River Manzanares

River Manzanares

Some place near the Navacerrada mountain pass in the Guadarrama mountain range is the source of the river, River Manzanares. It moves through various locations while covering its 83km (51 mile) journey. It’s a river with a historical importance.

Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta Del Manzanares, a natural reverse surrounds river Manzanares in the high section of its basin. The Manzanares River flows in the south-eastern direction from its source, and passes through the medieval town of Manzanares el Real. In the town of Manzanares el Real, river Manzanares forms the Santillana Reservoir, which is one of the most important water supplies for Madrid, the capital of Spain.

The river enters the heritage protected forest of the city of Madrid, called Monte del Pardo. The river is canalized where it passes through the built up areas of the city. River Manzanares serves the function of a dividing line between the old centre of the city and the Carabanchel and Usera neighborhoods to the south west, while making its move swiftly through the western most part of the city and further downstream.

It is on this stretch that it passes next to Madrid’s famous football ground, the Vicente Calderon. At its southern most tip the river leaves the city. River Manzanares makes a strong eastern turn which takes it past the village of Perales Del Rio and towards the river Jarama, into which it flows near the dormitory town of Arganda del Rey.

Though the river Manzanares is small and geographically unimportant, it has a close relation to the city of Madrid and there in lies its historical importance. It was this River, River Manzanares, overlooked by the city of Madrid, the present capital of Spain, which was initially founded as a citadel by the Moors in the IXth century.

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