Viaje de Agua de Amaniel

In Paseo Juan XXIII, 23 (Moncloa/Aravaca), there is a 50 metre section of the Amaniel water route that can be visited. It is a hydraulic infrastructure that supplied water to the city and was commissioned by Felipe III in 1613, It collected underground water from the north of the city to take it to the Royal Palace through underground galleries. Following a restoration process of some of its sections, it can be visited free of charge.

This water route was built imitating the Arabic mayrat (water courses). The name, Amaniel, comes from the former Dehesa de Amaniel, today known as Dehesa de la Villa, from where the water was collected  from the water table. The restored section covers around 50 metres and is known as the Palace Route, because it is the route used to supply the royal residence with water. It consists of three brick galleries, which have several ventilation and entrance shafts, as well as  niches on the walls to hang lighting.  

FREE GUIDED VISITS

The Department for Environmental Education of Madrid City Council’s Area for the Environment and Mobility organises free guided visits to discover its history and interesting facts in relation to some of the underground water routes  in Madrid.

There are currently two routes: From Dehesa de la Villa to Caño Gordo, where the restored section is located, and from Caño Gordo to Caño del Peral, located under Plaza de Isabel II (inside the hall of the Opera Metro Station) where the remains of the fountain in which some of the water from this route ended up can be seen.