Guadarrama River Basin-South Route

El Escorial[+]

The route starts at El Escorial. It is important to point out here that, if you have not seen the neighbouring San Lorenzo del Escorial Monastery, a visit to this major monument is a must. It was built by Philip II to house the remains of his father, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. It is about three kilometres out of the town and is closed on Mondays, as with many other monuments in Spain.

However, if you already know the monastery well, start the route in the town of El Escorial. Its history is closely bound to Philip II, as he raised it to a town with special privileges in order to be able to build on the outskirts.

The Prestado Monastery, home to Philip II while San Lorenzo was under construction, can still be seen in Plaza de España Square. Very near to the square is one of de Herrera's most beautiful churches in the whole of the province. San Bernabé church is in the Escorial style and flanked by two towers topped by spires and was declared cultural property by the Madrid council in 1983.

As you walk through the town, you will discover other outstanding monuments, such as the Campillo fortress tower and the Santísima Trinidad church, both dating from the 15th century. There is also the Casita del Príncipe, a small pleasure palace built by Charles III for his son, who later became Charles IV. Built in the 18th century, the Casita del Príncipe is a splendid example of palace architecture and gardens.

However beautiful the delights inside El Escorial may be, they are matched by the natural surroundings of the town. The Aulencia River, a tributary of the Guadarrama, runs through one end, from where you can see the nearby Sierra de Malagón Mountains and the Pico de Abantos. Further on is the Valmayor reservoir, the next stop on the southern route through the Guadarrama River basin.

Valmayor Reservoir

Built in 1976, to cater for the growing needs of the capital city and towns in the west and south of the province. It is the second largest in volume in the Madrid region, after the Atazar reservoir. The waters of the Aulencia and Guadarrama Rivers flow into it, and it has a capacity of up to 124 hmt³. The large expanse of Valmayor reservoir makes it highly suitable for several different types of water sports. The Isabella II Canal Sports Club and the Valmayor Regatta School Club are both found on its shores.

You can also go fishing on the reservoir, where carp and pike are the main catches. Another way of getting to know Valmayor well is to go horse-riding from the centre near the reservoir.

Zarzalejo

The next visit on the route is to the small village of Zarzalejo. It is divided into two distinct parts, with the old town at the top and the railway station and more modern houses at the bottom. Zarzalejo lies on the lower slopes of two large mountains, Las Machotas, where the Perales River rises.

Philip II first chose this village as a site for the monastery, mainly because of the stone quarries on the slopes of las Machotas. However, the villagers, mainly those from the upper part, were opposed to this, so the king changed his mind and moved it to the present site. Such were the disagreements between the locals and Philip II that the king called them caribes, as he said they were more unruly than the Caribbean Indians on the newly discovered continent of America. Those living at the top of the village are still known by that name today. The ones in the bottom part are called pajares (barns), because of the many farmyards and granaries there.

You must visit Plaza Constitución Square in Zarzalejo, the hub of the old town, which is closed off during the festival to make a temporary bullring. On the outskirts of Zarzalejo, on the road to the Cruz Verde Pass, is the church of San Pedro –the patron saint of the village- a Renaissance building dating from 1492.

Santa María de la Alameda

Leave Zarzalejo on the road to the Cruz Verde Pass, from where you can see the next stop. Santa María de la Alameda is noted for its spectacular scenery, with the Cofio and Aceña Rivers and the Pinar de Abantos pine woods nearby. Standing at over 1,400 metres above sea level, Santa María was an encampment for the quarrymen working on building the monastery at El Escorial. The terrain has always made communications with the village difficult and shaped its development. A good example of the effort needed to bring transport to the place is the Recondo viaduct, built by the railway company to ease crossing the Cofio River.

The most traditional buildings are placed around Plaza Constitución Square, the town hall, the old wash house and the Gothic church of Nuestra Señora de la Alameda. You can also note the mountain-style architecture of the houses round the main square. Santa María de la Alameda consists of several small clusters of houses: Las Herreras, La Hoya, Navalespino, La Paradilla, Robledondo, Santa María de la Alameda and Santa María Estación.

Valdemaqueda[+]

The return journey is through the Puerto de la Cruz Pass in the direction of Valdemaqueda. You have to cross over the Cofio River to reach this town, where you can have a closer view of the Mocha bridge, originating in Roman or mediaeval times. Valdemaquada is fairly important for cattle farming and, more especially, for its hand-crafted glass, very similar to Venetian glass. The craftsmen in Valdemaquada are responsible for some of the stained-glass windows in Segovia cathedral, among other work.

Take a walk through Valdemaquada to visit the 16th-century parish church of San Lorenzo Martír, the shrine of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, and the former Medinaceli Palace, which, although it has been extensively altered, still keeps the frontage and coat-of-arms from its days of glory.

Nowadays, the town has been declared an Area of Special Protection for Birds, so it has become a little paradise for all those who love nature and wish to walk through the pine woods by the Cofio River, or climb the crag of Santa Catalina, nesting place of black and red kites, griffon vultures, black storks and eagle owls.

Robledo de Chavela[+]

You have to go back along the same track and cross the Cofio River to reach the last town on the route, Robledo de Chavela. In the town there is the Space Observation Station, one of the three most powerful stations in the world. Managed by NASA and INTA, it has a set of huge satellite dishes to capture signals from 10,500 million kilometres away. If you would like to pay a visit, there is a visitor centre where you can see models and films, in addition to asking for information on the conferences that take place there.

However, there are more surprises in store in Robledo de Chavela, in particular, its civil and religious architecture. Of special interest is the Asunción de Nuestra Señora parish church with an altarpiece that retains 34 of the 38 original paintings attributed to Fernando del Rincón, who was born in the town. The 19th-century town hall stands in Plaza de España Square.

There is a very interesting via crucis situated on the road leading to Navas del Rey. It consists of 14 granite crosses raised above some steps in the shape of a pyramid. The crosses are over two metres high, and it is a sight to behold now that night illumination has been recently installed.

The natural surroundings of Robledo de Chavela is full of small valleys, and hills covered in pines, holm oaks and ash, also the Cofio reservoir. It is undoubtedly a wonderful place to spend a day amid nature.

The patron saint of Robledo de Chavela is Nuestra Señora de Navahonda, whose shrine is a few kilometres away. A procession is made there every year forty days after Easter Sunday. This shrine is the last call on the route.

Ermita de Navahonda

The 18th-century shrine is set in beautiful natural surroundings, and has picnic sites where travellers can rest and restore their energies. It lies at the foot of the Almenara Hill, surrounded by holm oaks and rock flowers. The Baroque Humilladero Cross is in front of the portal. In the Middle Ages, there was a small village called Navahonda just a few kilometres from the shrine, which eventually took the same name.

This route finishes here, at the intersection between the Sierra de Guadarrama Mountains and the Sierra de Gredos Mountains. Following the course of the Guadarrama River, you have visited some of the most important places found along the way.