Pontones de la Oliva Rock Climbing

With more than 700 routes, Pontones de la Oliva be on every climbers list of places to climb when in Spain.  Situated just one hour north of Madrid, this is a phenomenal crag with a wide variety of mostly single pitch routes.   The rock is quality limestone and the majority of the routes are vertical, steep to overhung or a combination of the three, making this a great place to get strong.  No choss.

There is a good guidebook available for sale at :

http://www.climb-europe.com/rockclimbingshop/Patones-Y-Alrededores-Guidebook.html

The routes are well bolted with either stainless steel expansion bolts or glue in titanium or stainless hangars.  The spacing between bolts is reasonable and not run out unless the terrain warrants it.  As of August 2019, it appears that many of the routes have been rebolted. 

You can typically find a sector to climb that is in the shade, with the majority of the routes getting in the sun after 3 pm. Summer is hot in the sun, but cool in the shade until 3 pm. Don't be afraid to try this place in mid summer, the shade keeps it cool, especially in the morning.

During the week the crag is quiet, but come Saturday/Sunday it gets packed. Arrive early to make sure you can secure parking (I arrived at 8 am and was able to get good parking and was one of the first people at the crag-after 10am, good luck). When I left at 1pm on Saturday it was packed, not a spot left and the walls were crammed with people. During the week it was a different story, there were very few people at the crag, making it very easy to climb whatever route we wanted.

All of locals we ran into were very kind.

GETTING TO THE CRAG
You will need to rent a car.  The majority of the drive to the crag is on very nice freeway/roads. The last 3 km is on a bumpy broken road.  A small car will do fine, just go slow. 4x4 is not required.
****Be sure to get an International Driving Permit if you plan on renting a car.  They are required by local law enforcement and fines can be hefty.  Some car rental companies will refuse to give you your rented car without one.  I recommend the one offered by AAA at:
https://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html

Overall, driving in Spain was safe and easy.  The roads were very nice.   Most highways are free (the ones to Patones are). There are some toll roads you can pay cash or credit card. 

PARKINGHistorically climbers were able to drive up to 2 parking lots beyond the lower bridge. This is no longer permitted (you risk receiving a ticket).

But fear not, there is an easy solution.  Just beyond the bridge on the right there is a lot to park.  From there you can walk to crag without issues.  The first wall you encounter will be the Muro de Los Lamentos - an awesome place to start with high quality routes.

Park here:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/g27GWUN6QNjgR7cbA?g_st=ic

Here is the entrance trail that will take you to the Muro de Los Lamentos.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/UprHmyYXJjaXZQvy7?g_st=ic

Purpura
Grajo Free
Poyero
Desmond

Placas del Sol
Repisa de Stradivarius
Stradivarius
Cielo Liquido
Viejo Charlie
Luna
Perejil
Muro de los Lamentos

Maracaibo
Quebrantehuesos
Sangre

APPROACHES and BELAY BASES
They are awesome.  The approach is 5 to 10 minutes on easy terrain depending how deep you are walking in.  The belay bases are all nice, flat, shady and comfortable.

WHERE TO STAY
CAMPING-I am not aware of any camping near the crag. There were some vans that obviously parked overnight in the various parking areas near the crag. 
PATONES- Highly recommended. I stayed at the Casa Rural de Los Melones and it was great. Quiet and clean. 15 minutes from the crag, a very small town close to the crag. It has just the basics, a few restaurants and small hotels. *Check out Bar Manolo across the street for a beer or food. It is a climbers hangout.

TORRELAGUNA- 20 minutes from the crag, this is a nearby town with small hotels and AirBNBs. It has all of the basics-places to eat and grab a drink. Very quiet during the week, busier on the weekend.

SAN SEBASTIAN DE LOS REYES-40 minutes from the crag, much bigger city with more options to sleep to include big hotels. There is a big mall in town, a CarreFour grocery store and alot of places to eat. The drive to the crag from here isn't too bad. Mostly highway. Also close to Madrid and Barajas Airport.