Torrelodones is a municipality in the northwest of the

Autonomous Community of Madrid The Community of Madrid (; ) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities and 50 provinces of Spain, provinces of Spain. It is located at the heart of the Iberian Peninsula and Meseta Central, Central Plateau (); its capital and largest munici ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. It is situated 29 kilometers northwest from the city of

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

. Because of its location between the

Sierra de Guadarrama The Sierra de Guadarrama (Guadarrama Mountains) is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges along the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is in Spain, between the systems Sierra de ...

and the metropolitan area of the capital, it is linked to two districts in Madrid: the agricultural area of Guadarrama and the metropolitan area of Madrid. It lies at an average altitude of 845 meters. According to the 2022 census, 24,775 people live in the municipality, distributed among seven towns. The people of Torrelodones earn among the highest per capita incomes of the Community of Madrid. Services, hotels, and construction are the main economic activities. In 2012 it had about 22,680 inhabitants. With over three colleges and four developments, Torrelodones is usually divided into two parts: the "Torrelodones town", where there is the Town Hall, and the "Torrelodones colony", where there are schools, homes and small businesses. The town has an interesting artistic and natural heritage and is part of two tourist routes in the

Community of Madrid The Community of Madrid (; ) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities and 50 provinces of Spain, provinces of Spain. It is located at the heart of the Iberian Peninsula and Meseta Central, Central Plateau (); its capital and largest munici ...

. One of them is the Imperial Route, which partially follows the historic route used in the

16th century The 16th century began with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (represented by the Roman numerals MDI) and ended with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (MDC), depending on the reckoning used (the Gregorian calend ...

by King Philip II in his travels from the city of

to the Royal Site of El Escorial. The other is the Route through the Castles, Fortresses and Watchtowers, to which it is linked by the Watchtower of Torrelodones. Torrelodones is bordered to the north by Hoyo de Manzanares, to the south by

Las Rozas de Madrid Las Rozas de Madrid (, or simply, Las Rozas ) is a municipality in the autonomous community of Madrid, Spain, with an area of 59 km² (22¾ sq. mi.). The municipality is served by three Renfe railway stations– Las Rozas, Pinar de Las ...

, to the west by Galapagar, and to the east by

(through El

Monte de El Pardo The Monte de El Pardo is a large forested area in Madrid, Spain, extending roughly across one quarter of the total municipal area. The Monte de El Pardo has an area of 15289.12 ha. It was already mentioned as hunting ground in the Alfonso XI's ...

). Historically the municipality was named "Torrelodones" (Lodones' Tower). That name led to the current name of the town Torrelodones. The name comes from, for one side, the Muslim watchtower that Muslims used during Al-andalus age to guard the city from the attacks of Christian people during the Iberian peninsula's reconquest. For the other side, " Lodon" (hack berry) is a type of tree that was really abundant in that zone whose scientific name is ''

Celtis australis ''Celtis australis'', the European nettle tree, European hackberry, Mediterranean hackberry, lote tree, southern nettle tree, or honeyberry, is a deciduous tree native to Southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor. The tree was introduced to E ...

''.

Symbols

The town's badge, or coat of arms, was approved in 1979 by the "Real Decreto 3086/1979", of December 14. Its official description in Spanish is: ''EscudoPartido, primero, de plata. la torre de azur; se• gundü, de azur, la banda de oro, engolada en dragantes del mismo metal y en punta, de plata, el almez o lodón frutado de sable. Al timbre, corona real cerrada.'' This literally translates as: "Badge divided, first, of silver, the tower on azure, second, in azure, the gold band, with dragon heads of the same metal, and in peak, of silver, the hack berry of saber. On the top, a royal crown closed." The town's flag was approved by Madrid's community on 12 February 1992, and was designed by Julian Nieto Martin. The flag's description is: "Rectangular flag, of 2:3 ratio divided diagonally in 2 equal portions from the right top corner to the bottom left corner, blue on the top and yellow on the bottom; in the middle the officially approved coat of arms."

Urban geography

Boundaries

Torrelodones is bounded by the following: * To the north by the municipality of Hoyo de Manzanares through La Berzosa and some paths and roads that belong to the Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares. * To the south by

through Las Matas, Los Peñascales and the neighborhood of Molino de la Hoz. * To the west by the municipality of Galapagar through several neighborhoods involved in Parque Regional del Curso Medio del río Guadarrama y su entorno. Both municipalities are separated by the Guadarrama river. * To the east by the city of

through the

Towns

Torrelodones' population is spread in seven officially recognized different towns: Torrelodones (center), Los Robles, Los Peñascales, Los Bomberos, La Estacion, La Berzosilla, El Gasco. There are other neighborhoods isolated apart from those seven towns but they are not officially recognized.

Urban habitat

Torrelodones is divided in two parts: Torrelodones-pueblo (Torrelodones town), and Torrelodones-colonia (Torrelodones colony). Torrelodones-pueblo has the historical part of the municipality. It was developed in the early Middle Ages around a street that still exists now, called Calle Real (Royal Street). Through the twentieth century the town started to expand with the construction of new buildings, new business and small stores. In the late nineteenth century the Torrelodones-colonia part arose around the railway station; it is still developing. It consisted of small townhouses, apartments and villas. Both the Torrelodones-pueblo and the Torrelodones-colonia are the main social, administrative and economic centers of the municipality. They hold the 64% of the population and the vast majority of businesses, industries and services available in the village.

Climate

Torrelodones's weather is continental Mediterranean. It has cold winters with temperatures less than 5 °C, frequents frosts at nights and occasionally snows. Summers are warm, around 25 °C, and with maximum temperatures that can reach over 35 °C. The annual rainfall is more than 400mm.

Flora

The municipality has much Mediterranean flora that is typical of Spain. Trees there mainly are Holm oaks, with the occasional presence of

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

s and

pine tree A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as c ...

s, and spontaneous pine reforestation.

Wildlife

Torrelodones joins two protected ecological spaces: Sierra de Hoyo and Monte del Pardo. Animals that live here include birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. All of them are included in the ''Catálogo Nacional de Especies Amenazadas'' and the ''Catálogo Regional de Especies Amenazadas de Fauna y Flora de la Comunidad de Madrid''.

Birds

Águila imperial ibérica. (''Aquila adalberti'') (

Spanish imperial eagle The Spanish imperial eagle (''Aquila adalberti''), also known as the Iberian imperial eagle, the Spanish eagle or Adalbert's eagle, is a species of eagle native to the Iberian Peninsula. The binomial commemorates Prince Adalbert of Bavaria. Due ...

) is the most important bird. Aguila imperial iberica

Other birds include Picogordo ('' Coccothraustes coccothraustes''), curruca mosquitera ('' Sylvia borin''), curruca zarcera ('' Sylvia communis''), curruca mirlona ('' Sylvia hortensis''), papamoscas gris ('' Muscicapa striata''), oropéndola ('' Oriolus oriolus''), collalba rubia ('' Oenanthe hispanica''), chochín (''Troglodytes troglodytes''), pito real (''

Picus viridis The European green woodpecker (''Picus viridis''), also known as the yaffle and sometimes called a nickle, is a large green woodpecker with a bright red crown and a black moustache. Males have a red centre to the moustache stripe which is absent ...

''), mochuelo ('' Athene noctua''), autillo ('' Otus scops''), abubilla ('' Upupa epops''), carbonero común (''

Parus major The great tit (''Parus major'') is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common species throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and east across the Palearctic to the Amur River, south to parts of No ...

''), alcaudón real ('' Lanius meridionalis''), alcaudón común (''

Lanius senator The woodchat shrike (''Lanius senator'') is a member of the shrike family Laniidae. It can be identified by its red-brown crown and nape. It is mainly insectivorous and favours open wooded areas with scattered trees such as orchards, particularly ...

''), abejaruco ('' Merops apiaster''), estornino ('' Sturnus unicolor''), rabilargo ('' Cyanopica cooki''), El petirrojo (''

Erithacus rubecula The European robin (''Erithacus rubecula''), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in the British Isles, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is found across Europe, e ...

''), el ruiseñor ('' Luscinia megarhynchos''), el mirlo ('' Turdus merula''), el verdecillo ('' Serinus serinus''), el verderón ('' Carduelis chloris''), el pardillo ('' Carduelis cannabina''), and el zorzal ('' Turdus spp.''). There are also some species for hunting, such as la perdiz ('' Alectoris rufa''), la codorniz (''

Coturnix coturnix The common quail (''Coturnix coturnix''), or European quail, is a small ground-nesting game bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is mainly migratory, breeding in the western Palearctic and wintering in Africa and southern India. With its ...

''), la tórtola ('' Streptopelia turtur'') and la paloma torcaz ('' Columba palumbus''). Among the raptor birds are aguilucho ratonero ('' Buteo buteo'') and al elanio azul (''

Elanus caeruleus The black-winged kite (''Elanus caeruleus''), also known as the black-shouldered kite (not to be confused with the closely-related Australian species of the same name), is a small Diurnality, diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae best k ...

'').

Mammals

The municipality shelters, especially in protected zones, ardilla roja (''

Sciurus vulgaris The red squirrel (''Sciurus vulgaris''), also called Eurasian red squirrel, is a species of tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus''. It is an arboreal and primarily herbivorous rodent and common throughout Eurasia. Taxonomy There have been o ...

''), erizo europeo (''

Erinaceus europaeus The European hedgehog (''Erinaceus europaeus''), also known as the West European hedgehog or common hedgehog, is a hedgehog species native to Europe from Iberia and Italy northwards into Scandinavia and westwards into the British Isles.Harris, S. ...

''), conejo (''

Oryctolagus cuniculus The European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain, Portugal and Andorra) and southwestern France. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Oryctolagus''. The European ra ...

''), liebre ibérica ('' Lepus granatensis''), comadreja ('' Mustela nivalis''), gineta (''

Genetta genetta The common genet (''Genetta genetta'') is a small viverrid indigenous to Africa that was introduced to southwestern Europe. It is widely distributed north of the Sahara, in savanna zones south of the Sahara to southern Africa and along the coast ...

''), zorro (''

Vulpes vulpes The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

''), jabalí (''

Sus scrofa The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is n ...

''), el ratón de campo (''

Apodemus sylvaticus The wood mouse (''Apodemus sylvaticus'') is a murid rodent native to Europe and northwestern Africa. It is closely related to the yellow-necked mouse (''Apodemus flavicollis'') but differs in that it has no band of yellow fur around the neck, ha ...

''), el ratón casero ('' Mus domesticus''), el lirón careto ('' Eliomys quercinus''), la musaraña gris ('' Crocidura russula''), el topo ibérico ('' Talpa occidentalis''), and topillo de Cabrera (''

Microtus cabrerae Cabrera's vole (''Microtus cabrerae'') is a species of vole native to Spain and Portugal. It is named for Ángel Cabrera, a mammalogist then working at the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid. It is the only living member of the subgen ...

'').

Reptiles and amphibians

Torrelodones hosts reptiles such as la lagartija colirroja (''

Psammodromus algirus ''Psammodromus algirus'', known commonly as the Algerian psammodromus or the large psammodromus, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is found in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Subspecies There are four su ...

''), la lagartija cenicienta (''

Psammodromus hispanicus ''Psammodromus hispanicus'', the Spanish psammodromus, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is found in France, Portugal, and Spain. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, temperate grassland, sandy shore ...

''), la lagartija ibérica (''

Podarcis hispanicus ''Podarcis hispanicus'', also known as Iberian wall lizard, is a small wall lizard species of the genus ''Podarcis''. It is found in the Iberian Peninsula, in northwestern Africa and in coastal districts in Languedoc-Roussillon in France. In Span ...

''), el lagarto ocelado ('' Lacerta lepida''), la salamanquesa común ('' Tarentola mauritanica''), la culebrilla ciega (''

Amphisbaenia Amphisbaenia (called amphisbaenians or worm lizards) is a group of typically legless lizards, comprising over 200 extant species. Amphisbaenians are characterized by their long bodies, the reduction or loss of the limbs, and rudimentary eyes. A ...

''), la culebra de collar ('' Natrix natrix''), la culebra viperina ('' Natrix maura'') and la culebra de escalera ('' Elaphe scalaris''). Among the amphibians are el sapo corredor ('' Bufo calamita''), el sapo de espuelas (''Pelobates cultipes''), el sapo partero ibérico (''

Alytes cisternasii The Iberian midwife toad or brown midwife toad (''Alytes cisternasii''), in Portuguese , is a species of frog in the family Alytidae (formerly Discoglossidae) found in Portugal and western Spain. It is typically found in open habitats such as mea ...

''), el sapillo pintojo ibérico (''

Discoglossus galganoi The Iberian painted frog (''Discoglossus galganoi'') is a species of frog in the family Alytidae (formerly Discoglossidae). It is found in Portugal and Spain, where its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-ty ...

''), and el gallipato ('' Pleurodeles waltl'').

Invertebrates

There are countless species of invertebrates. On record are two species of endangered Lepidoptera: el arlequín ('' Zerynthia rumina'') and la doncella de ondas (''

Euphydryas aurinia The marsh fritillary (''Euphydryas aurinia'') is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Commonly distributed in the Palearctic realm, Palearctic region, the marsh fritillary's common name derives from one of its several habitats, marshland. The p ...

'').

References

{{authority control Municipalities in the Community of Madrid