100 kilometers from the Madrid capital, Somosierra’s municipality is located in the north of the autonomous community, in the mountains, which exceeds 1400 meters of height. It is in this environment that the Chorrera de Los Litueros is located, which is considered the highest waterfall of Madrid community, with a fall of about 40 meters.
This natural enclave feeds on the Canyo stream, which leads to the stream of Pedrizas, and then at the birth of the Durafon River. The area is part of the Sierra -Norte -e -Madrid, but is not included in any kind of protected natural space as a regional or national park.
Water jump is one of the most recognizable elements of the relief of Serrano Somosierra. Although this is not particularly caudal during the year, the fall is released especially in the spring, when thawing increases the volume of water that slides between the stones.
Access to this place is carried out along the marked route, which begins with the city and allows you to get to the base of the waterfall on a walk a little more than a kilometer. This is a route with low complexity, mainly with a soft slope, which makes it suitable for different profiles of visitors.
Correra of the liters is in the environment with vegetation, adapted to high mountain climate, where species such as wild pines, ferns and codes or scratches prevail. The height and shadow provided by the forest generate cooler temperatures than in other areas of the region, especially in the summer. This context makes Somosierra the usual option for walking in nature at any time of the year.
Round trip
The route to the waterfall begins in the vicinity of the Hermitage of the Mother of God, located in the upper part of the city nucleus of Somozerra. From this moment, the part is a linear, marked and often used path by both neighbors and tourists. The road passes parallel to the old section of the road and crosses the low scrub zone, among which codes (also known as scratches) are allocated, in addition to pine trees and other species adapted to height.
The total route is approximately 2 kilometers in the way back and can be completed in an hour. Most of the road has a reduced slope and is considered low complexity. Nevertheless, the last 50 meters, shortly before reaching the founding of Chorrera, have a greater degree of complexity. In this part, the Earth becomes more irregular, with stone steps and a certain slope, which can be punctual for people with reduced mobility or families with young children.
During the walk, you can determine the various rock formations of the Sierra -Nort landscape, as well as enjoy the fresh and humid atmosphere characteristic of the environment of the waterfall. The flow of water can vary depending on the season, being in the spring and the beginning of the summer with the best moments to observe a jump with its greatest stream. In the dryest months, the volume of the flow may decrease, although the place is still visited at any station. As a precaution, the consistory recommends carrying water if the route is made on hot days.
Return to the Somosierra is carried out using the same route that allows you to observe the landscape from a new point of view. The linear route, simple for the most part, offers a short and affordable rest that does not require experience in pedestrian or specific technical equipment, with the exception of adequate shoes for irregular areas.
Somosierra, strategic step and historical memory
Somosierra’s municipality was historically the point of passage between the northern and southern peninsulas. Located in the port of the same name, this enclave was filled in the fourteenth century under the jurisdiction of the Villa and Thierra -Despulveda community, which provided it with the tax franchises of neighbors to increase its settlement.
For centuries, his strategic position between Castilla La Viyia and Castill new made the city with a scene of military clashes. The most significant occurred on November 30, 1808, during the war for independence, when the battle of Somozerre was conducted. In it, the Napoleonic troops, with the support of the Polish cavalry, beat the Spanish forces and ensured control over the passage to Madrid. The board, located next to the Hermitage of the Mother of God of loneliness, notes the fallen soldiers in this action.
The city retains the remnants of its past in some of its religious buildings. The Hermitage itself, the starting point of the route to the waterfall, was restored after it received damage both in the war for independence and in the civil war. Its interior stands out for wooden artison and its functions as a place of memory.
Also, the Church of the Mother of God Neva, built in the 18th century, was destroyed in 1808 and recovered after the conflicts of the twentieth century. The current urban core of reduced size partially reflects the demographic evolution of the municipality, which, from its height and isolation, has retained a rural structure with low constructive pressure. This preservation of the environment allows the visitor to travel not only to the mountain landscape, but also the space, loaded with a recent and distant history.
