Discover San Fernando de Henares: Culture, Nature and Trails

Plaza de España is a square-shaped plaza. On one side stands the main façade of the former Royal Cloth Factory, while houses dating from the mid-18th century line its perimeter. The preserved façade has been integrated into the restored town hall building.

The history of the old town centre also includes Plaza de Fernando VI. At its centre stands a statue that Queen Isabella II gave to the town in 1844 from the Royal Palace of Madrid. For planning your own day, historic squares, museum spaces, nature activities and trails can be clearly distinguished from one another.

Culture and History

The Museo de la Ciudad is located in buildings at Plaza de España 16 and Calle Coslada 13. These include an 18th-century residential building for the workers of the Royal Cloth Factory and a grain store built in the 19th century. Both buildings are listed in the catalogue of protected assets and are located in an area designated as a Conjunto Histórico Artístico, which today has the status of a Bien de Interés Cultural.

The Museo de la Ciudad is a permanent museum and a centre for presenting the city’s historical and current heritage. Its offerings include exhibitions, educational activities, research and publications. A much older chapter is represented by the Camino de las Yeseras archaeological site: it was an important settlement from the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age and was inhabited for almost 3,000 years, between 4500 and 1700 BCE. The funerary symbolism of its individual and collective burials is particularly noteworthy.

With its four defensive towers, the Palacio de Aldovea still recalls a medieval fortress. In the 18th century, the architect Virgilio Rabaglio transformed it into a leisure palace; today, it is privately owned.

Nature and Environmental Education

Finca Caserío de Henares is a 194-hectare site in the Vega of the Río Henares. Activities focusing on education about the riverside woodland and practical agriculture can take place there. The Caserío de Henares Environmental Education Centre is located in San Fernando de Henares, in a nature reserve area of the Parque Regional del Sureste.

Following prior reservation, guided trails through the site’s nature reserve area can be taken. The site also has educational trails along the banks of the Río Henares. The permanent “Descubre Caserío” exhibition explains the various ecosystems of Caserío de Henares using natural elements collected on the site and panels about the relationship between the environment and its inhabitants. The exhibition is free and suitable for all visitor groups.

The protected natural areas of San Fernando de Henares include the Lagunas de Cerro Gordo wetlands. They are located within the town and form part of the Parque Regional del Sureste.

Trails and Festivals

Paseo de los Chopos is one of the historic green routes of San Fernando de Henares and is used for exercise and enjoying nature. The “Rutas Verdes” of San Fernando de Henares are also available to download for hiking. Different routes and nature-related themes provide various focuses for planning, without requiring culture and landscape to be experienced in the same way.

The Arco Verde environmental project plans a new walking and cycling route that will connect San Fernando de Henares with Mejorada del Campo and Torrejón de Ardoz through the Parque Regional del Sureste.

More destinations: Los Santos De La Humosa, Algete, Galapagar, Alameda del Valle, Casarrubuelos, Navas Del Rey, Talamanca, Canencia

The Fiestas Patronales de San Fernando de Henares include outdoor cultural activities, concerts, fairground attractions and food stalls. On the feast day of Saint Blaise, a traditional festival with traditional games, workshops and a competition takes place at Paseo de los Chopos.

For the higher-level travel overview: Madrid.