The best traffic-free bike rides around Rivas-Vaciamadrid

Very nice tour, I liked it, although there was a bit of a bad smell from the company before crossing the bridge. Also, I found areas of the path damaged and/or blocked by logs and pebbles. It was hard for me to finish the return route. But overall, I was satisfied with the route.

The Campillo Lagoon is located in Rivas Vaciamadrid, within the Southeast Regional Park, about 20 km from Madrid. It is a protected natural area, ideal for peaceful walks and outdoor activities. Origin: Artificial, formed in the 1960s and 70s after the extraction of aggregates in the Jarama River basin. Water from the aquifer filled the excavations and over time became a wetland with great biodiversity.

The Campillo Lagoon is located in the Southeast Regional Park, in the Spanish municipality of Rivas-Vaciamadrid, in the Community of Madrid. Its origin lies in the former gravel quarrying that took place in the Jarama River basin during the 1960s and 70s. Excavation went below the water table, and when quarrying ceased and the surrounding area was restored, this lagoon emerged, measuring approximately 4 kilometers in diameter and covering 35 hectares. After El Porcal Lagoon, it is the largest lagoon in the Southeast Regional Park. A peaceful place to relax, with numerous benches.

Longing for times past and the living history of the steam railway.

The original settlement dates back to the Bronze Age. The current castle was built in the 15th century by the Medoza family.

Loeches has been the residence of nobles and influential houses of the Spanish bourgeoisie for the last five hundred years. In the 16th century it was named a town by order of Charles I and in 1633 it became the domain of the Count-Duke of Olivares, favourite of Philip IV, providing the town with an important historical, cultural and monumental heritage also linked to the House of Alba. The Monastery of the Immaculate Conception, known as the “Convento Grande”, houses the Pantheon of the House of Alba, built in Carrara marble. In the same square is the Monastery of San Ignacio Mártir, the “Convento Chico”, a 17th-century Carmelite convent of Baroque architecture famous for the artisanal jams made by the nuns. A good example of a Renaissance construction is the 16th-century church of the Assumption. The Plaza de la Villa is the meeting point and social centre of Loeches. Surrounding it is the historic centre, declared a Site of Cultural Interest, with cobbled streets and traditional houses. The Tourist Office is located in the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception, which offers a guide service, tourist information and is the starting point for hiking routes.

The unique urban style of Nuevo Baztán maintains the original Baroque model from the beginning of the 18th century, designed by José de Churriguera by order of Juan de Goyeneche, who had permission from Charles II to build glass, paper and textile factories on Spanish territory. The Navarrese businessman was originally from Arizkun, in the Baztán Valley, but spent time in Madrid because he had other properties and professional relations with the Court. He chose the site of Madrid's Alcarria to found an industrial and rural centre in honour of his homeland and commissioned the Madrid architect to build a glass factory, a farming village of half a thousand inhabitants, a palace, a monumental church and gardens with centuries-old pines and elms. The town preserves cobbled streets, stone squares, rural buildings from the time of its foundation, between 1709 and 1713, and palace gardens, a beautiful heritage complex declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1941 and a Site of Cultural Interest in 2000.

This lagoon is artificial in origin, created from the extraction of aggregates in the Jarama River basin during the 1960s and 1970s. It is an ideal place to enjoy nature, go hiking or cycling. The lagoon is approximately 5.5 km long and its average depth is 6 metres, although in some areas it can reach 20 metres. In addition, it has a natural resources interpretation centre that organises workshops and educational activities.