Are you planning a trip to the Madrid region of Spain? Have you set to the task yet of mapping out an itinerary for your trip, highlighting the various places and attractions you’d like to visit during your upcoming stay? Madrid is a fascinating place to visit, a city that artfully combines old world history and tradition with a lively cosmopolitan atmosphere. Visitors to this popular world capital will find an endless number of sights and attractions to keep them busy during their stay, including many located in the surrounding towns and villages. One such site is the Soto de Viñuelas, a very popular forest land located just north of the Madrid city limits. In the following article we will provide a brief overview of the Soto de Viñuelas, including some interesting facts regarding its location, characteristics and long and storied history.
Soto de Viñuelas: Overview
Soto de Viñuelas, also known as Mount Viñuelas, is a meadow-oak forest situated to the north of the city of Madrid, Spain. It is located to the south of the municipalities Tres Cantos and St. Augustine’s Guadalix, east of the Monte de El Pardo and west of San Sebastian de los Reyes—municipalities that are all part of the Autonomous Community of Madrid.
The fenced property that comprises Soto de Viñuelas measures 3,000 hectares or 7,413 acres in total space, which includes land with very significant ecological values, landscape and art. The forest belongs to the municipality of Madrid, although it contains small areas to the north corresponding to Tres Cantos, one of which is a development that bears the same name. Other important developments in the region include Cuidalcampo and Fuente del Fresno, both situated on the forest’s western boundary.
In 1985, by decree of the government, Soto de Viñuelas became part of the Regional Park of the Cuenca Alta del Manzanares, the largest protected natural area in the Madrid region. Under this agreement, the forest was classified as an “Area B,” a legal instrument that allows the forest to be used for agricultural purposes, although only by those responsible for the upkeep of the area. It was also recently named a Special Protection Area for Birds, a move made to protect some of the bird species of the region now considered endangered.
One of the most interesting and oft-visited sites of Soto de Viñuelas is the Royal Palace of El Pardo or Castle Viñuelas. Both the palace and the forest were once part of an estate belonging to the lordship of Real de Manzanares, owned by the Casa de Mendoza. Ownership of the estate was transferred to Emperor Charles I in the 16th century, and in 1693, it was privately acquired by Cristobal Alvarado Bracamonte, who rebuilt the manor house, now known as Castle Viñuelas, to facilitate the stay of Philip V. The estate was re-transferred to the Spanish Crown in 1751 at the request of Ferdinand VI, but after the fall of Isabel II in the 19th century it was again auctioned off to a private party. In the 20th century, during the Spanish Civil War, the castle served as the headquarters for the Republican army, and after the war, the mansion was chosen as a residence by Francisco Franco, at which time it came to be known as the Royal Palace of El Pardo.
Soto de Viñuelas can be accessed from the M-607 Freeway (Colmenar Viejo Freeway), exit 20, where you’ll see a large sign for both the forest and the town of Tres Cantos.
