After so many days of confinement, we are all looking forward to enjoying nature and fresh air. Yes, for a time we can only move within our province. That is why we have gathered in this article some of the most beautiful natural places in the Community of Madrid, that we can travel aboard our motor home very soon. Take note!
Sierra de Guadarrama National Park
The Community of Madrid has a National Park, that of the Sierra de Guadarrama; three Regional Parks, the Southeast, the Upper Manzanares Basin and the Middle Course of the Guadarrama River; in addition to protected areas, Biosphere reserves, and reservoirs and wetlands.
The most important is the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, with exceptional landscape and geological characteristics, as well as a great variety of flora and fauna. The Park occupies an area of 33.960 hectares, of which 21.714 hectares are in the Community of Madrid (the rest in Castilla y León) and stand out its pine forests, oak groves, wetlands and high mountain lagoons, circuses and glacial lagoons.
Among the highlights that we can visit within the Madrid part of this Park we recommend the Port of Navacerrada and that of Cotos (with the Peñalara massif), the Puerto de la Morcuera, The Pedriza (Manzanares El Real) or the Valley of the Fuenfría (Cercedilla).
There are countless paths to get to know the Park, some of them as well known as the Schmid Way or the Long rope. And don't miss the Peñalara massif, with its wetlands linked to glacier activity, as well as Laguna Grande, located at 2.019 meters high.
Regional Parks
The visit to the Regional Parks is also very worthwhile. The South East Regional Park It occupies an area of 31.550 hectares and water is the dominant natural element. The Jarama River and its three tributaries, the Manzanares, the Henares and the Tajuña, unite its waters in the territory of this Park and, in addition, there are numerous lagoons that host a large number of fauna, mainly birds.
At the Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional ParkLocated in the northwest of Madrid, we find landscapes related to another very different activity, that of grazing and that of the extraction of firewood and charcoal. In it we find, above all, meadows of ash and oak trees. Its excellent conservation also allowed the Park to become part of the International Network of Biosphere Reserves in 1992.
You can enjoy many routes, with names as curious as the Pig Singing Trail to the Chorros del Manzanares, With the Court of the Dead or the Horseshoe Breaker Path. And if you don't feel like walking, there is a 85 kilometer itinerary to be done by vehicle through the Park and that runs through some of the most emblematic towns in the area.
Finally, the Regional Park of the Middle Course of the Guadarrama River and its surroundings are located to the west of the Community of Madrid and it is a natural space of great environmental diversity. It is a protected territory that includes 19 municipalities, in a route of about 50 kilometers, with five main ecosystems: groves and riverbanks, holm oak, scrub and grassland, pines and rainfed crops.
In this Regional Park we can discover the traces of transhumance, through the canyons, sidewalks and twines that run through it, in which livestock migration movements were common.
If you are more of "royal" environments, you can also discover the so-called Royal Roads, used by the kings and their entourages from the Madrid Court to the Escorial Monastery.
We also find Roman vestiges, such as the Galapagar Causeway, and many paths to explore on foot or by bicycle.
Sierra del Rincón: Biosphere Reserve
In addition to the Parks, in the Community of Madrid we can enjoy places recognized as a Biosphere Reserve. Among them, we highlight the Sierra del Rincón, between the Ayllón and Somosierra massifs, one of the most beautiful places in this region.
The main characteristic of this environment is its abundant wooded melojo oak formations, its wild pine pine forests, well-preserved riverside forests and, above all, the Hayedo de Montejo de la Sierra, the only beech forest in the Community of Madrid. If you want to visit it, you will have to take into account that it is a very sensitive Protected Natural Area, with a limited number of daily visits. This is intended to contribute to the non-degradation of this forest, so it can only be visited through free guided trails and it is necessary to request an authorization.
Reservoirs and wetlands
The reservoirs and wetlands They constitute very valuable ecosystems and of singular landscape beauty. In addition, facing the arrival of good weather, they are very attractive spaces to visit.
The Community of Madrid has 14 reservoirs and 23 protected wetlands throughout the entire territory. Among the reservoirs, those of El Atazar, La Jarosa or San Juan (also known as Madrid beach), while among the wetlands we find the Ontigola Sea (in Aranjuez), the Lagoon of the Mothers (in Arganda) or the Velilla Lagoons (in Velilla de San Antonio).
As you can see, there are multiple possibilities to enjoy natural environments without leaving the province. Didn't you feel like preparing a motorhome route to go through them all? Well start planning!
And if you do not have a motorhome, we remind you that we have different models for rent, now with very special offers. Ask us for information!
*Images: Region of Madrid
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