El Berrueco by the El Atazar Reservoir

El Berrueco lies on the shores of the El Atazar Reservoir in a landscape shaped by granite rocks; some of these rocks continue towards the nearby Sierra de La Cabrera. The Arroyo Jóbalo flows through the area. El Berrueco also has species-rich riverside vegetation and grazed dehesas with Pyrenean oaks and holm oaks.

Nature

The Senda de La Dehesa is an easy 4.8-kilometre hiking trail with views of the Sierra and the El Atazar Reservoir. The Senda del Puente Romano is an easy linear hiking trail to the Puente Romano over the Arroyo Jóbalo and is 5.2 kilometres long in total. The Senda La Almenara is an easy 3.7-kilometre hiking trail to the Almenara de El Berrueco on the Canal de El Villar; it then continues along the reservoir to a viewpoint. The Senda La Atalaya leads from Plaza de la Picota to the Atalaya de Torrepedrera and is 7.6 kilometres long as a moderate out-and-back route. Different lengths, trail types and difficulty levels give you a clear basis for comparing several hiking options.

History

The Puente Romano crosses the Arroyo Jóbalo and was a necessary crossing for carriages until the 19th century on the route via Somosierra towards Madrid and northern cities such as Soria and Burgos. The Atalaya Árabe is an Islamic military watchtower between El Berrueco and Torrelaguna on the M-133 road. The Picota or Rollo in Plaza de la Picota is a public monument and the only surviving example among the 178 settlements in the Comunidad de Madrid. The Potro de Herrar is one of the oldest of its kind in the surrounding area, consists of large granite monoliths with supplementary iron and wooden elements, and was formerly used for shoeing livestock. A monument in El Berrueco, whose construction began in several phases in the 13th century above an earlier Mudéjar temple, offers views of the Sierra from its viewpoint.

Culture

The Museo del Agua y del Patrimonio Hidrográfico explains the importance of the water-management infrastructure present in the region as an economic and natural resource. The Museo de la Cantería displays very old stone-working pieces and conveys the tradition and craftsmanship of the stonemasons of El Berrueco. The Jornada de la Siega reenacts the traditional activity of cutting grain and belongs to the Comunidad Patrimonial Tradiciones de la Sierra Norte de Madrid. The Belén Viviente of El Berrueco is considered a performance that has been staged at Christmas every year for more than 20 years.

Visit

The Oficina de Turismo de El Berrueco provides reception services and information for visitors and, by prior appointment, organises guided visits along the surrounding routes and to the Museo de la Cantería y del Agua. El Berrueco can be reached via the N-1 Madrid–Burgos road to the level of La Cabrera, and then via the M-127 towards El Berrueco.

When comparing holiday apartments in El Berrueco, you can place travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions side by side on the listing pages and consciously tailor your personal planning to your own priorities among hiking trails, the water landscape, culture and access.

Other places at the same higher level: Alcorcón, Paracuellos De Jarama, Madarcos, Ajalvir, Colmenarejo, La Estación, Jardín De Serracines, Coslada

To the higher-level travel overview: Madrid.