Madrid Region

Madrid Basics. Madrid as an autonomous region is an artificial creation, however necessary. Historically, it was part of New Castile, and it shares its characteristics, those of the Meseta Central, Central Plain. It is separated from the province of Ávila to the west by the Sierra de Guadarrama and Sierra de Gredos Sierras, and from the province of Segovia to the north by the Sierra Norte de Madrid, all three being part of the Cordillera Central, the Central System. To the east it borders with Guadlajara, to the south-east with Cuenca and to the south with Toledo.

Madrid Travel - Main Places of Interest

Alcalá de Henares. Birthplace of Cervantes, whether or not you believe that he lived in the house advertised as his casa natal (which is well worth a visit, anyway). Alcalá de Henares is an attractive town, Alcalá University, founded by Cardinal Cisneros, and the town's historic centre are a world heritage site. And Alcalá is the entrance to the Henares basin, an interesting area dotted with attractive towns and villages, many of Arab origin.

Aranjuez. Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez may well be the reason you recognise the name of Aranjuez. It is a world heritage site for its "cultural landscape," the harmonious combination of its Royal Palace and lovely gardens, the town itself and its market gardens (don't miss the strawberries grown there).

Chinchón. A lovely little town, slightly too picturesque for its own good. Chinchón's irregularly shaped main square is its best feature, with its collonades and balconies: in the past, it was the scene of autos-da-fé and executions, and it is still used for bullfights. A popular, high-quality anise is made there.

San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Sleepy little place in the shadow of the awe-inspiring Royal Seat, half monastery, half palace, from where Philip II pulled the strings of the Spanish Empire. San Lorenzo de El Escorial is its full name, but most people refer to it as just El Escorial. Visitworthy mainly for the Royal Seat, an immense, slightly grim, sixteenth-century affair from where Philip II pulled the strings of the Spanish Empire, though El Escorial is also a place to go to get out of Madrid and get a little fresh air. A dedicated page of selected, annotated links.

Practical Travel Around Madrid

Eating and Drinking. Excluding the city of Madrid, the regional cuisine is essentially that of New Castile. Game is popular and reasonably plentiful (even as close to Madrid as El Pardo), in spite of the huge numbers of weekend hunters in the capital. A special mention must be made of the wine produced in the south of the region under the Denominación de Origen Vinos de Madrid. They get better every year and are currently quite fashionable.

Getting There. See Madrid (City).

Moving Around. Madrid's short-distance railway network, cercanías, reaches most of the places mentioned on this page. You may prefer the bus, of course, and you have no other option to reach Chinchón, for example.