Prado and the other museums of the Paseo del Prado. Take the metro back while trains are still frequent.
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How we research our Rivas-Vaciamadrid travel guide
Rivas-Vaciamadrid details are verified with the official Rivas website, Spain.info and Renfe.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Rivas-Vaciamadrid.
Getting there
About 15 km to the south-east. The town is part of the Madrid metropolitan area and borders the Villa de Vallecas district.
Yes, the A-3 Valencia motorway runs along the north of the town and reaches central Madrid in about 15 km.
General
Take metro line 9 from one of the three Rivas stations and change at Puerta de Arganda onto the main section of line 9.
The main draw is the Sureste Regional Park, with Laguna del Campillo and the Cortados del Piul cliffs. The town itself is modern and residential.
It can be, if you stay near a line 9 station and do not mind a longer ride into the centre. It suits travellers who want quiet evenings.
In the south of the municipality, inside the Sureste Regional Park, which covers almost three-quarters of Rivas.
April to June and September to October. In July and August the open plain is baking hot by mid-morning.
Yes, the lakes of the regional park attract waterbirds, especially in winter. Laguna del Campillo is the most accessible spot.
No; rail access is by the three metro line 9 stations only. Long-distance trains use Madrid's Atocha and Chamartín.
Rivas-Vaciamadrid is best known for:
- Laguna del Campillo in the early morning, with herons and ducks on a flooded old gravel pit
- The Cortados del Piul, white gypsum cliffs above the Jarama with a wide view over the river plain
- A quieter night's sleep than central Madrid, with the city still reachable by metro
Rivas is a residential town of wide avenues and estates, and being a short walk from a line 9 station matters far more than any district. Most visitors are here either for a cheaper base for Madrid or for walks in the regional park to the south. Hotels are few, so apartments and rented rooms make up much of the choice.
Cancellations & changes
Line 8 into Colombia, then line 9 south to Puerta de Arganda and the outer section on to Rivas; budget well over an hour, or roughly half that by taxi.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Rivas-Vaciamadrid is Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct. Mild enough for the exposed river paths, and outside the hard heat of July and August.
- Best overall: April - June, September - October (Green river banks in spring and comfortable temperatures for walking the park trails)
- Summer: July - August (Very hot and dry on the open plain; walk at dawn and spend the afternoon indoors or in Madrid)
Visa & documents
Spain follows Schengen entry rules. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Pickpocketing in the big cities is Spain's main crime risk for visitors. Pickpocketing is common in Barcelona and Madrid, especially on the metro and in tourist areas. Heatwaves and wildfires occur in summer.
