Logbook · 8 places

What to see and do in Rozas de Puerto Real

What to see and do in Rozas de Puerto Real (Sierra Oeste, Madrid): 8 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 1 Nature · 2 Activities · 1 Historical milestones · 3 Food and drink

Towns near Rozas de Puerto Real

Spain › Community of Madrid › Sierra Oeste › Rozas de Puerto Real

What to see and do in Rozas de Puerto Real

Rozas de Puerto Real
Village
Rozas de Puerto Real is a village of barely 580 inhabitants that rises at 882 metres on the foothills of the sierra de Gredos, in the Sierra Oeste comarca of Madrid, among chestnut groves, pine woods and oak woods. Its name recalls that, situated on a pass linking the valleys of the Alberche and the Tiétar, it was a place of royal toll, where representatives of the crown charged transhumant herders using the Cañada Real Leonesa Oriental, which still crosses the territory today. It obtained the privilege of town status in 1693, granted by Charles II. It preserves the church of San Juan Bautista and keeps up traditions such as the matanza and the calbotada of roasted chestnuts on All Saints' Day, along with dishes of its own such as callos a la roceña and garlic soup.
Chestnut grove of Rozas de Puerto Real
Nature
The largest chestnut wood in the Region of Madrid, with century-old specimens reaching thirty metres in height, giving way to Pyrenean oak groves, pine woods and riverside vegetation in the foothills of the Sierra de Gredos.
Chestnut Grove Trail
Activity
A route that starts on Calle Estudiantes, beside the M-507 road, works its way in among chestnuts and oaks past springs such as El Chorrillo, and comes out on the M-501, with views over the reservoir and the Sierra de Gredos.
The Calbotada of Rozas
Activity
Every 1 November the villagers roast chestnuts in their doorways, at the height of autumn in the largest chestnut wood in Madrid; the calbotes that give the festival its name are served alongside local dishes such as callos a la roceña.
The town charter of Rozas de Puerto Real
Historical milestone
Charles II granted in 1693 the title of town to this village of the seigneury of Villena. Its name recalls the royal pass of the mountain crossing where the crown levied a toll on the transhumant livestock that crossed between the Alberche and Tiétar valleys.
The calbotada (chestnut roast)
Food and drink
On All Saints' Day the locals roast chestnuts in the countryside, a custom that gives the day its name. The chestnut has for centuries been one of the pillars of the local economy, along with rye and the potato.
Tripe stew "a la roceña" (Rozas style)
Food and drink
The local version of tripe, slowly stewed and served as the main winter dish alongside slaughter potatoes and garlic soup. They form the core of a mountain cuisine designed for the cold of the pass.
The cured meats of the pig slaughter
Food and drink
The pig slaughter stocks the year's larder with chorizos, hams and black puddings made in three versions: with rice, with onion and with pumpkin. It is the main winter food tradition in the municipality.