UPPER MANZANARES

Nestled in a privileged environment, the Regional Park of the Cuenca Alta del Manzanares, of great ecological value -Park that spans from Cuerda Larga, the high mountain of Madrid, to the forests of the mountain of El Pardo-, was included by UNESCO in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. El Yelmo, Canto Cochino, El Tolmo, El Cancho de los Muertos or Cuerda Larga are places of unquestionable beauty and where we can spend a day hiking, climbing or refreshing ourselves in Charca Verde or El Tranco. Here you can eat or have a drink on the river bank or in the picnic area near Canto Cochino. In Prado Piluca you have a refuge with the best views of La Pedriza.

To the east, in Hoyo de Manzanares, rest cultural and natural values and the flavors of the gastronomy. To the north and from Colmenar Viejo, the spectacular facade of La Pedriza encourages us to know its hidden places eroded by the passage of centuries. One of the oldest archaeological sites in the community is located here: La Encinilla, where fossils from the Lower Miocene have been found. Continuing our way to Soto del Real, the Santillana reservoir is drawn as a sea surrounded by great natural and architectural beauty.

All Manzanares hinges around the Castillo de los Mendoza, the best preserved castle in the region of Madrid. Take advantage of the visit and come to see the ruins of the Old Castle and the Church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, originally from the fourteenth century. La Pedriza is an imposing granite massif that, together with the peaks of the Cuerda Larga, form the landscape near Manzanares el Real.

However, one of the most outstanding activities in La Pedriza is climbing, having become one of the reference places in the region of Madrid. At the northern end of the Cuenca Alta del Manzanares are two villages located at the foot of the Canencia and Morcuera mountain passes: Guadalix de la Sierra and Miraflores de la Sierra. It is a quiet area to spend a weekend with the family.

Nearby Soto de Viñuelas there is an area declared ZEPA (Special Protection Area for Birds) in which the existence of the Iberian Imperial Eagle stands out.

The gastronomic resources of the area have a multitude of high quality products such as meats with Protected Geographical Indication Guadarrama Meat, seasonal ingredients, wild fruits and the prized Boletus Edulis.

If you want to spend a few days or a weekend, you have a wide variety of hotels and rural accommodation throughout the area, suitable for traveling alone, as a couple or in a group.