HENARES CONTRYSIDE

La Campiña del Henares, or the Henares countryside, has a rainfed landscape, especially cereal. Despite being a region focused on demographic activity, agriculture and industry, we are still surprised by the tourist spots that we find along the route and that are worth visiting. We propose here an itinerary to discover them.

We start at the last detour of the A-2 that leads to Los Santos de la Humosa. This town has a privileged location being situated on a moor, which allows a spectacular view over the fertile plain around the river Henares and the surrounding countryside. To the south is Santorcaz, a town that preserves important buildings such as the Castle of Torremocha and the Church of San Torcuato, both from the XIII century.

Taking the M-213 towards the capital, one passes through Anchuelo, a municipality traditionally of vineyards and olive groves that in spite of its development preserves the traditional rural aspect. Continuing along the road, one arrives at Villalbilla, which preserves an important heritage. A little more than three kilometers away is Valverde de Alcalá, a town where agricultural work is still part of the landscape and which retains a small population.

We continue east, now on the M-225 and arrive at Corpa, a sparsely populated municipality located on a hilly terrain. We continue on and arrive at Pezuela de las Torres, which is located on a wasteland within the Alcarria. Taking the M-234, we arrive directly at Olmeda de las Fuentes, a town nestled on the slopes of one of the small hills that together with the moors and meadows form a landscape of the municipality. Olmeda is a village with a special character that has been chosen by several painters as a place of residence. Just four kilometers to the west is the town of Nuevo Baztán, which is characterized by its high historical value. The important thing about this municipality is that its historic center remains almost intact.

To the west we will arrive at Pozuelo del Rey, one of the least populated towns in the region and that preserves its rural and agricultural character. Its main heritage exponent is the Church of Santo Domingo de Silos. We go towards Arganda and we find Loeches, a municipality that has a great heritage as a result of the illustrious personalities who lived there. Our tour of this region ends in Campo Real, where we find gastronomic products of great quality and renown, such as olives, oil and cheese.