Las Matas – Railway Heritage, the Camino and Festivals
Accommodation in Las Matas
Las Matas offers several distinct starting points for planning a trip: the Camino Viejo de Las Matas in the Parque Regional del curso medio del rĂo Guadarrama, the railway heritage of the neighbourhood and the Fiestas de San JosĂ© Obrero on 1 May. If you are looking for a hotel in Las Matas, you can plan your stay around your reason for visiting: are you most interested in a walking route, railway history or a specific event date? These themes reveal different sides of the town.
The Camino Viejo de Las Matas
The Camino Viejo de Las Matas lies within the Parque Regional del curso medio del rĂo Guadarrama. A municipal description from December 2023 lists the route as part of Spain’s Senderos Azules network. The same municipal record gives its length as 2.076 kilometres and its approximate walking time as 25 minutes. The two measurements are useful in different ways: the distance indicates the length of the route, while the walking time offers an approximate guide to how long it takes. Its location in the regional park and its inclusion in the Senderos Azules network describe two different aspects of the route: its place in a protected landscape and its place in a Spanish network of trails.
Railway heritage in the neighbourhood
The Barrio ferroviario de Las Matas was established in 1922 as a residential settlement for railway workers. The railway history of Las Matas therefore encompasses not only technology but also the development of a neighbourhood to house railway employees. The Museo del Ferrocarril Pablo Rubio displays historic railway tools, signalling equipment, travel cases, railway carriage identification plates and numerous photographs. The museum complex also includes the Mikado 141 F 2240 steam locomotive. Las Matas railway station remains a living testament to the neighbourhood’s railway heritage. The residential settlement, museum and station thus represent different aspects of this heritage: the neighbourhood’s origins, historical artefacts and the station as part of its railway history.
Festivals and cultural offerings
The Fiestas de San JosĂ© Obrero are celebrated in Las Matas on 1 May. The festivities include organised sporting activities. The programme also includes DĂa del Niño, with a large children’s park. The sports and children’s programme offer different highlights within the same celebration. If you would like to plan your stay around the festival, 1 May is the date to keep in mind.
The Biblioteca Municipal Marga Gil Roësset hosts temporary exhibitions, workshops, storytelling sessions and activities for all age groups. The programme may change, so if you are interested in a particular offering, check the specific dates before your stay. Unlike the Fiestas, which are celebrated on 1 May, the library programme features a changing range of formats. The two cultural options therefore also differ in how you can plan around them.
For an overview of the wider area: Las Rozas De Madrid.
