Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
66Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: Wind 8 kn gusting 19, Air 17 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Wed 4 · 62 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 61 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0.4 mm
Fri 6 · 65 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 72 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 64 out of 100
- Wind
- 13 kn
- Gusts
- 30kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 3.6 mm
Tue 10 · 60 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 28kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 3.9 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 357, fair
- Wed 461, good
- Thu 562, good
- Fri 665, good
- Sat 765, good
- Sun 869, good
- Mon 964, good
- Tue 1060, good
- Wed 1161, good
- Thu 1260, good
The spot in three facts
- Grade II+at its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- 13.6 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 57, fair | 7 kn | 16kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 61, good | 5 kn | 16kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 62, good | 7 kn | 17kn | 11°C | 0.4 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 65, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 65, good | 7 kn | 21kn | 13°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 69, good | 10 kn | 21kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 64, good | 13 kn | 30kn | 15°C | 3.6 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 60, good | 11 kn | 28kn | 12°C | 3.9 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 61, good | 7 kn | 17kn | 11°C | 1.8 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 60, good | 5 kn | 14kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Río Tajo on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Río Tajo
A river section on the Río Tajo, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade II to II+, on the international scale. It runs 14 km along the river. Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. The town to stay in is Penalen.
- River Río Tajo
- Grade Grade II to II+, on the international scale.
- Length 14 km along the river.
- Who it suits Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,190–US$2,250 each
about US$1,190–US$2,250 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to MAD, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$470–US$973 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$107–US$174 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$242–US$403 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$235–US$443 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$262 |
| Total | about US$1,190–US$2,250 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Penalen
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car
about US$87/nightcountry average
About Penalen its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$87 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 15h 30m
About 15h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MAD, direct, then 2h 35m by road
Flights ORD → MAD on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Penalen · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Penalen · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits