Discover Pinto: History, Nature and Festivals

The Torre de Pinto is Pinto’s oldest building. This late-medieval defensive structure, with a rectangular floor plan, rounded edges and a construction of limestone blocks, is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural. From 2019 onwards, visits were made possible through an agreement between the town council and the owners at the time.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Pinto, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies on the respective pages. These fields help you sort different options according to your own priorities and consider them alongside the cultural, nature and event-related themes.

Further destinations

Further destinations: Jardín De Serracines, Talamanca, Aldea Del Fresno, Carabaña, Somosaguas, San Sebastián De Los Reyes, Cadalso and San Lorenzo De El Escorial.

Getting there

Pinto station is served by Cercanías line C-3, interurban bus lines 413, 421, 428, 455 and 471, night bus N401 and urban bus 1. The station is accessible and has lifts, free park-and-ride spaces and bicycle parking.

Nature and routes

In the wider regional surroundings of Pinto, the Parque Regional del Sureste contains gypsum-soil steppes, river floodplains, lagoons and steep slopes; it also has a diverse bird population. The Ruta Galiana is an easy, 8-kilometre route along the Cañada Real Galiana, a historic livestock trail, and passes through the protected Parque Regional del Sureste.

The Ruta Patrimonio Monumental de Pinto is an approximately two-hour circular walk through Pinto’s preserved religious and civic monumental heritage. The differing information on distance and duration can be compared separately for personal planning.

History and culture

Pinto’s railway tradition began with the Madrid–Aranjuez railway line, inaugurated by Queen Isabel II on 9 February 1851, with Pinto among its stations. The Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Silos was built between the late 15th century and the first third of the 17th century on the site of a smaller earlier church and combines Gothic and Renaissance elements.

The Ermita del Cristo del Calvario houses a 16th-century representation of the Cristo del Calvario, Pinto’s patron saint. The Convento Sagrada Familia e Iglesia San José originated from the manor house known as the Casa Grande; the church attached to the convent is designed in the Neo-Mudéjar style.

Only the church remains of the 17th-century convent of the Religiosas Capuchinas; it is catalogued as a Bien de Interés Patrimonial. Following restoration work completed in 2004, the Casa de la Cadena houses an exhibition hall, an archive, a library and Pinto’s tourist office. The archaeological site of La Atalaya lies west of Pinto’s town centre, between the railway line and the M-506 and M-408 roads.

Experiences

Arqueopinto is an open-air prehistoric park with life-size reconstructions and everyday scenes ranging from the first humans to the Visigothic period. Practical workshops include archaeological excavations, rock painting, making a Neolithic arrow, weaving, mosaics and Andalusian tiles.

Pinto’s Renacentista Festival has been held since 2013 and takes place over several days in June. The nighttime theatrical tour “La bella Tuerta” is the festival’s main activity and draws on the story of the Princess of Éboli. The Fiestas del Cristo include a traditional procession around Trinity Day, during which the image of the Cristo del Calvario is taken to the Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Silos, where it remains until the celebrations end.

Festivals and food

The Ruta de la Tapa Renacentista is a culinary event open to visitors, held on the same days as the festival and involving around twenty local food establishments. The Renaissance market in Parque del Egido is open during the three festival days and offers handicrafts, food products and culinary offerings.

Every September, Pinto hosts a large chocolate festival with street performances, music, historical re-enactments, chocolate workshops, tastings and special activities featuring the local sweet Ombligos de Pinto, as well as a trade fair and a food area.

The celebrations in honour of San Antón begin with a solemn mass at the Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Silos. The activities then take place around the Ermita de San Antón, to which a well-attended procession leads, accompanied by authorities, local brotherhoods, horses, carriages, the municipal band and numerous residents.

For the higher-level travel overview: Madrid.