Places we love to visit in Valdemorillo

LA CASA DE MANOLO FRANCO
Aug 20
3 min read

Travel, feel… be moved. All of that — what we want to inspire through our restaurant, through its essence in both decoration and dishes — can be experienced without leaving Valdemorillo, one of the most beautiful and lesser-known towns in the Madrid region. Valdemorillo has three reservoirs, almost 80% of its municipality under some form of environmental protection, and is a unique spot in the heart of nature, just half an hour from Madrid.

Just five minutes from our restaurant, dirt paths begin, pine forests, vast skies, and trails that lead to water. Paths we know, walk often, and that quietly inspire us.

For the days when you need the countryside before sitting at the table—or after—you can explore some of the places we love in Valdemorillo. If you come with time or simply want the day to stretch a little longer, here are our favorites…

El alto de Santa Ana

It’s a place that invites you to pause, sit on a rock, and just breathe. The air feels cleaner here. Not a tourist spot, no signs, yet it holds a quiet beauty revealed to those who walk it. A gentle, open climb among rockrose, pines, and large stones. As you advance, the landscape opens up. From the top, you can see everything: the reservoir, the rooftops of Valdemorillo and nearby urbanizations, the Madrid skyline in the distance, and on clear days, even the Sierra.

If you live nearby and can climb early, sunrise here is a true spectacle.

La Ermita de Valmayor

Amid holm oaks on a small secluded hill, stands what remains of the old church of the abandoned village of Valmayor, deserted in the 16th century. The apse and the old bell tower are well preserved. Later, the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza de Valmayor was built here, a historic building on the Vereda de los Vaqueros, north of Valdemorillo and very close to the reservoir. It is a place that invites you to connect with a piece of history without explanations. We visit often, not for what it once was, but for what it still is: a simple, calm place you always want to return to. And in spring, the surroundings fill our senses with the scent of thyme, rosemary, and lavender… it’s our essence.

El embalse de Valmayor

The Valmayor Reservoir offers a different kind of horizon. Its water changes color with the hour, the sky, and the wind. Sometimes smooth as a mirror, other times rippling as if in a hurry. Paths run along its edges, but the most beautiful corners are off the beaten track: quiet shores, shaded spots, trees leaning over the water. It’s perfect for aimless walks, for “losing” time and gazing far.

From the southern part, nearest the hermitage, you can enjoy a unique view: water and the Sierra de Guadarrama in the background — if no one tells you otherwise, you could believe you are in a national park in western Canada.

We feel the reservoir as a silent neighbor, always present, marking the rhythm of the landscape. Sunset from just before the bridge towards Colmenarejo is highly recommended — a truly special moment.

El Pinar de Valquemado

Entering the pine forest is like entering a different light. The path becomes soft underfoot, you move from open sky to green shade, inhaling the scent of resin and dry earth. It’s a cool place in summer, welcoming in autumn, perfect for wandering without a clock and simply listening. Sometimes you’ll see rabbits, sometimes a flock of birds taking flight. There are also clearings where sunlight filters through, and in spring, the ground blooms with lavender and other wildflowers.

It’s a space we go to when we need to think, or just to be fully present in something as simple as enjoying the scenery. No phones, please… here, as in all these places, you come to breathe and feel.

If you decide to visit any of these places we love in Valdemorillo, tell us about it — we’d love to hear if it was worth it for you.

Written by Manu Franco and Paola Malmierca

Have a wonderful day!