Manjirón: Hiking, Nature and Cultural Heritage

Manjirón brings together hiking trails, a water-shaped landscape and local architectural history. If you are looking for a hotel in Manjirón, you can plan your stay around whether you want to focus mainly on hiking or on architecture and art. The two hikes differ in route type, length and stated duration; the sights range from a church to a mural.

Choose a hike by route profile

The Ruta Embalse de El Villar is an easy 5.5 km circular hike on the Caminos Carpetania trail network. It starts at Plaza de la Constitución in Manjirón and passes through a rockrose-dotted dehesa to the Puentes Viejas Reservoir. Natural rocky viewpoints offer views there. The route is considered suitable for all age groups.

Another option is the El Hospitalillo–Manjirón section of the Senda del Genaro: an easy hike of approximately 3 km that takes about an hour. It crosses a dehesa along the “De las Eras a Valondo” drovers’ route and passes stone walls, meadows and old stands of holm oaks. For comparison, the hikes are a 5.5 km loop and an approximately 3 km section that takes about an hour; the stated duration refers to the Senda del Genaro section.

A water-shaped landscape

Water shapes the landscape and natural environment of Manjirón. The habitats described include holm oak stands, juniper dehesas, stone pines, Pyrenean oaks and ash groves, as well as meadows, scrubland and numerous riparian woodlands. These riparian woodlands are home to diverse fauna. The landscape description adds other natural environments and vegetation types to the hiking routes, rather than focusing solely on the reservoir.

Church and historic buildings

The parish church of Santiago Apóstol was built over Mudéjar remains; its present structure dates from the 15th to 16th centuries. It has a rectangular floor plan with a single nave and a Mudéjar pointed-arch portal. A single-nave plan means one main space rather than several naves; together with the pointed-arch portal, these features offer concrete details of the church’s architecture.

The Torre de Mirabel is military architecture from the 16th to 17th centuries and is described as a cylindrical tower or atalaya (watchtower). In 1983, it was declared a historic-artistic monument. Based on its features, it is considered to have served as a lookout post and refuge for alguaciles (local officials), with some defensive capabilities. This military function is a historical interpretation; the tower is privately owned and its condition has deteriorated.

Museum and everyday places

The restored washhouse, built in 1939 on Avenida del Villar, houses the Museo de la Piedra. The museum also serves as a venue for temporary exhibitions and is accessible to people with reduced mobility.

The Antiguo Lavadero is a stop on the route from Manjirón to the El Villar Reservoir. Women once washed their clothes there; the site also served as a meeting place. This former use points to the washhouse’s communal importance in everyday life. The Fuente Vieja is an old stone-clad fountain on Calle de la Fragua, near the Manjirón stream.

The Encina de las Cercadillas stands near the town centre. Since 2017, it has been listed as a “Singular Tree of the Community of Madrid” (“Árbol Singular de la Comunidad de Madrid”). Alongside the fountain, this tree shows how natural and cultural heritage feature side by side in descriptions of the town.

“Las Aguas” mural

The “Las Aguas” mural by Pablo Zabala is part of the “Paredes que Hablan” project and is located at Cjón. del Clavel 3 in Manjirón. It depicts still and moving water and explores the relationship between people and the control of nature, as well as the controlled flow of water at the Presa del Villar. This work of visual art complements the historic buildings and water-shaped landscape with an artistic exploration of the same theme.

Discover more destinations: Serrada De La Fuente, Mejorada Del Campo, Patones, Galapagar, Madrid, Belmonte De Tajo, Ajalvir, Las Herreras.

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