Patones between a slate village, Roman city and gorges

Patones combines impressive black-slate architecture with traces of a Roman city, geologically shaped landscapes and paths along the water. Between Patones de Arriba, the Dehesa de la Oliva and the surrounding gorges, historical evidence and nature experiences can be combined into very different parts of a day.

Culture and history

Patones de Arriba is a representative example of black-slate architecture. In 1999, the village was protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the category of Historic Ensemble. Around half a dozen traditional stone-built wood-fired ovens have been preserved on Calle del Despeñadero, most of them located there.

The former church of San José in Patones de Arriba now houses the tourist office, an exhibition room and a model of the surrounding area. The building is no longer used as a place of worship. At the foot of the hill of the Dehesa de la Oliva archaeological site stands the Ermita de la Virgen de la Oliva. It dates from the 12th or 13th century and was built in the Romanesque-Mudéjar style. Only the apse and the initial section of the nave remain of the original ermita.

The Canal de Cabarrús is the oldest hydraulic infrastructure in Patones. It was built in the 18th century to irrigate the gardens and fields. Much of the associated hydraulic infrastructure has been preserved and can be visited by tourists; the canal and its associated structures are catalogued as Bien de Interés Patrimonial.

In the upper area of the Dehesa de la Oliva archaeological site, the remains of a significant Late Republican Roman city with an orthogonal street grid, water infrastructure and public buildings have been preserved. The site also contains a pre-Roman settlement and a later Visigothic necropolis. The site is open to visitors and features explanatory information panels and reconstructions that explain its buildings and their uses.

The Cueva del Reguerillo is also part of the protected heritage of the area: it is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the category of Monument and was classified accordingly in 1944. The cave is currently closed to all visitors because of damage caused by decades of improper use.

Landscape and nature

Las Calerizas consists of limestone rocks with numerous caves and cavities of archaeological, palaeontological and geomorphological interest. The Senda del Barranco offers a different landscape impression: it climbs from Patones de Abajo to Patones de Arriba through a gorge-like, stepped landscape of great geological and faunal interest. The Senda del Barranco is also the only path connecting the two parts of the village.

Access to Patones de Arriba is restricted for vehicles. Visitors are asked to park in Patones de Abajo and walk the 800-metre Senda del Barranco. Above the village, Cancho de la Cabeza reaches 1,264 metres, making it the highest point in Patones. Its summit offers far-reaching views over the comarca, the El Atazar Reservoir and large parts of the municipality.

The Museo Aula Geológica in Patones displays a collection of rocks from the mountainous areas of the Madrid region outside. Inside, it features an exhibition with information panels, models and reproductions. In the surroundings of Patones, the Cárcavas form an eroded landscape of reddish clay with pointed shapes and pronounced channels resembling towers or industrial chimneys.

Las Cárcavas can be reached via the route starting at the Pontón de la Oliva dam. A little more than one kilometre after the excursion begins, the road is left and the route continues on foot. Kingfishers, golden orioles, white-throated dippers, Spanish painted frogs and otters can be observed in the river and riparian forest ecosystems of Patones. The cold, clear and oxygen-rich waters provide a habitat for trout and barbel.

Hiking and cycling

The Senda Genaro, the well-signposted GR-300 circular hiking trail, connects the six villages around the El Atazar Reservoir. Stages 1 and 2 pass through Patones and connect the village with El Berrueco and El Atazar. A signposted route in the Carpetania network runs through Patones between the Canal de la Parra and Torremocha del Jarama. It can be travelled in both directions on foot or by bike and is 17.5 kilometres long one way.

Another linear route is 16 kilometres long and is designed as a there-and-back route. It runs with little elevation change parallel to the final section of the Lozoya River and opens up the landscapes around Patones. The different route formats and lengths help distinguish shorter connections between villages, circular hikes and longer trails conceptually.

Further destinations

Other destinations in the same regional selection are Serranillos del Valle, Las Herreras, Aranjuez, El Boalo, Meco, Algete, Santorcaz and Paracuellos De Jarama.

For the higher-level travel overview: Madrid.