For thousands of years, the Tagus, Tajuña and Jarama Rivers, on their way through what is now the Region of Madrid, have been irrigating the land, and giving structure and sense to the lives of people living in towns and villages on their banks.
This route invites you to discover not only the Royal Town of Aranjuez, but also the rest of the Las Vegas (plains) region; here you will find endless shades and colours that together turn this itinerary into an experience to be remembered, repeated and talked about.
Our proposal will show you the lands irrigated by the Tajuña River on its way down from Ambite to its convergence with the Jarama River. From Titulcia we will descend the banks of the Jarama River until we get to Aranjuez. From this Royal Town we will continue, upstream along the Tagus River to the point where it first flows into the Madrid Region.
Wetlands, gypsum cliffs and nature reserves mean that you should travel prepared with suitable gear for the countryside. Close observation of the banks of these rivers will allow you to discover different aspects of the region.
An alternative itinerary to the one described here covers the route of the old Tajuña railway. It has now been adapted and signposted for use by bicycles all along the river, and this is another interesting, healthy way to explore this part of the Region of Madrid.
Ambite
Asunción church (18th century): Baroque, with Tuscan portal. Palace of the Marquises of Legarda (17th century); nearby you will find the Ambite Holm Oak, said to be more than one thousand years old. Ask local people about the legend of the Ambite Cross. The beans grown locally are famously good.
Orusco
Poplars, tamarisk and willow will accompany you on your way. Before you get to the village: Bellaescusa Shrine – there is a fig tree here with wrinkled white mulberry leaves that has medicinal properties. On the banks of the river there was once much trade in down, wool and textiles. San Juan Evangelista church (17th century).
Carabaña
Known for the purgative waters of its springs. This was on the route of the Roman road from Mérida to Tarragona. Asunción church (16th century). Residence of the Viceroy of the Indies (17th century). The many mills built all along the river became small hydroelectric stations during the 1970s.
Tielmes[+]
This was the birthplace of child martyrs Justo and Pastor, put to death by the Romans in Alcalá de Henares in the year 306; the village’s Baroque church (18th century) was built in their honour. Inhabited cave-houses. Medieval bridge over the Tajuña.
Perales de Tajuña[+]
The abundance of water here makes this one of the most fertile areas of the Plains. Up until the mid 20th century, the railway built in the 19th ran alongside the river, carrying the finest fruit and vegetables to the city. There are excellent views from the church of Santa María del Castillo (17th century), which was a fortress at the time of Cardinal Cisneros. Town hall at the time of Charles III. "Risco de las Cuevas" (cliff of caves): dug out of the limestone, they provided shelter for Neolithic man and protected the Celtiberians from Roman attack. Isla de Taray: a centre with a wide variety of flora and fauna.
Morata de Tajuña[+]
Called Licinia by the Romans. The Moors were to perfect local irrigation systems. In 1580, Philip II granted the village its own rights and independence from the Toledo Archbishopric. Today it is an important industrial centre. Renaissance church of La Concepción (16th century).
Titulcia [+]
"The five-times destroyed". Cerro de Venus Hill: exceptional views of the plains and the gypsum cliffs of the Jarama River, Ciempozuelos and San Martín de la Vega. "Titulcia" means "the way" – this was an important settlement on the military route between Emérita Augusta and Caesar Augusta; you can see the remains of the bridge from the Roman road. La Magdalena church (16th century): Gothic with Renaissance portal, it has a painting by El Greco’s son. La Luna cave and La Soledad Shrine are linked to Cardinal Cisneros.
Ciempozuelos[+]
Roman town, supplied by water from more than one hundred wells (its name means "100 wells"). It was Moorish from 744, re-conquered by Alfonso VI in 1085. It has a bustling porticoed Plaza Mayor Square. La Magdalena Church (14th-18th centuries) has two canvasses attributed to artist Claudio Coello. La Fonda: a collection of rural objects. The municipal district forms part of the Southeast Regional Reserve.
Aranjuez [+]
Designated "World Heritage Cultural Landscape". It is both palace and fertile plain at the convergence of the Tagus and Jarama Rivers. An idyllic spot, chosen from the time of the Catholic Monarchs as country residence of the Spanish royals. The La Isla Gardens, alongside the Palace, and the El Príncipe Gardens, were designed to make the most of the waters of the Tagus. San Isidro Farmstead: one of Spain’s first agricultural/livestock farming colleges. It was founded at the time of Charles III. Mar de Ontígola (610 Has.): dam built between 1565 and 1572, one of the oldest in the world; there is a signposted ecological trail here.
El Regajal: one of Europe’s most important butterfly reserves. Carrizal de Villamejor: a wetland area classed as special conservation area for birds (ZEPA). Asparagus and strawberries are the most outstanding products of the land here. An unhurried stay here, at any time of year, exploring the flowerbeds and copses, and the banks of the Tagus River, will linger on in the memory.
Colmenar de Oreja[+]
The landscape is made up of fertile plains, large areas of dry cereal crops, vineyards and olive groves. It was a Roman settlement (220 BC), re-conquered from the Moors by Alfonso VII (1139). Its limestone quarries supplied stone for the construction of the Royal Palaces in Madrid and Aranjuez, Madrid’s Royal Theatre and the Almudena Cathedral. Plaza Mayor Square (1676-1794): porticoed, built above a huge stone tunnel, the Zacatín Arch. Zacatín Gardens: A beautiful spot with a drinking trough. Cristo del Humilladero Shrine (16th-18th centuries): views of the agricultural/livestock farming land of the "vegas". Santa María church (13th-17th centuries); the tower is attributed to Juan de Herrera. La Encarnación Monastery (1536). "Ulpiano Checa" Museum (1860-1916). Don’t miss trying the delicious, young "vinos de madre" (mother’s wines), accompanied by "patatas chulas" (slow-fried potatoes) and "carne al desarreglo" (slow-cooked beef).
Villamanrique de Tajo[+]
Designated "Villa" in 1474. From here there are interesting routes close to the Tagus River. 1) To Salinas de Carcaballana: a monastery abandoned after the sale of church lands by Medizábal. There is a spring here from which sulphate of soda was extracted; 2) Towards the Valdajos dam: built by Charles I (1530), one of the oldest in the region; 3) Following the Estremera Canal to Fuentidueña: a Nature Centre where you can discover the Gypsum hills of the Tagus; 4) Village of Buenamesón: church (16th century).
Fuentidueña de Tajo[+]
Castle hill: splendid views of the plain. Castle: important during the re-conquest in the reign of Alfonso VII (13th century); inhabited by Alfonso VIII and Alfonso X; seat of the kingdom of Doña Urraca (1109-1126); destroyed by French troops in the 19th century. San Andrés Apóstol church (17th century). Head for the river; on the second Saturday in September, the statue of the Virgen de la Alarilla is brought down in a procession, placed in a river boat and escorted by young people bearing torches.
Estremera[+]
Town hall (16th century). Church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (16th century): Romanesque wooden statue of Cristo de Casasola, Plateresque altarpieces and organ dating from 1716. Cemetery Shrine: work of Juan de Herrera, built underground.
Brea de Tajo
Municipal area away from the river. Asunción church (18th century): it conserves its central Romanesque portal and a Plateresque window in the tower, and has what is considered to be the oldest organ front in the Region of Madrid. Large area of oaks and holm oaks.
Other towns and villages
Belmonte de Tajo, Chinchón, San Martín de la Vega, Valdaracete, Valdilecha, Villaconejos, Villar del olmo and Villarejo de Salvanés.
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