“Live, travel, know, experience, only then will you advance,” is one of the phrases written on the streets of Colmenar del Arroyo, a town in the Sierra Oeste region of Madrid with facades full of phrases, poems and thoughts written in black on white background, like a book open to the four winds and all eyes. On another wall appears the message “I didn't have to be happy and I was happy.” And so everywhere, an inspiring place to start a peaceful autumn cycling trip of a couple of days through the valleys, mountains and towns of the Sierra Oeste, enjoying an unforgettable bikepacking adventure in western Madrid.
In Colmenar del Arroyo they have turned many street facades into an inspiring book of outdoor poetry and it is worth taking a walk around the urban complex before starting to pedal, they are words that provide a degree of reflection for several kilometers. The town is known for some forts from the Civil War, Blockhaus No. 13, there is also a church declared of Cultural Interest and two Romanesque granite bridges on the Corralizo stream, the waterway that gives the surname to the name of the town. The place of the stone bridges is a very pleasant corner, there is the traditional washing place, a water trough and a two-spout fountain where we cyclists usually fill our boats with water.