Pálmaces De Jadraque: Reservoir, Trails and Historical Traces

Pálmaces De Jadraque has hosted the Pálmaces Triathlon since 1990. The competition includes a 1,800-metre swimming course in the Embalse de Pálmaces de Jadraque, which is swum once. It also includes a 60-kilometre cycling route there and back to Atienza; it ends in the square of Pálmaces. The Pálmaces crossing includes 500, 1,500 and 3,000-metre categories.

Water and Sport

The Embalse de Pálmaces is a broad expanse of water surrounded by wooded heights and trails. Its surroundings are suitable for hiking, cycling and water-related activities in designated areas; the trails around the reservoir also offer popular circular routes. There is also an approved bathing area at the Embalse de Pálmaces.

The local padel court in Pálmaces de Jadraque is operational, has nighttime lighting and is open year-round. Goldfinches, vultures, foxes and deer are highlighted in the surroundings of Pálmaces. Pálmaces is open year-round for nature excursions; the rural trails require water and, depending on the season, protection from cold or heat. The different distances and types of activity can be considered separately and help you structure your own daily schedule.

Active Pursuits

One route follows the Río Cañamares and then crosses fields to the ruins of the Monasterio de San Salvador. From Pálmaces, a lightly trafficked route leads over the dam, along a forest track and the Río Cañamares to Angón, returning via the ruins of the Castillo de Iñesque; it is 40 kilometres long in total.

From the reservoir, the boat is left wherever the water level permits. The route then continues on foot along the Río Cañamares to the Molino de la Bodera. Of the three paths to the summit of Picozo, the dirt track is the most accessible; it is also suitable for bicycles.

Pinilla can be reached on foot from Pálmaces de Jadraque in less than two hours. A simple and accessible route suitable for small children is locally known as “La ruta del colesterol”. Another route leads via the Arroyo de la Chorrera to Cerro de Aldeavieja and Pálmaces de Jadraque, then to the dam and along the Río Cañamares to the Monasterio de Pinilla de Jadraque.

Culture and History

The town centre of Pálmaces de Jadraque preserves traditional mountain architecture with stone houses and streets that adapt to the terrain. The parish church of San Juan Bautista forms part of the local historical heritage of Pálmaces de Jadraque. The Iglesia de la Natividad is a 17th-century building with a Romanesque portal, an open atrium and a Mannerist door.

The Ermita de la Soledad stands on a small square and appears like a lighthouse above the reservoir. A stone picota, associated with medieval jurisdiction, stands in a small square in Pálmaces de Jadraque.

The Peña Sacra de Los Cerrillos is a sandstone outcrop with two natural peaks that was modified several times over the course of time for ritual purposes. Its upper surface is accessible via steps carved into the rock and contains basins connected by small channels that apparently were intended to hold ritual liquids. In the gorge surrounding the Peña Sacra de Los Cerrillos, there are at least ten hermitages carved into the sandstone that served as retreats for the first Christian hermits.

Geographical Setting

Pálmaces de Jadraque lies between the Henares Valley and the first foothills of the Sierra Norte. The Pálmaces de Jadraque semigraben is a geological section of the Permian and Triassic.

Getting There

On the A-2, take exit 61 towards Jadraque-Soria and change onto the CM-1003. The turn-off for Pálmaces is about 15 kilometres beyond Jadraque.

Other Places

For planning the rest of your trip: Algar De Mesa, Alocén, Megina, Cogolludo, El Pedregal, Albendiego, Almoguera, Miedes de Atienza

For the higher-level travel overview: Guadalajara.