Environment
“Black-Villages”
The so-called “Black Villages”, Pueblos Negros of Guadalajara are located just an hour and a half from the capital Madrid and take their name from the construction of their houses in black slate. Coming from Guadalajara along the CM-1004 road to Tamajón and from there the GU-182 road we find the towns of Campillejo, El Espinar, Roblelacasa, Campillo de Ranas, Robleluengo and Majaelrayo respectively.
We can also visit the villages of Matallana, which we reach after crossing the so-called Chinese wall, and the town of La Vereda, where we will find a town without basic services such as running water or electricity.
On the other side of Pico Ocejón we find Valverde de los Arroyos, from where we can go to the Despeñalagua waterfalls.
Mountanious environment
Ocejón is the main peak of the southernmost part of the Ayllón mountain range, constituting, with its 2049 m, the highest point of the Ocejón mountain range, which extends from the Ocejón peak itself to the north. It is a mountain made of slate. It consists of a main peak and several subsidiary peaks, among which the Ocejoncillo (1956 m) and the Peña Mala (1768 m) stand out next to the summit. It can be climbed starting from Majaelrayo or Campillo de Ranas. The Ayllón mountain range, located between the provinces of Guadalajara, Segovia and Madrid, is one of the eastern mountain ranges of the Spanish Central System. The Jarama and Sorbe rivers originate in its mountains, and the southernmost beech forests in Europe grow in its valleys, such as Tejera Negra. Tejera Negra is a beech forest located in Cantalojas, approximately half an hour by car from Campillo de Ranas, along a recently restored track. It is one of the southernmost beech forests in Europe.
Environment with water
Some of the routes or places that we can see are the following:
- The Aljibe waterfall is a double waterfall formed near the mouth of the Arroyo del Soto in the Jarama river, in the Sierra de Ayllón. This route starts from the town of El Espinar, although another path also starts from the town of Roblelacasa. They are two waterfalls with two pools of water in the shape of a cistern at the foot of both and with a total height of about ten meters.
- The Despeñalagua waterfalls are consecutive waterfalls formed in the bed of the Chorrera stream, a tributary of the Sorbe river, on the northern slope of the Ocejón peak, near Valverde de los Arroyos. The entire waterfall has a height of about 120 meters and water falls throughout the year, especially during the thaw, although in winter there are usually frosts. It is a common hiking spot with easy access.
- La Presilla is a small lagoon, so to speak, which can be easily reached by taking a walk surrounded by nature. One of the paths starts from El Roble Hueco at the entrance to Campillo de Ranas.
- The El Vado Reservoir was opened in 1954 after a construction that lasted 40 years. Almost the entire town of El Vado, which gives it its name, was submerged under its waters. Since July 2015, active tourism activities can be carried out in the Reservoir. Currently, an active tourism cooperative offers canoe rentals in this Reservoir as well as other activities related to multi-adventure in its surroundings.