An absolutely wonderful natural park just outside Madrid, it is a mountain river which falls in gentle cascades to form pools, some deep enough to swim in. In the summer it is a marvellous place to escape the heat of the city, but go early, it fills up fast.

From Madrid take the M607 to Manzanares el Real (about half an hour) and La Pedriza is just past the village.

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Tuck into the simple, yet scrummy selection of dishes on offer on Pollo de Alcalá's menu which is printed on an enormous piece of tarpaulin, and hangs from the red-brick wall of this huge, old, converted mechanics’ workshop located on the edge of the historic centre of Alcalá de Henares.

Roast chicken cooked with herbs and apples, 'Sascha's' prize-winning, mouth-watering mini omelettes (watch them being prepared), crisp green salads with a tasty vinegarette (a nice change from the usual do-it-yourself oil and vinegar option), chicken kidney kebabs, potato croquettes and bowls of chips. Wash it all down with a jug of beer or wine and be pleasantly surprised when the bill comes.

Vía Complutense, 32, Alcalá de Henares
Tel: 91 881 30 70
Fax: 91 880 73 00
Open: Tues-Thurs 1pm-12am / Fri-Sun 1pm-1am
Wheelchair friendly / Cards accepted
Alcalá de Henares train station on Cercanías line C1/C3/C7A from Chamartín/Nuevos Ministerios/Recoletas/Atocha
www.renfe.es/cercanias/madrid/
callejero.lanetro.com/apps/lanetro/mapas.asp?pais=es&idvia=811&num=32&muni=Alcal%E1+de+Henares&mapa=dc1alcalahenares&prov=Madrid

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A cheap trip by rail to an interesting town, the former capital, with medieval buildings and good restaurants.

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Alcalá de Henares, a city just a short, and cheap, rail ride from Atocha on the local train ("cercanias"), is well worth a visit. You will find few tourists, the ancient university, the archbishop's palace, the "cradle" of Cervantes, the Cistercian Monastery of St Bernardo, and more storks on the roof tops than the average maternity hospital! Lots of good bars and restaurants and much less pricey than central Madrid.

If you speak spanish, www.guiarte.com/alcaladehenares/

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