The Community of Madrid (Spanish: Comunidad de Madrid) is a region which includes the capital city of Spain. It has 6.5 million inhabitants.
In general, the municipalities to the south and east of the capital have more working-class populations, whereas those to the north and west are more affluent.
- Madrid. — capital city and largest city of Spain with busy nightlife and great art museums and monuments.
- Alcalá de Henares. — the city where Cervantes, the writer of Don Quixote, was baptized and almost certainly born. Its university and historical centre have been declared World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO.
- Aranjuez. — highlights include the Palacio Real, the summer home for the Bourbons, and the lavishly designed Casa del Labrador near the Tagus River.
- El Escorial. — a mountainous retreat home to Spain's largest monastery, the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, and to the Valle de los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen).
Alcalá de Henares. — the city where Cervantes, the writer of Don Quixote, was baptized and almost certainly born. Its university and historical centre have been declared World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO.
Aranjuez. — highlights include the Palacio Real, the summer home for the Bourbons, and the lavishly designed Casa del Labrador near the Tagus River.
El Escorial. — a mountainous retreat home to Spain's largest monastery, the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, and to the Valle de los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen).
- Buitrago del Lozoya. — surrounded by the Lozoya river, it is a unique, preserved walled enclosurel.
- Chinchón. — typical Spanish town which retains its character from the 1700s.
- Colmenar de Oreja. — in Las Vegas region with rich historical monuments and excellent gourmet products, such as olive oil, cheese, wine or garlic.
- Navalcarnero. — in the southwest, is a town with a well preserved architecture and famous for the quality of its wine.
- Nuevo Baztán. — founded in the early years of 18th century, it was planned to serve as an industrial town following the ideas of the Enlightenment period.
- Rascafría. — below the Sierra de Guadarrama area, apart from its natural richness, it also hosts the iconic Monastery of El Paular.
Buitrago del Lozoya. — surrounded by the Lozoya river, it is a unique, preserved walled enclosurel.
Chinchón. — typical Spanish town which retains its character from the 1700s.
Colmenar de Oreja. — in Las Vegas region with rich historical monuments and excellent gourmet products, such as olive oil, cheese, wine or garlic.
Navalcarnero. — in the southwest, is a town with a well preserved architecture and famous for the quality of its wine.
Nuevo Baztán. — founded in the early years of 18th century, it was planned to serve as an industrial town following the ideas of the Enlightenment period.
Rascafría. — below the Sierra de Guadarrama area, apart from its natural richness, it also hosts the iconic Monastery of El Paular.
- Móstoles. — second largest city in the region, it hosts the CA2M museum with the contemporary art collection of the Community of Madrid.
- Getafe. — one of the five major cities that surround Madrid in its southern part.
- Leganés. — the closest of these five cities to the center of Madrid. It borders the districts of Carabanchel to the north and Villaverde to the east. It is connected to Getafe to its south and to Alcorcon to its west.
- Alcorcón. — one of the five major cities that surround Madrid in its southern part.
- Fuenlabrada. — one of the five major cities that surround Madrid in its southern part.
Móstoles. — second largest city in the region, it hosts the CA2M museum with the contemporary art collection of the Community of Madrid.
Getafe. — one of the five major cities that surround Madrid in its southern part.
Leganés. — the closest of these five cities to the center of Madrid. It borders the districts of Carabanchel to the north and Villaverde to the east. It is connected to Getafe to its south and to Alcorcon to its west.
Alcorcón. — one of the five major cities that surround Madrid in its southern part.
Fuenlabrada. — one of the five major cities that surround Madrid in its southern part.
- Las Rozas.
- San Martín de Valdeiglesias.
- Torrelaguna.
- Manzanares el Real.
Las Rozas.
San Martín de Valdeiglesias.
Torrelaguna.
Manzanares el Real.
Madrid. — capital city and largest city of Spain with busy nightlife and great art museums and monuments.
- Sierra de Guadarrama. — a mountainous area with the Guadarrama National Park.
Sierra de Guadarrama. — a mountainous area with the Guadarrama National Park.
- El Escorial is a monastery and palace of gargantuan size built for Philipp II who wanted to get away from it all. You can see the surprisingly austere room from where Phillip ruled an empire reaching from the Philippines to the Americas. It's also the site of the Spanish royal mausoleum where most kings of Spain since Charles I/V and all queens who reigned in their own right or gave birth to kings are interred. To get there, take Cercanías to the eponymous station and then a bus or hike up the mountain to the monastery
- Valle de los Caídos is a gargantuan work built during the Franco era by forced labor of political prisoners. Its official purpose is as a memorial and final resting place of the fallen of the Spanish Civil War, however, the design makes it clear that Franco's side is the one being honored here. A giant cross sits atop a church built inside the mountain with fascist architecture reminiscent of the Nazi Party Rallying Grounds in Nuremberg. In October 2019, the Spanish government exhumed the remains of Franco and Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera and transferred them to the Franco family crypt in Madrid. This might decrease the attraction of this site for fascists making pilgrimage to it. There's a public bus from El Escorial, but from its dropoff point it's a 6-km hike. Taxi drivers will gladly take visitors all the way to the entrance and back and even wait there for a while; negotiate a fare at or below €50 per cab for this instead of taking the metered rate.