Calzada Romana, Fuenfría Valley, Madrid

Sierra de Guadarrama

When the alarm beeped at 8.30am this morning we were instantly wide awake. Warmer than it had been this time two weeks ago, we eagerly jumped from bed and were out of the house in less than hour.

With a solid bacon and egg breakfast in our stomachs we walked to the Moncloa bus station to board the bus for Cercedilla.

Being our last weekend in Madrid, there were so many things we could have done but we decided we would rather escape the hustle and bustle of the city. In the midst of packing and cleaning we didn't want to travel far so we had immediately agreed on Cercedilla in Madrid's Sierra de Guadarrama mountains.  

Back in December we had gotten terribly lost hiking the Camino de Schmidt trail. Having totally missed the Fuenfría Valley we never found the ancient Calzada Romana track ruins, an old historic Roman road built through the Spanish mountains and so we decided to return and find it. The bus had left Moncloa perfectly to the minute and John instantly took the opportunity to catch a rest as we rode towards the mountains. Being a quiet holiday Sunday, the roads were almost empty and before we knew it we had arrived and had missed our stop in Cercedilla, realising just as the bus pulled away. Of course, by now we are right mighty accustomed to a few prickles and, expressing no surprise whatsoever to this common turn of events, we got off at the next stop and walked our way back. 

Walking up Las Dhesas

Gates in the stone wall

Cercedilla is a quaint little mountain village full of charming stone houses, narrow roads and is set on the Sierra foothills. With such a stunning natural surrounding, the village is very popular with day-trippers but in no way loses its rural feel or ever feels crowded. As we marched down the road we were caught in a haze of chimney smoke, the smell reminded us of New Zealand.

Autumn leaves on their way down

Trying to find our track on an
information board

The Calzada Romana de la Fuenfría located in the northernmost part of Fuenfría Valley wasn't easy to find. Our online directions were a translated description that read oddities like 'these remains little year to the bridge of the sale'. Fortunately we did understand that the M-966 has been superimposed over the lower half and we needed to walk up Las Dehesas road to a carpark where the trail begins. Google maps helped us to find the road and enthusiastically we set off. In the mountains we couldn't decide if it was hotter or colder than the city. The sun was warm on our backs but the air was cold on our arms. The jackets came off and just as quickly were put back on.

A tiny creek along the path

Heading into the mountains

Following the green dots

Our trail ahead

When we reached the small Las Dehesas carpark we weren't any better off. There were plenty of signs and maps along the path indicating the many trail starts but they didn't feel right, nothing was called Calzada Romana. Well we decided we had come this far, let's follow the road and see where we go. Well luck was on our side and not 100m up the road we found our trail, indicated with large green dots.

So off we merrily went! The fresh clear mountain air swamped our lungs and small handfuls of peanuts kept our mouths busy. The forest was beautiful, little birds sung and dived between the pine trees above us. We saw a wood pecker and quietly we walked over big white stones. A small creek ran alongside the path trickling a steady stream of clear water. There were prickly thorn bushes everywhere.

Two of the main attractions of the Calzada Romana track are the ancient Roman bridges: Puente del Descalzo (The barefoot bridge) and Puente de Enmedio.

After following the creek and passing through large green parklands of Prairie Corralillios we started our uphill climb at the Puente del Descalzo. The old Roman road is believed to have been built at the time of emperor Vespasian's rule about 2000 years ago between AD69 and AD79. The granite slab road used actively until the 18th century once traversed the Spanish countryside from Caesaraugusta (Current Zaragoza in the North East) to Emerita Augusta (Current Merida in the South East). However, the Puente del Descalzo, part of the Roman road was actually reconstructed during the reign of Felipe V in the first third of the eighteenth century. 

Prairie Corralillios 

White rocky granite

Puente del Descalzo

Underneath Puente del Descalzo

Made of large white odd shaped granite rocks, stone and mortar, the bridge stood steady and strong. We climbed underneath and had a good look around, watching a poor young boy slip into the little creek. Onwards we began a steep ascent climbing over rocky unkept path. It was hot and soon we were already beginning to feel tired, our ankles stretching under the uneven cobbles. After the road flattened out, the trail began to taper and almost disappear into a dry forest pathway. We walked under delicious-smelling pine trees devouring with our noses and admiring the delicate baby pine cones scattered around.

Happy cows on the hillside

Horses passing to the right

Along the way we met a group horse riding and several cows munching happily on the trees but didn't pass many people. We quietly marched along in a general up hill direction, our feet crunching on the fallen autumn leaves until we reach the Puente de Enmedio. There wasn't a description of the bridge so we don't know when it was built but it seemed rather identical to the first bridge. Again we climbed under to have a look around, noting that it was rather bigger than the first!

Underneath Puente de Enmedio

Puente de Enmedio

A sharp bend in the trail

Wraps for lunch! 

Hiking high in the mountains

Following the Calzada Romana

Changing trails we made our way back slowly to the green prairie for a late lunch. Sitting under the shedding trees we rolled up our tuna wraps and sat quietly.

The return walk was most enjoyable and we were glad we had decided to hit the mountains. As we waited for our bus back to Madrid we sat on a local terrace drinking our cafe con leche enjoying the fresh mountain air. 

Tot siens,
John and Kara