Logbook · 15 places

Valley of Cuelgamuros

San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Cuenca del Guadarrama, Madrid

1 Villages · 9 Monuments · 2 Nature · 1 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones

Spain › Community of Madrid › Cuenca del Guadarrama › San Lorenzo de El Escorial › Valley of Cuelgamuros

Valley of Cuelgamuros

Monument · San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Cuenca del Guadarrama, Madrid

Valley of Cuelgamuros

The valle de Cuelgamuros is a mountain valley on the south-eastern slope of the sierra de Guadarrama, within the municipality of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, cut into the Risco de la Nava between 1940 and 1958 on Franco's orders and built partly with the forced labour of Republican political prisoners; its cross rises more than 150 metres. The Democratic Memory Law restored this place name. With 1,365 hectares between the monte Abantos and the border with Ávila, its reforested woods of Scots pine, maritime pine and rodeno pine shelter roe deer, foxes and birds of prey. It can only be reached by the M-527 road, which leads to the Benedictine abbey set in the valley, also used by hikers and cyclists.

Photo: Javier Lastras from España/Spain (CC BY 2.0)

What to see and do in San Lorenzo de El Escorial