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The Sea of Ontígola

Ontígola, Mesa de Ocaña, Toledo

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 1 Activities · 3 Curiosities

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The Sea of Ontígola

Curiosity · Ontígola, Mesa de Ocaña, Toledo

El Mar de Ontígola is a Renaissance-era reservoir on the Ontígola stream, which Philip II decided in 1552 to dam in order to supply water to the Real Sitio (Royal Site) of Aranjuez; the dam, built with the involvement of architects Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera, was inaugurated in 1572 and marked a milestone in the hydraulic engineering of the time. Although it takes its name from the stream and the municipality of Ontígola, the reservoir now lies within the municipal boundary of Aranjuez, fully naturalised. Its waters give temporary or permanent shelter to numerous waterbirds, and since 1994 it has formed part, together with the neighbouring estate of El Regajal, of a 629-hectare nature reserve declared by the Comunidad de Madrid, known above all for its abundance of butterflies.

Photo: Rodelar (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What to see and do in Ontígola