Day Thirteen

Brihuega to Morata de Tajuña (94 km)

Don’t be intimidated by the kilometres on today’s ride; it’s a straight shot down the Tajuña Valley, with a gentle downhill
that makes the kilometres go rather quickly. The only thing to remember is that this area is not big on restaurants and
bars until you get to Ambite; it’s a good idea to stock up on what you need before you leave Brihuega.

 km You need to…

 0.0 Leave town by travelling south on c/ Jose Antonio (turns into CM2011 once you leave town)
 0.600 Turn onto the CM2005. This is the main highway that will take you all the way down to the border with Madrid.
 12.6 Turnoff to ARCHILLA (water, store and bar at weekends).
 32.2 Cross the N320 highway at the roundabout by taking the second exit on the right. Go over bridge.
 33 ARMUÑA DE TAJUÑA (bar at weekends, fountain)
 33.5 To get out of Armuña, follow c/ Mayor to the church and take the street that goes down past the gardens (c/ Reguera).
This will take you to a paved path (Camino de Alcalá).
 36 Turn RIGHT onto the GU236.
 40 Turnoff to ARANZUEQUE. There are bars open during the weekends; the one located beside the Ayuntamiento (with the
Heineken sign) sometimes has food on Sundays; the other bar has drinks (and some serious attitude problems!)
 45 Turnoff to LORANCA DE TAJUÑA. There are bars and restaurants located in the upper part of town.
 51 Cross provincial lines – you’re now in Madrid! Just after the border, there’s a Campsa gas station with snacks.
 53.3 Cross provincial lines again into Guadalajara province; keep following the CM236.
 60 Cross back into Madrid and keep following CM215 to Ambite
 62.5 Just before you reach Ambite town limits, take a left-hand turn at the driveway with red-brick gates. Follow the path up
and to the right, and you’ll see the old Ambite station, which marks the beginning of the Vía Verde del Tajuña (look for the
tennis courts.) Keep your bathing suit handy in summer; this is where the municipal pool is located!
 74 The trail crosses a dodgy intersection at CARABAÑA. Be careful of cars!
 81 As you get close to TIELMES, the Vía Verde switches paths and gets closer to the river. Turn RIGHT at the horse stables
and ride 200 metres until you reach a picnic area.
 81.2 Turn LEFT to resume the Via Verde path.
 84.1 The Via Verde is cut off by the A3 motorway. Turn RIGHT onto the onramp, and follow signs to turn LEFT 300 m later.
 84.4 Turn LEFT at sign and go under the A3 to rejoin the Via Verde.
 85.4 Path veers right at the bottom of a hill and eventually joins up with a paved road.
 86 Follow paved road to the RIGHT and through a disused glass factory.
 86.9 Via Verde comes out at regional road M313. Go over road and take Vía Verde (to your left).
 93.7 MORATA DE TAJUÑA
 Day Thirteen
Brihuega to Morata de Tajuña (94 km)
Start point: The parking lot of the El Torrejón restaurant, Brihuega

Where to get food and water: There are number of food stores along c/
José Antonio, in Brihuega; they’re usually open by 9:30, Monday to
Saturday. It’s worth taking a little bit of food with you, as restaurants in other
towns along the route (especially in Aranzueque and Loranca de Tajuña)
oftentimes don’t have food, even though they’re open at the weekends.

How to get there: There are three buses per day per day from Madrid’s
Avenida de América bus station, leaving at 9:00AM, 3:00PM and 6:00PM
(for information, call Autobuses Flora Villa at 949-280-019.)

Keep in mind: Although you’re close to the river, don’t underestimate how
hot it can get on this highway, even in early spring. Drink as much water as
you can; almost all of the towns along the route have a fountain in the
centre of town where you can top your bottles up.

What to see: The towns along this way are somewhat short on sights, but
Ambite makes a good stop-off point in the summer since there’s a pool right
beside its Vía Verde.

Where to sleep: Your best options for accommodation are across the
border, in Madrid. In Ambite the Posada Rural El Teatro (91-872-2151) is
located in the Plaza Teniente Coronel Madariaga. The Molino de
Cantarranas, two kilometres east of Tielmes (91-873-7720), backs onto the
Vía Verde. Note that it is price and that it can get noisy and crowded at
weekends, especially if there are weddings going on. The Libra II hostal
(91-873-1267, c/ Poyales, 3) in Morata de Tajuña isn’t used a lot these
days, making it easy to get a room (clean doubles with bath €40).