River Manzanares

The river Manzanares has its source in the Sierra de Guadarrama (a mountain range North of the city) where it´s sorrounded by the natural reserve of Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares.

The Manzanares then flows in a south-eastern direction and passes through the town of Manzanares el Real where it forms the Santillana reservoir, one of the most important water supplies for the capital city of Spain. After that the river enters the Monte del Pardo, a heritage-protected forest belonging to the city of Madrid where is placed the Palacio de la Zarzuela, the residence of King Juan Carlos I.

The river is canalised where it passes through the built-up areas of the city where it passes next to Atlético de Madrid's football stadium, the Vicente Calderón (known as well as the Manzanares Stadium). The river leaves the city at its southernmost tip and towards the river Jarama, into which it flows near the town of Arganda del Rey.

Francisco de Quevedo, on the main writers of the Spanish literature, made fun of the river in the 17th century. For him river Manzanares was an apprentice of a river.

picture wikipedia.org