The Manzanares is a river in central Spain which passes through the country's capital, Madrid.

Course

The river Manzanares has its source near the Navacerrada mountain pass in the Guadarrama mountain range . In the high section of its basin it is surrounded by the Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares, a nature reserve. The Manzanares flows in a south-eastern direction from its source, and passes through the medieval town of Manzanares el Real where it forms the Santillana reservoir, one of the most important water supplies for the capital. The river then takes a southern direction and enters the Monte del Pardo , a heritage-protected park belonging to the city of Madrid. The river is canalised where it passes through the built-up areas of the city. The Manzanares skims past the westernmost part of the city and further downstream serves as a dividing line between the old centre of the city and the Carabanchel and Usera neighbourhoods to the South-West. It is on this stretch that it passes next to Atlético de Madrid's football ground, the Vicente Calderón. The river leaves the city at its southernmost tip. It makes a strong eastern turn which takes it past the village of Perales del Río and towards the river Jarama, into which it flows near the dormitory town of Arganda del Rey , ending its 83km (51 mile) journey.

Historical Importance

The river Manzanares, although small and relatively unimportant geographically, has had a great historical importance due to its close relation to the city of Madrid. The city was founded as a citadel overlooking the river by the Moors in the IX century.

The river also features in many paintings of the late XVII - early XIX century painter Francisco de Goya which show traditionally dressed people of Madrid in activities like dancing or having picnics next to the river.

The Manzanares was also an important defence line for the Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War, and many bunkers can still be seen near the village of Perales del Río