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More than 70 free plans fill Madrid’s countryside with routes and workshops
The Community of Madrid has prepared more than 70 free environmental activities during September, with guided routes, workshops, games, exhibitions and fairs spread across its network of Environmental Education Centres. The programme is concentrated mainly at weekends and, in most cases, requires advance booking.
The programme is spread across nine environmental facilities and spaces, including El Águila in Chapinería; Arboreto Luis Ceballos in San Lorenzo de El Escorial; El Campillo in Rivas-Vaciamadrid; Caserío de Henares in San Fernando de Henares; Valle del Lozoya; Hayedo de Montejo; Guadarrama Río de Arena; Polvoranca y Bosque Sur.
One of the most distinctive proposals will arrive on 19 September with Los Tesoros de Abantos con tu perro. The trail will start in the town centre of San Lorenzo de El Escorial and cover around five kilometres to the arboretum on Monte Abantos. It is aimed at participants aged ten and over and is among the activities identified as pet-friendly: dogs must be kept on a lead, meet health requirements and have no socialisation problems.
The family calendar also includes the Fiesta de los Huertos, scheduled for Saturday the 26th at Caserío de Henares. The day will bring together network specialists, associations and local producers around allotments and agriculture, with activities designed to bring these spaces closer to people of different ages.
Earlier, on 12 September, Polvoranca will offer a children’s workshop on making preserves, while Arboreto Luis Ceballos will organise Refugio de murciélagos, a bio-DIY workshop to build shelters for species that help control insect populations. This latter activity is for those aged over ten and requires advance booking.
The programme also includes proposals in which animals take centre stage. On 19 September, Chapinería will host the Lobivencia technical event, devoted to the grey wolf and its adaptations, while on the 30th an activity in the Sierra del Rincón area will provide an opportunity to learn about migratory birds before they continue their journey to warmer areas.
The weekend of the 19th and 20th will have another focal point in Venturada with the Feria de Otoño de la Sierra Norte, bringing together crafts, traditions, food, livestock farming and rural tourism with the participation of several environmental centres. In Chapinería, the photographic exhibition Vida salvaje, vida en libertad will also remain available throughout the month.
Not all activities are designed exclusively for families. There are talks, trails and workshops for adults, as well as proposals adapted for people with reduced mobility. Guided routes also continue in La Pedriza, Valle de la Fuenfría, Valle del Paular and Peñalara, within the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park.
Free admission, however, does not mean unrestricted access without planning. The Community warns that many activities require prior registration and each may set different ages, times and conditions. It is therefore advisable to consult the specific listing before travelling, especially for routes with limited capacity.