Sierra Oeste

The region of the Sierra Oeste of the Community of Madrid extends from north to south from the municipality of Santa María de la Alameda to Villa del Prado. A curiosity of this region is the difference in altitude between these two localities, since the first is at an altitude of 1420m, and the second at 510m. To the east it borders the province of Ávila, and to the west with Navalcarnero.

Taking into account that the Sierra Oeste region is located between the Sierra de Guadarrama and the Sierra de Gredos, and that it is crossed by the Alberche, Perales and Cofio rivers, the relief of the area is very variable, as we find mountains, valleys, valleys and plains. Because of these characteristics, we find forests full of black pines or stone pines, or chestnut groves such as the one in Rozas de Puerto Real. In the vicinity of the Alberche and Cofio rivers, we can find oak groves that are catalogued as a Special Protection Area for birds.

One of the main tourist attractions of the region, and also of the Community of Madrid as a whole, is the reservoir next to the San Juan Reservoir, located in San Martín de Valdeiglesias. From that point, there are a multitude of cycling routes for bike lovers, but there is also a wide variety of outdoor activities that can be done such as hiking, rowing, fishing, climbing, or horseback riding. There are lucky ones that during their stay in the region have been able to see one of the most endangered animals, the Iberian imperial eagle.

As for the historical heritage of the region, we can find two architectural gems such as the Castle of Coracera, and the bucolic corner of the Monastery of Santa María la Real de Valdeiglesias. In the towns of Robledo de Chavela and Fresnedillas de la Oliva you can practice the so-called "space tourism", since there are the Space Tracking Station created by NASA, and the Lunar Museum, respectively.