Located in the Sierra Oeste de Madrid you’ll find a locality where you’ll be able to enjoy a wide range of nature and patrimony. We’re talking about San Martín de Valdeiglesias, the perfect destination to spend a few peaceful days and explore some fairytale like landscapes that will allow you to live a thorough rural tourism experience.
Bordering Ávila and Toledo, its territory holds a lot of history and has a landscape full of greenery which the river Alberche passes through that their almost 9,000 habitants, referred to as sanmariteños in Spanish get to enjoy.
It’s become the perfect weekend getaway thanks to its proximity with the capital with only 60km between them that doesn’t take long to drive.
What is there to see? This town has a lot of lures including different types of architecture and a culture that gets richer with every step.
If there’s anything the town stands out for it is without a doubt the Castle of Coracera that was built in the 15th century and has a spectacular keep and a beautiful bailey. You’re free to visit it and its grounds but you need to get a ticket beforehand.
It also had a wide range of religious patrimony; the church of San Martín de Obispo is definitely one worth visiting and we recommend you go inside to see the central cupola. There are also lots of hermitages dotted about. Nowadays there’s only six but in the past there were a lot more.
The six that still exist are: Ecce Homo, de la Sangre, de la Salud, del Cristo de la Humildad, del Rosario and de la Virgen de la Nueva. You can see them on a guided tour through the town council. The starting point is the Plaza Real which is the part of the town with the most things to do and with the most significant sights in the municipality.
If that doesn’t seem like a lot to you, another popular thing San Martín de Valdeiglesias has to do is the Pantano de San Juan where the Virgen de la Nueva and the Muro beaches are, ideal for going for a dip in summer and it even has a playground, perfect if you’re going as a family. Plus, you can always rent a holiday home next to the reservoir to spend a few nights in.
When do the festivities start? There are a few key dates in the festive calendar where you’ll be able to learn about the folklore and traditions of the area.
The 11 of November is the patron festival in honour of San Martín de Tours and the celebrations for the Patrona are in September. In the same month you can also experience the parties for the Patrona Nuestra Señora de la Virgen Nueva, who there is also a pilgrimage held for on easter Monday.
How do you get here? You’ve got a few options; one is to come by car and the other is by public transport that has a bus line that leaves you right in the town. If you’re coming by car you can take advantage to take a detour and explore some nearby routes and get to know some pretty towns that aren’t too far out your way.
There’s nothing like spending a few days somewhere you can relax and where you’ll be able to reserve a fairytale like holiday cottage in San Martín de Valdeiglesias to live a truly unique experience in. Depending on the time of year you’re travelling in, you can find fairly cheap homes if its out of peak season, while if you’re travelling in summer, you can get one with a pool.
