San Martín de Valdeiglesias

Nestled in the heart of Madrid’s Sierra Oeste, this town is located close to the San Juan reservoir and is home to unique monuments like Coracera Castle which make it a great place for water sports and to get in touch with nature.

Coracera Castle is San Martín de Valdeiglesias’s most famous landmark. It was built in the mid-1400s by Don Alvaro de Luna, Constable of Castile and favorite of King John II. Its most prominent feature is the Keep, a tower that served as a defense point and as a residence for the masters of the castle. This monument is part of the Network of Castles of the Comunidad de Madrid.

Following a period of restoration, the Castle is home to a tourist information office or a wine shop where wine can be tasted.  It also holds different events like “Clásicos de verano (Summer Classics)”: outdoor classical music concerts. 

In summer San Martín de Valdeiglesias holds a puppet-show cycle, Renaissance fair, equestrian show, marathons, concerts...

Apart from the castle, you should definitely take a stroll around the old town and its narrow streets with old houses with coat of arms and linteled windows and doors. The Church of San Martín de Obispo with its beautiful 7-meter tall central dome deserves a visit.

From its name (Valdeiglesias - valley of churches) we can conclude that there were numerous hermitages and six still stand today: Ermita del Ecce Homo, la Sangre, la Salud, el Cristo de la Humildad, la Virgen de la Nueva and del Rosario.

The Town of San Martín de Valdeiglesias offers free guided city tours to locals and visitors alike, as well as an interesting range of tourist activities. Tours begin in Plaza Real – the most important historical asset in town – and takes you to the most relevant historical landmarks. There are guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 11am. Due to the limited number of places available and the attention given to group composition, registration is required.

Just 12 kilometres away, the town of Cadalso de los Vidrios houses the archaeological site of La Mezquita, which has been a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC, Asset of Cultural Interest) since December 2020. La Mezquita is included in the Region of Madrid Plan of Archaeological Sites Open to Visitors. The site features the ruins of a Romanesque-Mudejar church and a necropolis where the oldest tombs date back to the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

A 20-minute drive away from the town you can find one of the most beautiful natural getaways: San Juan reservoir and its Virgen de la Nueva beach with a Blue Flag certification. It is not just a beach or swimming, it also has numerous restaurants and picnic areas where you can have a paella or grilled meat, where you can enjoy water sports like kayaking or rent a boat. This place is the home to the Royal Nautical Club of Madrid that organizes national and international boat races.

Those interested in active tourism will find different companies organizing all kinds of activities at the reservoir and others like horseback riding, archery, tree climbing, orienteering and rock climbing.

Another fun nature hike great for families is the Enchanted Forest. As its name suggests, is a place of dreams and fantasy that will delight children and those not so young, with more than 300 green sculptures of dragons, princesses, bonsai and mazes. It’s very magical, surprising, and even dream-like.

There are several moderate hiking trails in the area, including Romantic Viewpoints, Shrine Tour, La Mira Pass, Tórtolas Stream, San Juan Wall, Trasierra Triangulation Station and Mount San Esteban Viewpoint.

When the hunger strikes, we recommend stopping for some local delicacies like migas del pastor (fried breadcrumbs), patatas revolconas (mashed potatoes with pimenton and bacon), bodrio de matanza (type of black pudding) and sweets like the retorcidos (puff pastry sweets) and bollos de manteca (sweets made with lard). A visit to 7 Capillas Restaurant is recommended as it is a culinary reference in the region. It serves revamped popular cuisine, offering traditional dishes with a modern touch. 

With the arrival of the festivity of its patron saint, San Martín de Tours, the streets are filled with an extensive programme in which gastronomic and cultural activities stand out. One of the most outstanding events in the gastronomic field is the popular Tapas Route in which up to 17 establishments participates, each preparing a special tapa for the occasion.  

Wine tourism in San Martín de Valdeiglesias is also something to discover. It is one of the four sub-areas of the D.O. Wines of Madrid. The wines from this region have their own sub-certification of origin and there are wineries like “Marañones” and “Las Moradas de San Martín” that are open for visitors and that offer wine tastings in wineries or in the vineyards.

• By car: From Madrid, take the carretera de Extremadura and then M-501 Alcorcón-Plasencia towards San Martín de Valdeiglesias or through Navalcarnero to Aldea del Fresno.

• By bus: 551 line from Príncipe Pío Station leaves every half hour on weekdays and every hour on weekends.

Interesting links:

• San Martín de Valdeiglesias
• Villas de Madrid