Manzanares River Basin

Colmenar Viejo[+]

At just over 30 kilometres out of Madrid, colmenar Viejo is one of the most important towns in the region. This importance dates back to since it was founded by shepherds from Segovia, who realised that the rich pastureland in Colmenar would feed their large flocks of sheep. Its good position and fine lands made the town into one of the most heavily populated from the 16th century to the present day.

Colmenar Viejo is still expanding, and the new buildings are mid-way between rural and urban. Nevertheless, in the old town, you can still see the traditional buildings of the mountains. A walk through the town will show you the town hall a beautiful building in the well-preserved Plaza Constitution Square. Close by, in Calle Cura Street, you will find remains of the town's wine-making past. A wine cellar has been restored there, where you can see the press house for the grapes, with a 12-metre long wooden beam.

However, one of the most beautiful buildings in Colmenar Viejo is undoubtedly Nuestra Señora de la Asunción church. Built between the 14th and 16th centuries, it has three portals, the most important being in the north, and in the style of Juan Gaus school of sculpture. The church has three naves with ribbed vaulting, crowned by a splendid 50-metre high tower, very similar to the one in Torrelaguna. It is built from the local berroqueña stone, and contains a 16th-century altarpiece which is one of the most valuable in the whole of the Madrid Region.

There are other interesting churches in Colmenar, such as San Francisco chapel, the shrines of Santa Ana and Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, the latter being the town's patron saint and situated on the outskirts. Also of special interest is the bullring, second in importance only to Las Ventas. There has always been a strong tradition of bull-fighting in Colmenar Viejo.

The vicinity around Colmenar also provides some interesting surprises. As it is so close to Madrid, there are several buildings made by the Isabella II Canal to supply the capital with water. There are, for example, aqueducts - Sima Aqueduct with seven semi-circular arches, the large one at Colmenarejo, also Valcaliente and Cerrillo.

A few kilometres along the road leading to Hoyo del Manzanares, you can visit El Grajal reservoir. On the way, there is the mediaeval bridge of El Grajal, with a single span and superbly preserved. There is a small recreational area on the shores of the reservoir, where you can rest and regain your energy.

Parque Regional Park in the Upper Manzanares River Basin

The road from Colmenar Viejo to Cerceda leads further into the Parque Regional Park of the Upper Manzanares River basin. This park was created in 1985, consists of over 50,000 hectares and is surrounded by the towns along this route. Runnin from north to south, the park is crossed by the Cuerda Larga del Guadarrama, a set of mountain peaks starting from La Morcuera and reaching the Navacerrada Pass, one of the classic routes for all mountaineers from Madrid. In the centre is La Pedriza, declared a Biosphere Reserve, to which you can pay a more detailed visit later. For now, the route crosses the park and goes to Cerceda.

El Boalo - Cerceda[+]

Cerceda is a small community which, together with Mataelpino and El Boalo, form the town of El Boalo. Several kilometres separate them, so first go to Cerceda, and then down the Navacerrada Pass to see the other two parts of the town.

Of the three, Cerceda has the most inhabitants and a small old town with Santa María la Blanca church, dating from the 16th century. Crowned by a fine belfry, the church is a good example of the Ávila Gothic style.

Leading from Cerceda to Mataelpino and El Boalo are several paths crossing beautiful spots in the park and where you can have a splendid day in the country. There is also La Calera grotto close by.

Becerril de la Sierra[+]

Berrecil de la Sierra is a small village which, as its name suggests, is high in the mountains of Madrid and not far from the highest point, the Navacerrada Pass. Old buildings and new second homes for those from the capital city live side by side in the village.

Berrecil has a modest church, the 17th-century San Andrés el Apóstol, which belonged to a noble family of the principality. It also has a newer church, Nuestra Señora del Valle.

The main charm of the village lies in the natural surroundings, and where there is the Navacerrada reservoir and the mountain pass. There are several routes starting from Berrecil, either hiking or cycling through various parts of the mountains, depending on how fit you are and how used you are to walking in rocky hills.

If you are travelling in winter, do not forget chains for the car and warm clothing. If you want to go skiing, Navacerrada Pass is the next stop.

Navacerrada - Puerto de Navacerrada[+]

A popular place in the mountains of Madrid for fans of winter sports, Navacerrada can offer several leisure activities all year round. The small town of Navacerrada has many restaurants and guesthouses where you can rest and eat well. There are still some good examples of the traditional buildings of the mountains to bee seen in the houses in the old town, in addition to two churches, with Natividad church being more important.

Very close to the village, before climbing the pass, is Navacerrada reservoir, and enormous lake with five kilometres of shoreline. The Madrid Region manages a stretch of trout fishing there.

At the top of Navacerrada Pass is one of the largest ski stations in the central mountain system. It is built on two levels: the high one is for more experienced skiers, and the lower one with slopes of medium difficulty and for beginners, some of these run through pine woods. There are 16 slopes in all with a capacity for 9,200 people/hour. If you are doing this route in winter, do not forget your skis.

Mataelpino - El Boalo [+]

Descend the pass to visit the other two parts, which together with Cerceda, form the town of El Boalo.

Mataelpino is the first. It has a modern church dedicated to its patron saint, Santa Agueda. From Mataelpino a small path takes you to the Ponzonilla viewpoint, at almost 1200 metres above sea level, and which affords magnificent views over the park of the Manzanares River Upper Basin.

When in El Boalo, be sure to visit the shrine of San Isidro Labrador, in the foothills of the Sierra de los Porrones Mountains. On 15 May, a procession is held in honour of the saint, who is the patron saint of farmers and livestock farmers. There is a leisure area nearby, where the townsfolk and visitors gather on this important day.

As you leave the village, you can already see the impressive rocky crags up high, which give La Pedriza its name and which remain with you all the way to the next stop: Manzanares el Real.

Manzanares el Real[+]

Surrounded by the granite massif of La Pedriza, Manzanares el Real is one of the most significant towns in the Madrid Region. As with Colmenar Viejo, Manzanares was founded by shepherds from Segovia. Alfonso XI conceded the Manzanares estate to his head steward, Pedro González de Mendoza, whose family left the splendid castle of Manzanares as a legacy to the town.

Manzanares el Real has two castles, an old one and a new one, although the new one dates from the 16th century. The few remains of the old one are at the entrance to the town. It was built more as a defence that a palace to live in, unlike the new one, which was mainly a residence. The castle of Manzanares was built on the site of a watchtower and the Romanesque-Mudejar shrine of Santa María de la Nava. Indeed, the apse of the shrine forms part of the castle.

It has a square floor-plan and three cylindrical towers, and a larger room, the guesthouse. It was built on the orders of the first duke of the appanage, Diego López de Mendoza, but the dukes only lived there for a short time, and at present, the Casa del Infantado has been donated to the Madrid Region for sixty years. The castle is a must to visit, not only because the castle is so well preserved, but also for the magnificent tapestry collection it contains.

However, the castle is not the only thing Manzanares has to delight you. Raised up on a crag almost 70 metres high is the shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Peña Sacra, a wonderful point from where to view the entire town.

Very close to the town are two very different natural sites La Pedriza and the Santillana reservoir. The reservoir is managed by the Isabella II Canal, and has been doubled in capacity. A magnificent neo-Gothic tower still remains from the earlier construction of the reservoir. The shoreline stretches for 30 kilometres.

La Pedriza

However, La Pedriza de Manzanares is definitely the most significant place for tourists looking for nature and mountain sports. The huge mass of rocks, with myriad nooks, intricate water courses and small meadows appearing as if by magic, has made this a place where reality sometimes is confused with legend. There are a great many stories of bandits who lived among the rocks and whose misdeeds found shelter in the twisted shapes of La Pedriza.

Casiano de Prado, the first person to climb it, divided it into three parts: La Pedriza fore and hind, and El Alcornocal, the smallest and nearest to Manzanares. What is known as the La Pedriza highway crosses from Prado Peluca bridge to Canto Cochino, and you can go on up to 50 different routes along the crags, some with such strange names as El Yelmo (Helmet), La Vela (Candle), La Foca (Seal), La Tortuga (Tortoise), La Peña del Indio (Indian Rock), etc. If you want to go deep into La Pedriza and do not know the area well, there are several mountain guides in the neighbouring towns who will take you along the routes you find most interesting.

Soto del Real[+]

The route is coming to an end, but before climbing to La Morcuera Pass, there are still two towns worth a visit. One is Soto del Real, which now shows very few signs of its former name, Chozas (Huts) de la Sierra, and where these days there are a great deal of modern buildings in the town. As with many other towns in the mountains of Madrid, Soto del Real has become a second home for the stressed citizens of Madrid.

Make sure you see the 16th-century Inmaculada Concepción church, although its spectacular belfry belongs to an earlier building. On the outskirts, you can find a small mediaeval bridge crossing over the stream of Las Chozas. Very near there is the Once Ojos viaduct, taking the railway across the Miraflores valley.

You can enjoy a day in the country at the Arroyo Mediano leisure area. There are several horse-riding centres in the town which organise rides around Soto del Real.

Miraflores de la Sierra and La Morcuera pass[+]

The last stop on the route takes you to Miraflores de la Sierra, at the foot of La Morcuera. The town was called Porquerizas (Pigsties) until the 17th century. The chronicles tell that Isabella de Borbón, the wife of Philil IV instigated the change of name, as she said it did not do justice to the beauty of the surroundings of the town. Very few buildings remain from its early stages, as these have been replaced by fine summer chalets in various styles, which give an air of special charm to the place.

A great many illustrious figures who spent long periods in Miraflores, such as Manuel Azaña, loved to walk in the hills; also the Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Vicente Aleixandre.

You can visit Asunción church, from the 16th century, as well as several shrines that still remain, such as Santo Tomé, San Sebastián, Nuestra Señora de la Paz and San Blas. There is a very strange legend about this last one. Shrine of San Blas on the outskirts of Miraflores. It is said that in the past, there was a small hamlet of San Blas in the area. On a festival day, a woman from Salamanca fell into a cooking pot, and the whole village died from poisoning. Ever since then, no one has wanted to live in the place. However, the shrine remains a silent witness to these events…if they really happened.

There are two sports that you can do in natural surroundings near Miraflores: water sports on the Miraflores reservoir and climbing up to La Morcuera Pass. If you like hiking, or are an experienced climber, this is a challenge you will no want to miss.